Alvis Firebird

The Alvis Firebird was a British touring car made between 1935 and 1939 by Alvis Ltd in Coventry.

Alvis Firebird
4-door sports saloon, 1935
Overview
Manufacturer	Alvis
Production	1935–1939 449 made
Assembly	United Kingdom: Coventry, England
Body and chassis
Class	sporting chassis, bodied to suit owner's requirements
Body style	Tourer, coupé or saloon
Powertrain
Engine	1842cc Straight-4
Dimensions
Wheelbase	118.5 in (3,010 mm)[1]
Length	173 in (4,394 mm)[1]
Width	64 in (1,626 mm)[1]

Developed from the Alvis Firefly, 449 Firebirds were produced, as a two-door Tourer, a 2+2 sports tourer, a two-door drophead Coupé, and a four-door Saloon.^[2]

Powered by an 1842 cc 4-cylinder overhead-valve Alvis engine, it had an aluminium body on an ash wood frame. As with other Alvis cars, the Firebird was built as a rolling chassis then sent to the coachbuilders Cross & Ellis, to be finished to the customer's requirements, so all Alvis Firebirds are different.^[3] The Firebird had an all-synchromesh gearbox, and the chassis was lubricated by grease nipples under the bonnet.^[4]

In 1939 World War II halted Alvis car production to make aircraft engines, and a German Luftwaffe bomb destroyed the Alvis car factory in 1940.^[5]

4-door sports tourer by Cross & Ellis