1938 | Alvis 4.3 Liter Saloon

Sold | £28,750 GBP

• A long-time Alvis Club car; well-enjoyed by enthusiast caretakers
• Part of The Boland Collection since 1990
• Fascinating ownership and history file
• Attractive older cosmetic restoration with many honest finishes
• Retains its original chassis, engine, and coachwork

Please note this car is offered without registration papers, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction.


Arguably the ultimate pre-war Alvis, the 4.3-Litre featured an enlarged six-cylinder engine with overhead valves, turning on seven main bearings and producing 137 horsepower. It was claimed to be the fastest tourer on the British market, being capable of over 100 mph. Typical of the company’s products of this era, it had marvellous slinky, low-slung lines in virtually all of its coachbuilt designs, including those produced by frequent Alvis collaborator Charlesworth of Coventry.

According to correspondence with the Alvis Club, included within the file, chassis number 14824 was bodied as a saloon by Charlesworth and dispatched from the Works on 13 May 1938 to Glasgow agent James H Galt. Its original owner was Alyss Mary Muir of Dalmuir, Scotland. She took delivery that July and must have been both an enthusiast and rather particular, as this was one of two 4.3-Litres she acquired—both Charlesworth-bodied saloons, and only 14 chassis numbers apart.

The car was next recorded in 1946 with T Marshall Taylor of Glasgow. Its history next picks up in 1966 and is continuously known since, with several owners registering the car with the Alvis Club, including Ben Lenthall. In 1990 the 4.3-Litre was acquired by Jim Boland from Peter Blenk of New York and London, and has now remained in his collection for 35 years. It was refinished in the late-1960s to its present Grampian Grey with light tan leather interior. The Alvis displays the honest patina typical of the automobiles in the Boland stable, while retaining its original chassis, engine, and coachwork. Accompanying the car is a small history file, including the aforementioned Alvis Club documentation and assorted older invoices from prior ownerships. Please note, the Alvis has been retained on static display for some years, and should be inspected by a mechanic prior to being driven.

This is a lovely Alvis, of beautiful lines, sure to impress its next caretaker with its touring performance on the open road.

Please note this lot has entered the UK on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the UK on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the UK.

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/ch25/.