On the Alvis stand in Hall 1 of the NEC this year, amongst the usual gleaming chromework and engineering marvels was a special 1949 Alvis TA14. Special in particular because it was a car that had been painstakingly recommissioned ready for its handover to Josh Bennett, its new custodian for the year under the Classic Car Loan Project.
The car is owned by long time Alvis enthusiast Jack Meredith and was offered to the Classic Car Loan Project (CCLP) for 2019 on completion of the restoration. Peter James Insurance company, from the outset of the CCLP, have designed a dedicated scheme covering all the cars in the project and given discount vouchers to each young driver. The project has become more and more popular since, while its momentum has helped restore classic cars and develop enthusiasm in new people.
This Alvis TA14, for example, has benefitted from a bare metal respray thanks to an arrangement with the NEC College in Aberdeen, plus further engineering and re-trimming works by Alvis expert and Owners Club Scottish section chairman Peter Milne. Project manager for the Loan project, Bob Wilkinson, was happy as ever to oversee the handover to Josh Bennett at the Alvis stand on Sunday, November 10, and also made appearances at the Young Timers stand in Hall 3, alongside other youth-orientated stands including the TR Youth Register and MG Car Club Young Members Branch.
