Cars for Sale

Chassis: 14812
Engine: 15298
Reg: DHP 233

Introduced in late 1937, the Short Chassis Vanden Plas Tourer drew rave reviews from the contemporary motoring press. The rakishly elegant four seater incorporated a fold-flat windscreen, encased spare wheel, sloping tail, louvred bonnet sides and cut-away doors, the body cleverly punctuated by a belt line that emphasised its low build and delightful stepped edges to all four wings. Riding on Alvis' ‘jelly mould’ wire wheels and typically finished in a two-tone livery, the 4.3 Litre Short Chassis Vanden Plas Tourer was arguably among the best looking road cars of its generation. Period road test figures, which showed a 0-60mph time of 11.3 seconds and an enviable 103.45mph top speed, confirmed it to also be one of the quickest.

Most owners restricted the use of their Alvis to the road; this short chassis bucked that trend. Driven by George Hartwell and R.S Newton, DHP 233 competed in the 1938 Light Car Club Three Hour race for sportscars over the Campbell Circuit at Brooklands. Intriguingly, DXP 233 also featured in a contemporary Alvis Ltd advertisement indicating the car won first prize in the RAC Rally, Blackpool in the Coachwork category.

With only four owners from new and having not been offered for sale since 1983, this Alvis is an excellent example of a very sought after model with a most interesting history. It has long been held that just twelve Alvis 4.3 Litre Short Chassis Vanden Plas Tourers were built and supplied, with only eleven known to have survived to this day – a rare car indeed.