Edward Herrmann 1934 Alvis Speed 20 SB Two Door Saloon by Vanden Plas

Edward Herrmann 1934 Alvis Speed 20 SB Two Door Saloon by Vanden Plas
Sold For $198,000 Including Commission
RM Auction, Amelia island, Florida 2015
Chassis No.11845
Offered from the estate of our dear friend, Edward Herrmann
Exceptionally attractive coachwork
Decades of documented history
A CCCA Full Classic
The prized possession of a beloved enthusiast
87 bhp, 168.5 cu. in. OHV inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with a transverse leaf spring, live axle rear suspension with leaf springs, and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Wheelbase: 124 in.
The Alvis Speed 20 is one of the more seldom-seen CCCA Full Classics in the United States. It was a superb British grand tourer that had a triple-carbureted six-cylinder engine and underslung chassis, which provided superb performance and handling, and it became the basis for some truly outstanding coachwork, with perhaps the most beautiful and expensive bodies being produced by Vanden Plas, of London.
According to Alvis historian Wayne Brooks, chassis number 11845 is one of eight known surviving Speed 20 SBs with their original “flat-back” two-door saloon bodies by Vanden Plas. As noted in Brian Smith’s book, Vanden Plas Coachbuilders, the car was originally supplied to London dealer Charles Follett for his client, Mrs. F.E. Gilbey. Its next known owner, G.D. Price, held on to it for some years. It was eventually imported to the United States, where it was on display for over a decade in the San Antonio Museum of Transportation in Texas, from which it was sold in 1994.
After spending time in several other good homes, the handsome Alvis was acquired by Edward Herrmann. It was taken to Mr. Herrmann’s friend and trusted restorer Don Breslauer, who carefully returned it to its original condition, rebuilt the engine, and freshened the coachwork. When replacing the interior woodwork, Mr. Herrmann requested a “cubby hole” in the dashboard for a glovebox. Its paint color is the unusual but lovely deep olivine green that Mr. Herrmann had previously selected for his famous, award-winning 1929 Auburn Speedster.
The car was featured as part of a special article on the Full Classic Alvis by Bill Manishor, which was published in the Winter 2013 issue of The Classic Car. In this article, Mr. Herrmann praised his car’s “elegant simplicity of line and balance that has rarely been achieved on any car…One of the stipulations of the restoration was that it be considered a ‘refurbishment,’ not a Pebble Beach Concours sort of affair. We wanted it correct and very presentable, but not obsessively so.” Due to Mr. Herrmann’s unfortunate illness, the car has been seldom driven since the completion of its restoration, but it has been freshened mechanically and serviced prior to its sale, and it is reported to drive well. It is accompanied by Wayne Brooks’s detailed history report and an extract from his Alvis Cars database, which includes data from Alvis Ltd. Records held by Red Triangle, of Kenilworth, England.
This handsome Alvis is more than just a seldom-seen and beautiful Full Classic, as it is being offered today from the esteemed stable of a great enthusiast, Edward Herrmann, who was a long-time friend of the RM Sotheby's family and one of the car hobby’s most beloved figures. In the words of RM Sotheby's Chairman Rob Myers, “We were very saddened by Ed’s passing but are very honored to be offering this automobile on behalf of his very loving family.”
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Robert Myrick Photography