1953 Alvis TA21

This car is offered from outside of the European Union. It has been imported under temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to Dutch import tax (9%) on top of the winning bid price. Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% Dutch import tax plus 21% VAT on the hammer.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, as their proof of purchase.

This vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and the documented history available is limited to that displayed in our photography section.

We have not tried to drive the car, and cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality.

It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

As CARS Europe BV is the guarantor of all customs duties and taxes for vehicles within Dutch customs bond, the car cannot be released to the buyer or transporter immediately after the sale. For all enquiries relating to Customs, please contact CARS Europe BV.

Purchases will only be released once cleared funds are received. All vehicles must be collected after the payment of funds.

All storage charges must be paid in full prior to the vehicle’s collection or onward transportation. Storage charges payment must be arranged with the storage company. Collection is strictly by appointment only.

Please send a booking email to the storage centre to ensure vehicle(s) are ready at time of collection. Photographic ID will be required at time of collection. If a third party is collecting for you, then written authorisation is required in advance from you and photographic ID of the third party is required at the time of collection.

Collection either by buyer or third party is only possible for vehicles within customs bond if applicable import taxes paid are paid to import into country of bonded storage location.

As soon as The Market by Bonhams receives your payment, the accounts department will send a release note to the manager of the storage facility where your car(s) is stored.

CARS Europe BV will contact you just after the sale to confirm onward transport requirements. Direct contact at CARS for enquiries is as follows; Joanna Herlihy, +31 (0) 252 682 526, +44 7483 433912, joanna@carseurope.net.

STORAGE CHARGES - €30 + local VAT per motor car per day commencing from the sixth day following the auction end.

CUSTOMS CHARGES - €500 per motor car (plus applicable permanent import taxes from bond).

Chassis No: TA24926.

Tickford body No: 20225

Five-digit odometer reading: 01024 kms.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, this LHD manual Alvis TA21 Drophead Coupé comes with no history or service records.

With the proviso that we haven’t tried to start or drive this car and can therefore only comment on its cosmetic condition, we think this Alvis is an excellent example of a very fine, hand-built luxury vehicle from a manufacturer whose name always stood for quality, exclusivity and prestige.

We think it entered the vendor’s collection in 2018.

We’re assuming that this car has been refurbished and restored at some point (we don’t know when or by whom) and from what we can see the work was done to a very high standard inside, outside and underneath.

This beautiful TA21 presents very handsomely indeed from every angle.

The black paintwork with gold coachlines is generally in very good order, and the finish has plenty of shine, lustre and depth to it.

The Tickford bodywork is equally impressive, being devoid of any significant creases, ripples, dinks and bumps that we can see, except for a shallow dent and some cracked paint on the driver’s side rear wheel spat.

Otherwise, the panels are straight and even, and the panel gaps and shut lines seem consistent and even.

The chrome and trim seem to be in excellent condition, as do the lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings.

The wheels are good.

So, too, is the black vinyl hood, which appears to be in fine condition both aesthetically and functionally.

There is an area of scuffed paint on the passenger side front wing and some scratches on the rear wheel spat on the same side.

There’s also a scuff on the bodywork next to the boot lid on the driver’s side and a crack in the rear reflector on the passenger side.

The good news continues on the inside, where glossy wood and soft red leather combine to create a very classy and refined space in which to spend some time.

The red leather upholstery is in very good condition, both front and back, and while there are a few creases here and there and a scuff at the top of the front passenger seat, the patina is attractive and inviting.

The door cards are good, although the trim is coming loose at the bottom of both.

The red carpets and mats look to be in very good order, if in need of a clean.

The wood on the dashboard and door cappings has held up very well and is rich and glossy.

The cream fabric hood lining looks equally good.

We can’t vouch for the full functionality of instruments, dials, buttons, knobs, switches or levers because we haven’t driven the car.

Everything in the clean and dry engine bay seems to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car appear to have a good deal of structural integrity and look to have seen very little road use since whenever the obvious restoration work was carried out. Indeed, many of the visible suspension and exhaust components look new.

This car doesn’t come with any history or service records.

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this.

None of the paperwork shown in the gallery in any way constitutes any kind of licensing or registration certification.

From what we can see, this fine Alvis TA21 Drophead Coupé has been the recipient of a good deal of care, expertise and expenditure over the course of its long life.

Provided, of course, that the engine, electrics and mechanicals are as good as the rest of the car, we think this is probably one of the best examples you could hope to find of what is now an extremely rare model from a grand but bygone marque.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of €16,000 - €24,000.