Probably Going to Look at This on Sunday *Decision Made*

It looks great and could not get lost in a car park.

Looks fabulous, I hope it passed your inspection!

It is a lovely thing and drives very nicely. Happy to loaf along the Oxfordshire B roads at 50 MPH and coping with hills very well. It is certainly what is called 'oily rag' condition, which I like, but has perhaps a few too many jobs needing attention than ideal and especially at the price he is asking. I sall look at some others and maybe come back to it if he is willing to negotiate at bit more on price.

£24,950

Sunbeams are exceptional value at the moment. The market doesn't seem to recognise how much they should be worth, hence making them affordable for me. The equivalent car from Alvis would be at least double the price.

Pre War cars are in general very good value just because the age of the typical buyer has increased to the point where a lot of them have passed on and therefore the market has shrunk. I'm just waitng until nobody wants a 250 SWB anymore and I can pick one up for buttons.

Other possible candidates:

Vauxhall 14-40 Tourer




Alvis 12/50 Sports Saloon




Likely to be out and about again next weekend...

A replacement. If, sometime in the future, there is a second classic/weekend car it will be a two seater sports of some sort. Anything from a rusty MX5 to a Morgan or 1930s Riley, depending upon the imaginary budget...

That's a hell of a lot of work to keep that aluminium body looking good especially with our cold and damp winters. A heated garage would of course solve some of the problem.

Any update, James? The Sunbeam looks fabulous and although I know nothing about prices for cars like that, the price certainly doesn't look egregious.

Purely on the pictures, it would be Sunbeam all the way for me.
Enjoy your decision!

I have zero idea how they compare, but from a purely visual perspective the Sunbeam is head and shoulders above the others. Hopefully a deal can be done.

I have to agree but I must say I find the green wheels on that Vauxhall look much better than I'd have thought they would if you'd described them, which they really shouldn't.

My brother and I went to see the Alvis and the Vauxhall yesterday.

The Alvis is a lovely, lovely thing. Hitting the sweet spot between original and restored it looks and even smells exactly how I like them. It has had a lot of work done by the right people and the current owner clearly knows his stuff, too. Aside from the big boys such as Bentley and the Vauxhall 30-98 the Alvis 12/50 has always been held up as one of the all- time great vintage sports cars. I had never driven one before yesterday and now I know what all the fuss is about. A superb engine, with power far above its 1645 cc size. It just revs and goes and goes. The right hand gate change for the crash box is an absolute delight and I soon got used to the centre throttle pedal. Driving along the A25 from Redhill to Godstone and back it kept up with the modern traffic and barely noticed the hills. A done deal? Well not quite. Unfortunately it would seem that the average buyer for a vintage sports saloon in 1928 was not 6'2" tall. I am, and when sat behind the wheel my head was not just brushing the headlining, but fully pressed into the roof. The only way I could drive it was to adopt the posture of an inverted comma. Clearly this is not sustainable as a long-term option, so it would require a substantial reconfiguration of the front seat, which would then put me at the wrong angle to step on the meaty clutch and brake pedals. With great reluctance I had to walk away.


















So, up to Bicester to look at the Vauxhall. The M25 was a stop-start crawl All. The. Way. From. Redhill. To. The. M40. Why the hell would anybody want to live in the south east? But I digress...

Having been built in 1922 the Vauxhall is the oldest of the trio and clearly looks it. The bare aluminium bodywork gives it a proper vintage sports car look, with the bolt upright windscreen in its nickel plated frame firmly placing the car in the early 20s rather than late 20s. It has had a lot of work done; some of it good, some of it a bit so-so. The seats are not right at all. While headroom is clearly not a problem, legroom is and the seat is fixed on a wooden box, so no chance of adjustment without significant reconfiguration. It was pleasantly light and agile to drive, the the three speed crash box was an absolute pig of a thing. I don't know if it was just me or a problem with the car, but I fluffed nearly every change. Not right and we walked away.