That Elusive FWD Alvis

Sir,

Referring to Mr. Kobayashi’s interesting letter last month on the FWD Alvis in Tokyo, perhaps the following information may be of help. The Chassis number on the FWD Alvis is stamped on the top face of the offside chassis-member, just in front of the rivets securing the rear engine cross-member. This may or may not be concealed by the bulkhead. The picture accompanying the letter shows a short chassis of the later type as can be seen by the rear suspension, making it an FD type, which would presumably rule out a TT car as these were the earlier FA chassis. The flexible coupling on the steering column is also from the late series. The bodywork in the picture looks very much like a TT replica body minus the tail and, being narrow (chassis width) will put the handbrake on the outside of the body.

On a different subject, may I take up the bait offered by W.B. in the April issue where there is the suggestion that an 8-h.p. Daimler may have been the first motor car in Wales in 1901. This is certainly not so. I have a faded photograph of my great grandfather and family (eight in total) in a car outside his house in Penarth on 14th November, 1899. He used to travel extensively in Wales, often to Pembrokeshire. The earliest reference, however, to a car in Wales that I have found is in a book called “Victorian and Edwardian Wales from Old Photographs” by E. J. Jones (Batsford 1972) where there is a picture showing the first motor car to arrive in Newport, Monmouthshire on 24th November 1896.

Rhiwbina S. N. LOVERIDGE