TB 14 Description
The Fourteen running chassis was to have the widest range of body styles of any Alvis Model. 3 main styles were promoted to delight the post war purchaser. The saloon car by Mulliners, the Drop Head Coupe by Carbodies and the two seater TB 14 roadster by A. P. Metalcraft. In addition the 1000 chassis were made available to be bodied by third parties and sent back to Alvis for Guarantee approval (or not).
Smaller specialist coach builders such as Tickford and Duncan were also able to put their skills to work on the model. No other model in the Alvis range can come close to boasting such a wide range of bodies including the production of Ice Cream vans with their glorious paintwork, to an all-enclosed 2 seater racing car with a vast boot as the chassis would have dictated. This led one eminent motoring historian to describe the styling as akin to an upturned pram!
The racing driver, L. Eggen sought support from Alvis with the Belgian bodied racing car and one wonders at their reaction to a racing TA 14 following on from the successful pre-war race cars? Sadly the car, running under no. 32 and with co-driver E. Kraft de la Saux, was a non-finisher at Le Mans due to big end failure.
Fortunately today many versions of TA 14s have survived to demonstrate the strength and style of this increasingly popular and sought after Model still residing all over the world. Some now reside with their second generation owners and now third generation owners are taking over their childhood friend. Many cars increasingly look as good as the day they were ‘born’ and others, whose body work was found to be beyond repair, have been rescued and turned into some rather wonderful Specials. Who would have thought in 1946 that we could now boast a Mahogany Duck Back Special or a Hot Rod as additions to the Fourteen stable. Lamentably so far no one has reproduced the iconic Ice Cream Vans.