1938 Alvis Speed Twenty-Five SB Lancefield Drophead Coupé
A 1938 Alvis Speed Twenty-Five SB with one-off Lancefield concealed-hood drophead coupé coachwork — the only such body the coachbuilder produced for Alvis, and confirmed as a personal favourite of its designers. The car was exhibited at completion in the Alvis London showroom and at the 1938 Earls Court Motor Show. After passing through several British and Jamaican owners, it was fully restored in the early 1980s by Ron Pinto, who showed it at Pebble Beach, and subsequently underwent a further meticulous restoration by Red Triangle of Kenilworth in the car's original Earls Court show colours.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$379,000
- 1938 → 1938Factory deliveryAlvis London showroompartial documentation
Car was displayed at the London showroom following coachwork completion, then exhibited at the Earls Court Motor Show.
- 1964 →Acquisition unknownM.D. Baxterpartial documentation
Identified in the ownership record as a known custodian in 1964; no further details on tenure length or disposition.
- → 1994Acquisition unknownRon Pintopartial documentation
Oversaw a full restoration completed in the early 1980s and exhibited the car at Pebble Beach and various other events including in Germany.
- 1994 →Private saleCurrent owner, Alvis marque specialist collectorpartial documentation
First noticed the car at the Hershey meet in 1993, then concluded purchase the following year; commissioned a thorough restoration by Red Triangle of Kenilworth.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownL.D. Jenningspartial documentation
Based in Kingston, Jamaica, during the later 1960s; wrote to Alvis repeatedly seeking components as he began restoration work.
Competition
- 19381938 Earls Court Motor ShowExhibited
Appearance documented on the car's official Car Record; the vehicle was shown in its original color scheme.
- 19811981 Pebble Beach Concours d'EleganceClass award winner
Entered by Ron Pinto shortly after the restoration he supervised was finished; the car's appearance was also covered in a June 1983 magazine feature.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Restoration
L.D. Jennings initiated a restoration while the car was in Jamaica, corresponding with Alvis to source parts; extent and completion of this work is not documented.
Scope and outcome of this restoration attempt are unclear from the available records.
- —Restoration
A complete restoration was carried out under Ron Pinto's supervision in the early 1980s, returning the car to show condition in time for the 1981 Pebble Beach Concours.
Date is approximate; the car was exhibited at Pebble Beach in 1981, placing the restoration no later than that year.
- —RestorationRed Triangle
A thorough fresh restoration was carried out by Red Triangle of Kenilworth, the leading specialists in the model, finishing the car in the colours it wore at the 1938 Earls Court Motor Show.
Completed during the current ownership, which began in 1994; exact date within that period is not stated.
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