The cars of Gerald Crozier

Sir,
What an extraordinary thing that in all the sixty one cars owned over the years by Gerald Crozier, there is not a single Alvis! It is difficult to understand how such a discerning connoisseur could have completely neglected a car which, from its earliest days, has always been designed and built for such as he. It would be interesting to have his own explanation of this surprising omission.

P. A. Jackson.
Oxford.

[We submitted the above letter to Mr. G. M. Crozier, who has made the following observation—”Yes, indeed, I am well aware of the many excellent qualities of the marque Alvis and, while admiring their first-class workmanship and finish, I have not always been thrilled by the design features. Before the war I had two different Alvises on extended test, with a view to purchase, both Speed 20 tourers. The first was an early example with beam front axle; it had no great performance and an exceedingly indifferent gearbox with unsuitable ratios. The second, I think a 1934 model, was advertised as having ‘independent front wheel suspension’, at that time a rarity. Certainly the suspension was independent—independent of the rest of the car! On certain types of road surface it behaved just like a dog that has come out of water! Perhaps I chose the wrong models and should have tried an early big-port 12/50?”]