Alvis 12/60
The Alvis 12/60 was a passenger car produced by Alvis from 1931 to 1932 as a sports version of the 12/50 model.[1][2]
The 12/60 was offered in two versions, the TK and TL, which differed principally in their wheels.[3] The car had a four-cylinder inline engine with overhead valves. Unlike the 12/50 model, the 1645 cc engine, equipped with two SU carburetors, produced 52 bhp (38 kW) at 4500 rpm.The 12/60 was available as a two-door saloon or two-door Sports Tourer (roadster).[3] The front and rear rigid axles were suspended on semi-elliptical leaf springs. The top speed, depending on the body type, was approximately 75 miles per hour (120 km/h). By 1932, 229 units had been produced.[3]
In the Alvis model range, the 12/60 had neither a direct predecessor nor successor in the strictest sense. It took into account the fact that the 12/50 TJ model, introduced the previous year, was longer, more comfortable, heavier, and thus less sporty than its predecessor. The 12/60 indirectly continued the tradition of the 12/50 SD sports model, discontinued in 1929, and the short, front-wheel-drive Alvis 12/75 FA and FD models intended as its successors. Unlike these, however, it no longer fell in the popular 1.5-liter class, which was also important for motorsports. On the other hand, the 12/60 filled the gap that had arisen at the end of 1930, when the sporty six-cylinder Silver Eagle SD model was replaced by the longer and more comfortable Silver Eagle SE. After the 12/60, Alvis did not resume the tradition of a relatively compact, sportier four-cylinder model until 1937 with the 12/70.
Notes
- ^ The Times, Saturday, 18 October 1930; p. 17; Issue 45647
- ^ The Times, Tuesday, 10 March 1931; p. 20; Issue 45767
- ^ a b c Alvis 12/60 TK/TL Motorbase – The Home of Classic Car Information. (Accessed 6 August 2014) archived copy, via web.archive.org, accessed 30 September 2025
References
- David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895–1975. Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6, pp. 35–40