Alvis 12/50 S
Car : Alvis 12/50 S
Year : 1923
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :68?103 mm
Cylinder capacity : 1496 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power : 50
Maximum speed : 67 mph
Wheelbase : 9 ft ? ins (2.75 m)
Suspension : front and back: semi- elliptic leaf- springs
In the history of any car company there is always one model that stands out from the others and is remembered–for Alvis this model was the 12/50, which went into production in 1923 and continued to be produced until 1932. Alvis was founded in 1920, when Thomas George John took over Holley Brothers Company Ltd, and started making motorcycles and cars. In 1921 it took the name Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd. As the result of financial difficulties in 1922, the company worked at assembling twin-cylinder V, air-cooled Buckingham engines, but in 1936 the company became simply Alvis Ltd.

Today, the 12/50 is one of the cars most highly prized and jealously guarded by collectors of vintage cars. It had a successful racing career, both with professional and amateur drivers, and was the winner of the 1923 Brooklands 200 Mile Race. The 12/50 was nicknamed the ‘duck’s back’, because of its odd shape at the back. This version, with a maximum speed of about 80 mph, was very popular in racing circles at the time. The sports version, distinguished by the letter S (the T was for Touring, and F for front-wheel drive, which was tried in 1925 and incorporated on a production model after 1928), and almost the same engine as the touring (1645 cc) but with smaller capacity.