Offered from the estate of the late Peter Stevens
1961 Alvis TD21 Drophead Coupé

• Elegant Graber styling
• Automatic transmission
• Comprehensively restored in Holland circa 2010
• Acquired by Peter Stevens in 2021

In October 1955 at the Paris Motor Show, Alvis displayed its first production car styled by the Swiss carrossier, Graber. Based on the existing TC21 Grey Lady chassis, the newcomer brought a much-needed injection of Continental style and modernity to the Coventry manufacturer's range. Lighter, stiffer, and with a much smaller frontal area than the traditionally styled Grey Lady, the Graber Alvis enjoyed much improved handling and a higher maximum speed. The first Graber-styled model - the TC108G - was built by coachbuilders Willowbrook before production switched to Rolls-Royce's in-house coachbuilder Park Ward on the introduction of the improved and restyled TD21.

Introduced for 1959, the TD21 retained Alvis's torquey, 3.0-litre, overhead-valve six, which in up-rated form (from March 1959 onwards) produced 120bhp courtesy of a redesigned cylinder head. With its increased power, this under-stressed engine proved capable of propelling the TD21 to a top speed of 103mph while turning over at a lazy 5,000 revs. Inside, there were improvements to the accommodation, with increased headroom and legroom, especially in the rear. Lockheed servo-assisted disc brakes were an option, becoming standardised for 1960. The Motor magazine remarked on the Alvis's exclusivity and individuality of character, summing up the TD21 thus: "As a perfectly serviceable everyday car with extra 'chic', extra performance, and high standards of comfort and safety, its appeal to a select but important clientele should be strong."

This beautiful TD21 drophead was delivered new on 9th June 1961 via Brooklands of Bond Street to the Honourable Mrs P Harmsworth of Chester Square. The accompanying Car Record copy shows that '26560' was originally finished in Maroon Beige with Beige leather upholstery and Fawn hood, and that it left the factory equipped with a Borg Warner three-speed automatic gearbox and wire wheels. In 2001 the Alvis featured in article for the American publication British Car magazine (December edition).

In the 2000s the car was acquired by the President of the Dutch Alvis Owners' Club, who initiated a an extensive restoration. The restoration was completed in 2010 and the Alvis was then sold to an enthusiast in the South of France where it was pampered and little used. The car returned to the UK in 2021 was sold via marque specialists Red Triangle to Peter Stevens in 2023. There are photographs on file of the body-off, engine-out, bare-metal restoration and interior retrim done in Holland, and the file also contains sundry invoices, various marque-related articles, a V5C Registration Certificate, a Dutch expertise report, and the aforementioned Car Record copy.