by Kenneth Day

For nearly half a century Alvis was famed worldwide for the design and manufacture of its thoroughbred cars, including pioneering work on front-wheel drive and independent suspension. The Coventry precision-engineering firm always knew that diversification was essential for survival and went on to make aero engines and armoured fighting vehicles. As Alvis ceased to exist as a separate entity when it became part of BAe Systems in 2004, this fourth edition - which includes important new material - is the definitive history of the marque.

Contents:

• Author's note to fourth edition
• Foreword by Michael Dunn
• Acknowledgements
• Thomas George John
  the beginning of greatness
• T.G. John Ltd 1917-1921
• Further expansion
  Alvis Car and Engineering Co. Ltd
• Front-wheel drive to Speed 20
• Manufacturing the vintage Alvis
• Racing and record-breaking with rear-wheel drive
• Alvis leads with front-wheel-drive racing cars
• Racing front-wheel-drive sports cars
• Technical developments and new models
• The first all-synchromesh gearbox
• Alvis expands and Britain re-arms
• Alvis aero activities
• Building the Gnome-Rhône aero-engines
• Alvis Mechanisation Ltd ensures future success
• A difficult Annual General Meeting
• Alvis goes to war
• T.G. John retires
• Under new management
• The Alvis Leonides aero-engine
• Six-wheeled armoured vehicles
• Corporate and product changes
• From Scorpion to Stormer
• The Gulf War
• Appendices: Car production and specifications