Vintage Thing No.99 - Art Deco Alvis

Those all enveloping front wings need to be that big to allow the steering lock. The radiator mascot is the hilt of a Spanish sword

This extraordinary creation caught my eye at the 2011 Crash Box Club Historic Vehicle Gathering at Powderham Castle. It's a post war Alvis clothed in one man's interpretation of outrageous French pre-war coachwork


Mike Waters specialises in electric power steering solutions that make classic and vintage cars more useable. His conversions are very neat and unobtrusive and this is a side project that illustrates a long standing interest in French coachwork

The epogee (oo that's a good word) of this style was a carossier (another good word) called Figoni et Falaschi (Italians working in Paris) who the Anglo-Saxons nicknamed Phoney & Flashy.

The basis was a post-war time-expired Alvis 14 saloon, which donated its chassis, engine, gearbox, radiator and headlamps. Mike knew what lines he wanted and created a new bodyshell around re-packaged components that drew inspiration from classic speed boats as well as Phoney & Flashy.

It looks like it could fly or float

It took several goes to get the result he really wanted and by the time I saw it I think he was 99% satisfied with it.

Applying the veneer was tricky. It's expensive and easy to get wrong.

The simple tuck and roll interior shows off the dramatic lines of the concept

The interior is as striking as the flowing wings and is an integral feature of the overall styling. The apparent lack of instruments is thanks to crystal displays that run either side of the central wooden panel. Ultimately, Mike plans a small speedo in the centre.

Getting the right look took some doing but Mike told me the result is far more comfortable than he'd expected.

Although there in a professional capacity with his trade stand, Mike was more than willing to show his Art Deco Alvis to me with its suspension raised or with it slammed. He used airbag technology similar to that used on lead sleds but whenever he lowered it he had to worn onlookers to stand well back so that their toes weren't trapped by the voluptuous wings.

I had to wait for the crowds to part to get this shot. It's a surprisingly big car but then that's down to the good proportions. I particularly like the savagedly raked vee-screen

He'd found that many specialists had fought shy of taking on the various jobs involved in creating such a car. It seems they're quite happy restoring something but seemed to quote huge sums for - say - moulding a GRP bodyshell. Mike ended up doing a lot of the processes himself. At least that way he could keep the concept on target and be in control of quality.

It reckon we'll be seeing a lot more of this car in the future. Most of the time it drew a small crowd and crowds know things.