'In the scheme of things there are cars, good cars and super cars.

When a machine can be put into the last of these three categories and yet is not by any means in the highest-price class, considerable praise is due to the makers.

The model in question is the latest Alvis 4.3-litre sports tourer.' – The Autocar , August 1938.

Pre-war development of the six-cylinder Alvis culminated in the announcement of the 4.3-Litre in August 1936.

The 4.3-Litre was based on the 3.5-litre Speed Twenty Five introduced the previous year, and was powered by an enlarged version of Alvis' new seven-bearing, overhead-valve engine producing 137bhp on triple carburettors.

The cruciform-braced chassis featured the kind of advanced thinking long associated with the marque: independent front suspension and a four-speed, all-synchromesh gearbox, introduced on the preceding Speed Twenty, were retained with the additional refinements of driver-controlled Luvax hydraulic dampers and servo-assisted brakes.

Cla...