A mercurial character who became renowned within the London motor trade for sourcing the very best pre-owned exotica, Charles Follett would travel anywhere in the UK for the right car building-up an enviable client base in the process.

A member of the Brooklands set, his ‘black book’ comprised society’s elite from racing drivers to celebrities via members of the aristocracy.

Given sufficient funding to buy showrooms in the heart of Mayfair, he became the Alvis concessionaire for London and the Home Counties during 1931.

Seriously impressed at the Coventry firm’s engineering integrity but dismayed at the staidness of its offerings, Follett set about turning the marque into a Lagonda, Sunbeam, Invicta and (later) Bentley rival.

Decades before Jaguar came up with its famous ‘Grace .

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Space .

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Pace’ slogan, he was adamant that all three were intrinsic to making a car appeal to wealthy buyers.

Introduced in late 1931, the Alvis Speed 20 SA was the first model which Follett ...