In the golden days of pre-war motorsport, when the scent of high-octane fuel lingered like a promise in the air, Richard Rowlands’ 1937 Alvis Speed 25 was a monarch of the racetrack. Its sleek lines and roaring engine had once danced on the edge of possibility, leaving competitors trailing in its thunderous wake.
But fate, fickle as the British weather, had a cruel jest in store for the Alvis’s mighty heart, a powerhouse that had propelled it to countless victories, finally succumbed to the relentless beatings of the racetrack. The once-proud engine gasped its last breath, leaving the great racer stranded in a realm of silence.
Fast forward 7 years, and the legend is on the cusp of resurrection. Binkley Butterskew, with his keen eye for detail and passion for unraveling tales, chronicles the saga of the Alvis’s restoration. Every nut and bolt, every sigh of the welder’s torch, and the rhythmic pounding of the craftsman’s hammer becomes the notes of a symphony heralding the return of a racing icon.
In a dimly lit garage in France, beneath the watchful eyes of Socks, the workshop cat, the Alvis is undergoing a metamorphosis. Fueled with equal parts determination and nostalgia, sparing no effort to breathe life back into the iconic car. Each day, as the sun dips below the French countryside, long shadows cast over the workshop where the Alvis lias, patiently awaiting its rebirth.
The Gloucestershire Spoke Benders Association holds its collective breath as the momentous day approaches. Binkley Butterskew, ever the wordsmith, is painting a vivid picture of anticipation that hangs like a mist over the racing community. The Alvis, cautiously stalks its resurrection, now gleamed with a renewed vigor, its engine approaching the promise of redemption. Not far to go now, explains Maximus as he wipes his brow with an oily rag, not far now..
And so, after the long period of pandemic stalemate, the calendar turns to 2024, the pre-war racing scene bracing itself for the return of a prodigal son. With Richard Rowlands top peddler, Maximus Throttle behind the wheel of his resurrected opus, the Alvis would once again weave through the twists and turns of the racetrack, carrying with it the echoes of a bygone era and the hopes of those who believed in the timeless spirit of racing.
Binkley Butterskew, pen in hand and fedora tilted at a rakish angle, is preparing to capture the unfolding chapter in the annals of motorsport history. The resurrection of this Alvis was not merely a mechanical feat; it is a testament to Richard Rowlands indomitable spirit that refuses the Alvis to be silenced by the passage of time. The racetrack, it seems, is about to witness the triumphant return of a legend.
Binkley Butterskew
Joined-up writer for the Acrington Stanley Spoke Benders Associaion
