turned to building aero engines for the war effort.
After the First World War, John set up the eponymous TG John Limited in 1919 following the acquisition of Coventry-based and American-owned company Holley Brothers. That same year, he also bought the rights to the Electra engine and a new four- cylinder design by Geoffrey de Freville, which came with the rights to the name ‘Alvis’. In 1921, the company changed its name to the Alvis Car and Engineering Company and TG John was Chairman and Managing Director, posts he held until his retirement in 1944.
Racing success
The first Alvis 10/30 appeared in 1920, performing well in competitions and selling well with 770 built. In 1922, Captain GT Smith-Clarke joined Alvis as Works Manager and Chief Engineer, and he had a keen interest in racing. He and John
followed a policy of improving design through motorsport and in 1923 an Alvis 12/50 won the Junior Car Club’s 200 Mile race at Brooklands at an average speed of 93.29mph. This car was driven by CM Harvey and took the win a little unexpectedly when the leading Fiats both broke. There was to be no repeat of this success in 1924 for Alvis. However, to challenge Continental competition for the 1925 200 Mile race, the 12/50 engine was supercharged and installed in a completely new chassis with front wheel drive and all independent suspension. To achieve the front-wheel drive configuration, the engine was simply turned through 180-degrees. In this 1.5-litre form, the Alvis went on to set Class F records for the half-mile, kilometre and mile standing start at Brooklands. For the 200 Mile race, Harvey vied for the lead with the Talbot-Darracqs, but the car faltered around half distance and retired.
An eight-cylinder 1.5-litre engine was developed for the 1926 and 1927 200 miles races and the British Grand Prix. Alvis was the only established British manufacturer to enter these races, and luck was not on its side. Two cars were entered in 1926 for the 200 Mile race and the British Grand Prix driven by Harvey and the Earl of Cottenham. Reliability proved a problem with the complex design of this straight eight engine. The derogatory press reports caused John to list all the benefits of racing and the superior financial position of Continental firms helped by government subsidies and the UK government’s failure to assist the British industry to export. However, Urquhart Dykes managed ninth place overall in the 1928 race in his 12/50, though the factory chose not to enter any cars of its own. Captain Smith-Clarke was still keen to race, however, and developed a twin
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2020 | BROOKLANDS BULLETIN 29
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