The Alvis Three Litre, TC 21 is an

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produced by

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manufacturer

Alvis Alvis is a given name and a surname (close to the uncommon Scottish surname Alves). Alvis may also refer to: *Alvi, a Muslim community in South Asia, who claims descent from the fourth Rashidun caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib *Alvis Car and Engineering ...

between 1953 and 1955. An updated version of the Three Litre TA 21, it was available as a 4-door saloon and, in its later TC 21/100 form, also as a 2-door

drophead coupé A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving exp ...

TC 21

Body

The TC 21 was available as four-door saloon but, unlike its TA 21 predecessor, no drophead version was offered.Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945-1970, Bay View Books Ltd, 1989, pages 16 & 17 The bodies were made for Alvis by

Mulliners (Birmingham) Mulliners Limited of Birmingham was a British coachbuilding business in Bordesley Green, with factories in Bordesley Green and Cherrywood Roads. It made standard bodies for specialist car manufacturers. In the 19th century there were family ties ...

. A sunshine roof remained standard as did "separately adjustable front seats; heater and air-conditioning unit; Trico windscreen washers" drawing the comment from Autocar "In detail fittings . . . this car leaves little to be desired". Later TC 21s have chromium-plated window frames.

Engine

The 2,993 cc engine was upgraded to produce by modifying the cylinder head and fitting twin SU carburettors. Suspension was the same as the TA 21, independent at the front using coil springs with leaf springs at the rear. The drum brakes using a Lockheed system were also retained. However this update found few buyers during a very difficult year for the British Motor Industry and though it remained in the catalogue and continued to be advertised it was in practice replaced by the ''Grey Lady''.

TC.21/100 ''Grey Lady''

The TC.21/100 or Grey Lady announced 20 October 1953 came with a guarantee of a speed of 100 mph resulting from an improved exhaust system and an engine compression ratio raised from 7:1 to 8:1 to take advantage of the availability of better petrol. The final drive ratio was raised from 4.09:1 to 3.77:1. A paired front fog lamp and matching driving lamp became a standard fitting. The bonnet gained air scoops and wire wheels were fitted to try to enliven the car's image. A heater was fitted as standard but a radio remained an expensive option. Four door saloon and

versions were offered. A saloon version tested by

The Motor ''The Motor'' (later, just ''Motor'') was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903 and published by Temple Press. It was initially launched as ''Motorcycling and Motoring'' in 1902 before the title was shortened. From the 14 ...

magazine in 1954 had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0- in 15.4 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. The test car cost £1,821 including taxes. Grey lady 080707

Few concessions to fashion trends

Nevertheless, just 18 months later the Times' Motoring Correspondent tested and reported on the Grey Lady under the headline "Few Concessions to Fashion Trends". His opening gambit was that this Alvis was now one of the few British cars that did not look American and, he said, there was little concession to the cult of streamlining beyond the two air scoops in the bonnet. He wrote that spacious internal headroom and wire wheels completed that picture. It was noted the instruments were not in front of the driver but in the centre of the dashboard (instrument panel) and so the speedometer was apt to be masked by the driver's left hand. However the front seats were comfortable and rear seat passengers received padding on the wheel arches surmounted by armrests. Leather upholstery, pile carpets and walnut facings for the dashboard and lower parts of the window frames completed the traditional picture. He did however say that "the driver who is sensitive to the "feel" of his car will enjoy every moment of his motoring irrespective of the traffic" and reported the car's behaviour on corners was extremely stable though potholes like those caused by recessed manhole covers proved very heavy going for the springing.Traditional Features Of The Alvis "Grey Lady". ''The Times'', Tuesday, 5 Jul 1955; pg. 5; Issue 53264 A Graber-bodied coupe on a TC 21/100 chassis was exhibited at the London Motor Show in October 1955.Rara Avis, alvisarchive.com
Retrieved 23 July 2016 The similar TC 108G entered limited production the following year.

TC 21

Body

Engine

TC.21/100 ''Grey Lady''

Few concessions to fashion trends

References

Further reading