Specialists rising to classic car owners’ demands

By Jack Phillips

| 30 Apr 2020

Classic & Sports Car – Specialists rising to classic car owners’ demands

Owners of classic cars from a variety of marques can take advantage of an unlikely source during the coronavirus lockdown: Alvis Car Company.

It recently announced that its Red Triangle service arm will provide remote assistance to Alvis owners, but there’s been a much wider positive effect.

An eBay shop has widened its stock list, making it easier for parts to go from the original Alvis store shelves in Kenilworth to owners in the comfort of their own homes, but a number of the near-200 items are common across other models and marques.

Alvis labyrinthine treasure trove; versatile ivory gearknob

That means owners of cars from a host of British manufacturers, plus even Mercedes, can take advantage of the new venture.

“Seeing more Alvis owners tackling jobs at home, we thought we should release more common parts via our Red Triangle eBay store that could help other car marque owners at this time,” says Alvis’ Managing Director Alan Stote.

“These include parts suitable for Jaguars, Austin-Healey and a TE/TF gearknob that’s used on Mercedes 230SL, 250SL, 280SL (113 chassis), 280SE, 280SEL (108 chassis), 300SEL 6.3 (109 chassis) & 280SE/Coupé (111 chassis).”

Alvis stores run sky high; mid-fettling at Red Triangle's workshop

The experts at Red Triangle have been constantly surprised by the sheer volume of enquiries since it announced that owners could contact Alvis for help, the offer perhaps giving confidence to tackle all sorts of jobs they otherwise wouldn’t.

And some, the company tells us, have been vast projects.

“We’ve had a diverse range of questions and welcome them all,” Stote adds. “These range from simple, ‘Please can you tell me where the fuse for the direction blinker is located?’ to more complex issues such as ‘Are the coupling slides on my 4.3 Charlesworth saloon meant to slide?’”

British Motor Heritage Triumph TR6 under construction

Similarly, British Motor Heritage has reiterated that its specialists remain open and are supplying all sorts of Mini and British sports-car parts.

Managing Director, John Yea, said: “It is clear from our current order book that some classic car owners are already taking advantage of the lockdown to fully prepare their vehicles for the return of the good times.

“I’m delighted to report that our factory is still in operation and our supply chain remains fully in place so, as far as our Approved Specialists are concerned, it is business as normal.”

Alvis car owners needing a helping hand can get in touch via email.

New-old-stock is available here, while BMH can be found here.

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