1961 Alvis TD21

SI Saloon 3 L

Vehicle values by condition

Fair
Condition 4
£10,800
#4 cars are daily drivers, with flaws visible to the naked eye. The chrome might have pitting or scratches, the windshield might be chipped.
Good
Condition 3
£17,000
#3 cars could possess some, but not all of the issues of a #4 car, but they will be balanced by other factors such as a fresh paint job or a new, correct interior.
Excellent
Condition 2
£24,800
#2 cars could win a local or regional show. They can be former #1 cars that have been driven or have aged. Seasoned observers will have to look closely for flaws.
Concours
Condition 1
£32,100
#1 vehicles are the best in the world. The visual image is of the best car, unmodified, in the right colours, driving onto the lawn at the finest concours.
Insurance premium for a
1961 Alvis TD21 SI Saloon 2993
valued at £17,000
£150.96 / year*

History of the 1958 - 1961 Alvis TD21

1958 - 1961 Alvis TD21
1958 - 1961 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.

All 1961 Alvis TD21 body types

Year Make Model Submodel Body Type Engine size Average value
1958 Alvis TD21 SI DHC 3 L £ 31,900 49,000 67,000 88,800
1958 Alvis TD21 SI Saloon 3 L £ 10,800 17,000 24,800 32,100
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