1958 Alvis TD21

The Alvis TD21 was a front engine, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer available either as a two-door, four-seater coupe or a two-door, four-seater convertible bodies. It was made from 1958 to 1963.

The launch of the Alvis TD21 in October 1958 was marked by overwhelming press and public acclaim; Autocar magazine described it as ‘one of the most enchanting owner-driver cars imaginable’. Most TD21s had a Park Ward steel body with an aluminium boot, bonnet and roof over a box-section chassis, while a small number of cars were built by Carrosserie Graber. The steering was via Burman recirculating ball and the suspension was by independent front coil springs and wishbones with an anti-roll bar. At the rear were semi-elliptic leaf springs and Girling shock absorbers. The cabin was trimmed in the finest leather and the standard equipment included an adjustable steering column, a petrol reserve and footwell air vents. Wire wheels could be specified as an optional extra.

The first 25 Alvis TD21s had the engine and all-drum brakes of the previous TC108G, but from March 1959 the TD21 was available with servo-assisted front discs, which were subsequently standardised, and an improved cylinder head. In 1960 overdrive became available and January 1962 saw the Alvis TD21 upgraded as the Series II with integral fog lamps, new tail lamps, all-disc braking and aluminium rather than wooden door frames were introduced. In October of that year, five-speed transmission became standard equipment. The Alvis TD21 ceased production in late 1963.

Famous Alvis TD21 owners included the Duke of Edinburgh and Group Captain Douglas Bader.

The Alvis TD21 engine was a 2,993cc S6 OHV unit with twin SU carburettors. The transmission was initially an Austin-Healey four-speed box with synchromesh on top, third and second (overdrive was extra from 1960 to 1962) or, on later versions, a five-speed all-synchromesh ZF box. A Borg Warner three-speed automatic box was an optional extra.

The road manners, engineering, appearance and legendary attention to detail combine to make the Alvis TD21 one of the finest British cars of its generation. The dropheads command higher prices than the saloons while the Graber-built models are exceedingly rare and desirable. Water ingress was a common issue on the TD21, which means that the rear wings, sills, boot floor and around the roof should all be checked. The rear window and the door jambs of the early TD21s are wooden and are known to rot, and the four-speed gearbox is known to suffer from weak synchromesh on second gear.

Alvis TD21 alternatives include the AC Greyhound, the Bentley S1 and S2 Continental, the Bristol 406 and 407, and the Jensen 541R and 541S.