Alvis Society - A Century of Drivers

(Hardback)

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Description

With an original approach, this book chronicles every model and lists every chassis number ever produced by Alvis, one of the great British manufacturers. It details famous owners and drivers, notable number plates, and is illustrated with original period photographs, and depictions of Alvis cars in the humorous cartoons of the day. The Alvis car has always seemed to appeal to a type of buyer who has made their mark upon society in a variety of ways. This 'social history' aspect of the book looks at the many Alvis owners from the world of politics, stage and screen, sport, the armed forces, medicine, and the arts. These range from a King to a serial killer, and every variation in between. The book has been written with full cooperation and approval of the Alvis Company, and is the result of much research by the author and other enthusiasts, who have managed to allocate a very large number of registration marks to chassis, by trawling County Archive Record Offices up and down the country, thus creating a unique record that will be a valuable resource for owners and collectors.

Author Bio

Born in Wigan in 1939, David Culshaw was educated initially at Wigan Grammar School. His teachers suggested he send his postwar car production notes to a publisher, and so, when only 19 years of age his manuscript was taken up by Temple Press Ltd, publishers of 'The Motor.' Practical automotive skills were honed by an uncle who had worked at Leyland Motors and Daimler. Education continued at Loughborough University, after which a commission arose from Walter Parrish International Ltd for a definitive history of the British Motor Industry from 1895 to date. Written with Peter Horrobin, the result was published in 1974 by McMillan in the UK, and Morrow in the USA. It was reissued by Veloce in 1997, and remains a standard work of reference. David's obsession with the Alvis marque from the age of 15 led to the publication of a series of 16 booklets on the different models, and later, a definitive work on the postwar Three-Litre ranges. For many years he has been granted exclusive access to Alvis Factory Records, which has contributed in no small way to the accuracy of the tables and the veracity of the text in his latest book, Alvis Society - A Century of Drivers.