1954 Alvis TC21/100 Drophead Coupe

Registration No: OYU 979

Chassis No: 25554

MOT: Exempt

Supplied new to Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DL, and notable as his first Alvis

Well maintained since undergoing an extensive restoration during 2010-2012

1 of just 81 TC21/ 100 chassis to wear Tickford Drophead Coupe coachwork

Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader was a British World War II flying ace in the Royal Air Force, credited with 22 aerial victories flying Hurricanes and Spitfires despite losing both legs in a 1931 crash following unauthorised aerobatics in a Bristol Bulldog following which he was invalided out of the service. After rejoining the RAF following the outbreak of war in 1939, he commanded No. 242 Squadron and the Tangmere Wing, playing a key role in the Battle of Britain and championing the “Big Wing” tactic. Shot down in his Spitfire over France and captured in 1941, he made multiple escape attempts before being sent to the infamous Colditz castle. He was liberated in 1945. Postwar, he became an advocate for disabled people and was knighted in 1976. He died in 1982.

Introduced in 1953, the Alvis TC 21 was a natural rival to the Bentley MKVI and Lagonda 2. 6-litre. Powered by a 2993cc OHV straight-six engine allied to four-speed manual transmission, it was available in Mulliner Sports Saloon or Tickford Drophead Coupe guises. Those looking for more performance could specify the TC21/ 100 or 'Grey Lady' version which benefited from a higher compression cylinder head and taller final drive ratio. Credited with 100bhp and a headline-grabbing 100mph top speed, only eighty-one TC21/ 100 Drophead Coupes were made. The TC 21 was the final development of a series of post war cars before the introduction of the TD range in 1957, notably incorporating the well developed and respected 3-litre engine which was to successfully carry the Alvis marque through to the end of production in 1967, the Tickford three position drophead coupe being a particularly stylish design offering a practical and elegant approach to open air motoring.

The first Alvis purchased by Group Captain Douglas Bader, ‘OYU 979’ was supplied by Brooklands of Bond Street in March 1954 and was the first car to be delivered to a member of the public with Manumatic transmission control.

Bader’s friendship with J. J. Parkes, the Managing Director of Alvis, was doubtless a factor in the Coventry manufacturer deciding to fit the system which withdrew the clutch automatically, synchronised the engine revs and engaged the new gear. The famous World War Two fighter ace went on to own TD21 and TF21 models and became renowned at the factory for his perfectionism and occasional impatience! Sold to second owner, Mrs Madeleine C. Cave, by Charles Follett of Mayfair for the princely sum of £850, a letter on file from her recalls a subsequent roadside encounter with Bader during which he remarked: ‘How is she? Glad to see her looking so good’. Retained by Mrs Cave for twenty years during which time a conventional clutch was installed by Alvis, the TC21/ 100 is known to have subsequently passed to Mr Brown, Mr P. J. Heron and Mr T. J. McKenna prior to entering the current ownership in 2015. Treated to an extensive and photographically documented restoration from 2010-2012 and said to have been ‘well maintained’ and used regularly ever since, the Drophead Coupe has become a frequent visitor to the Goodwood Revival.

A historically important motor car with documented continual ownership history, ‘OYU 979’ is offered for sale with Douglas Bader ‘signature’ Spitfire mascot, extensive paperwork including copy build sheets, owner’s handbook, sales brochure, period press articles and restoration details etc. A unique opportunity to acquire a historic vehicle with great significance in the annals of Alvis history.