When I joined my first car club in the late 50s many of the members were British ex-pats who'd moved to Canada after the war. Not surprisingly they favored English "motors" so inevitably I became a fan of both the basic economy models and the fast sports and luxury cars. One marque in particular caught my attention. Though I'd never heard of the Alvis name I was hugely impressed by its fusion of postwar elegance, luxury, and sporting lines. Alvis began making cars in 1920 and continued through to 1967, competing in the upper end of the market. In 1932 Alvis dazzled the auto world with an all-new Speed 20 series, a sporting machine noted for its dashing appearance and high performance. The 1933 Speed 20 SB seen here featured an independent front suspension, all-synchro four-speed gearbox, and could achieve a 90 mph maximum. This rare beauty recently arrived from the UK and was shown for the first time at Vancouver's 2008 Steamworks Concours.

[Photo: Nigel Matthews]