Makes › Alvis › FWD › FWD (FA/FB/FD/FE 12/75) · Rare production · 1928–1931
Alvis
FWD (FA/FB/FD/FE 12/75)
Early British front-wheel-drive production sports car
Photo: Buch-t · CC BY-SA 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- 1928–1931
- Engine
- Inline four, front-wheel drive · 1,482 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1,482 cc
- Power
- 55.9 kW / 76 PSFactory: 75 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 14 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
Alvis was one of the few British makers to put a front-wheel-drive sports car into production in the late 1920s. The FD series combined a high-revving 1.5-litre overhead-camshaft four with independent suspension on all four wheels. The supercharged 12/75 version gave very high performance for its size. Very few were built and fewer survive.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Alvis FWD (FA/FB/FD/FE 12/75) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Buch-t · CC BY-SA 3.0
Alvis FWD (FA/FB/FD/FE 12/75) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Buch-t · CC BY-SA 3.0
Alvis FWD (FA/FB/FD/FE 12/75) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Buch-t · CC BY-SA 3.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionapproximately 14 of the 39 FD-series cars accounted for, per Alvis Register figures quoted by the auction house | 141 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Alvis engineers Captain G T Smith-Clarke and W M Dunn experimented with front-wheel drive in 1925 with a sprint and hill-climb car, then built two supercharged straight-eight front-drive Grand Prix cars for the 1926 1½-litre formula. The racers failed, but the company kept faith with the layout, and the FD 12hp sports model entered production in May 1928. A long-wheelbase FE version followed in September 1928.
Two works front-drive cars ran at Le Mans in 1928, finishing 6th and 9th. The catalogue estimates total front-drive Alvis production at about 155 including prototypes and racers, while Alvis Register figures give only 39 FD-series cars built between 1928 and 1931.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard FWD (FA/FB/FD/FE 12/75).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Inline four, front-wheel drive1 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 41 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 1,482 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1,482 cc1 Independently researchedThe same lot page also writes 1,481cc. |
| Bore | 68 mmFactory: 68 mm1 Independently researched |
| Stroke | 102 mmFactory: 102 mm1 Independently researched |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | SOHC, gear-driven camshaft1 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Single Solex carburettor1 Independently researched |
| Power | 55.9 kW / 76 PSFactory: 75 hp · converted1 Independently researchedSupercharged 12/75 version; the unblown 12/50 is the other variant. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 4-speed manual1 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 41 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Front1 Independently researched |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Deep channel-section frame1 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Independent; transverse leaf springs (works Le Mans cars)1 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Leaf spring, rear1 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Inboard brakes (works Le Mans cars)1 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1928 Alvis Front Wheel Drive Sports Two-Seater, Chassis no. 6794 (Lot 32) Level C Bonhams · 2023-08-18
- only 39 FD-series cars ... approximately 14 are presently accounted for
- four-cylinder engine with single overhead camshaft
- robust four-cylinder engine
- bore/stroke of 68x102mm, giving a displacement of 1,482cc
- bore/stroke of 68x102mm
- single overhead camshaft ... gear driven
- Single Solex Carburetor
- Supercharged (12/75) ... 75bhp
- 4-Speed Manual Transmission
- front-wheel drive 12hp sports model
- chassis frame consisted of deep channel sections
- cross-mounted independent leaf springs at the front
- Rear, Leaf Spring Suspension
- innovative inboard brakes
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