1938 Alvis Speed 25 SC Charlesworth Saloon

‘EUF 586’ is a 1938 Alvis Speed Twenty-Five Charlesworth with an unusually complete history file that records every single one of the eight previous owners the car has had.

And what a distinguished list it is including the wonderfully named Captain Ernest Granville Diggle R.D., R.N.R. A retired captain of the Mauretania and Aquitania ocean liners, Commodore of the Cunard Fleet, and published author, he took delivery of his new car on the 14th of April 1938 at the Kattes Hotel in Brighton.  

An orthopedic surgeon became its second owner in 1947, followed by an engineer in 1953, and in 1974 a squadron leader who was a Wellington Bomber pilot awarded the DFC. The latter took it to Canada with him and set about restoring it – and as an engineer, he did all the work himself, including rechroming the brightwork.

This is a car that seems to attract unusually talented and interesting owners, doesn’t it? 

More recently, the car’s previous owner had it for around 30 years, and he was the one who first entrusted it to Red Triangle, the world-famous Alvis experts.

They refreshed the bodywork at considerable cost in 2020, and this was followed by more than £5,000-worth of mechanical work in 2021, and still more in 2024; in all, Red Triangle has been looking after the car for more than  20 years.

Finished in black with a red leather interior, the Alvis has also just been serviced by Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations (AKVR), another very well know expert in its field.

It’s only being sold because the owner has got two restorations on the go, one of which is proving to be a bit more involved than he’d hoped. “I’ve got a lot going on!” he laughed, going on to explain that this is why he’s only managed to cover just over 400 miles on local pleasure trips since he bought it from Red Triangle - and he knows the car deserves better than that.

It’s easy to see why Capt. Diggle bought it, even with the threat of war looming, isn’t it? With the sort of lines that that reek of the excesses of the 1920s and ‘30s, it is elegant and exclusive and every inch the aristocrat, even now.

Part of that is the dedicated curation over the past 87 years, including a comprehensive refresh of the coachwork by Red Triangle in 2020. Since then, it’s only covered around 500 miles; little wonder then that it still looks so good. 

And that’s with it finished in black too, a colour that’s notoriously unforgiving and prone to highlighting even the mildest of flaws in the finish.

Yet, for a car of this type it’s worth the risk because when it carries it off as well as this Alvis does, there is no better colour.

Can we draw your attention to the shape and finish of the headlamp mounting bar, which is echoed in the slimmer badge bar that’s mounted below it? This might be a small detail, but cars of this quality are as much about the cumulative effect of the smaller details as everything else.

And there are many other minor fixtures and fittings to admire, including the rear-hinged front doors, which allow for a more elegant entry and exit than the vulgar front-hinged versions you find on lesser vehicles.

Wing-mounted mirrors too, which all but eliminate the blindspots we’ve all become accustomed to now they bolt them to the doors; not all change is progress, clearly.

The rolled ends of the chromed front and rear bumpers too, and not to forget the Grandma-what-big-eyes-you’ve-got headlamps that bookend the commanding radiator grille and give the Alvis so much of its considerable presence. 

The chromed wire wheels too, which are fully 19-inches in diameter and only lightly marked by a thin patina of surface corrosion and pitting plus the odd missing flake of chrome.

The tyres are matching Waymaster, all of which have masses of tread left on them.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

The spare wheel, which is shrouded by an all-encompassing cover from Cornercroft Ltd of Coventry, is mounted on the nearside running board.

The sunroof works as it should too, opening and closing easily, and sealing well when it’s shut. 

As for flaws, there aren’t many. The chrome on the Alvis Eagle has rubbed away in places revealing the brass underneath. It would be sacrilege to get it re-chromed though, so you can leave that off your To Do list.

However, the Alvis badge on the radiator is worn and few would object to you sorting that out.

There are also some marks to the nearside rear panel adjacent to the boot, some scratches to the rear of the nearside bonnet panel, the rubber seal for the fuel filler neck has come adrift, and there are a couple of small dents on the rear of the offside headlamp and the seal between the housing and the glass lens is askew.

Some of the chromework has a gentle haze and fine scratches to its surface too, but this could easily be chalked up to the car’s age and left as it is, especially given what we told you about its DIY rechroming in Canada. 

The red leather interior provides a nice contrast to the coachwork. Clearly recently retrimmed to a very good standard, the driver’s seat is showing only light creasing to its surface. 

Under-thigh support can be adjusted by raising the front of the seat via a knurled wheel that acts on a vertical screw thread, which is a neat piece of engineering and typical of the attention to detail you get with an Alvis. 

The passenger and rear seats are in an even better condition. We suspect they’ve seen very little use in recent years, and if you keep them fed, we suspect they’ll look just as good in another ten years.

The door cards, which are also made of red leather, are pieces of art that were evidently created by someone who took a real pride in their work. 

The matching red carpets are equally good. Neatly bound and well fitting, their use extends to the rear of the front seats in order to protect the hide from being rubbed by shoe-clad feet.

The pale headlining is clean and taut, even inside the sunroof. There’s no water staining either, which bodes well for how well the latter seals. 

Extensive use has also been made of wood, and this appears to be real slabs of richly patterned wood rather than an economical veneer laid over a cheaper material.   

However, the floor carpet in the rear footwells looks like it’s been chewed by a mouse in a couple of places, the varnish on some of the wood trim is starting to crack, the brake pedal rubber is very worn, and would benefit from rebushing. The headlining to the offside rear quarter isn’t to the same high standard as the rest. 

The work by Red Triangle in 2024 included a compression test that showed between 100 and 105psi across the six cylinders. 

Ashton Keynes serviced the Alvis in May 2025, and the four-figure bill included putting fresh oil in the engine, gearbox, back axle and performing a pre-MOT check.

The same firm also sorted out some of the Alvis’s wiring in June 2025, which ran up another bill for £1,000. 

All were totally worth it though as the straight-six eases itself into life with barely a murmur, idles solidly, and has good oil pressure that continues to build with the revs. 

The engine bay is in a decent condition, but if you were to spend a few days detailing it further then few would accuse you of being overly fussy.

The underbonnet appointments include the starting handle and a natty little oil gun for lubricating various points, including the carburettors, whose dashpots bear the legend ‘USE BICYCLE OIL’.

As for the underside, it is well protected by a combination of grease and underseal. You might feel the need to clean it all off, but if you didn’t you could claim you’re conserving its patina and just clean off the appropriate bits as and when it needs repairing. 

Oh, and while we’re on the subject, the Alvis also comes with a couple of boxes of spares. Pleases see the photos for details of what is included. 

Please note: An overdrive and alternator were fitted by Red Triangle during the previous ownership.

The Alvis might not have a current MoT certificate, but the last one only expired in April 2025 and given that one was a clear pass, getting a new one might not be too onerous.

And the only reason the seller didn’t MoT it this year is because the horn needs internally refurbishing, and a new horn button fitting in the centre of the steering wheel. The seller didn’t think that could be accomplished in time. The owner also notes the fuel guage recently stopped working but is advised the sender is OK.

While we’re on the subject, you may have noticed that a couple of fat-fingered MoT testers entered the wrong mileage in 2009 and 2012.  This confusion is further muddied by the fact the gauges were restored in around 2015/16, at which point they were reset.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history files that accompany the Alvis are not only replete but also very well organized. 

Those files include photocopies of the continuation log book starting in 1947, a list of the car’s owners with notes, a copy of the Alvis Car Record and Instruction Book, a contemporary road test, some period photographs, some paperwork from its time in Ontario, expired MoT certificates, spreadsheets that records the work was carried out between 1994 and 2024, plus many, many old invoices and bills.

There is even an advert for Kattes Hotel in Brighton where Captain Diggle took delivery of it in 1938, as well as a copy of his book, The Romance of a Modern Liner and a modern reproduction of the Speed 25 instruction book.

Captain Diggle was a very interesting chap, and the seller’s research concluded that he and his wife chose to live in a hotel rather than a flat or house because his 43 years at sea had left him with a taste for an active social life.

His ship, the Mauretania, also held the Blue Riband with an average speed of nearly 24 knots, a record that stood for more than 20 years. 

If you’ve an ounce of romance in your soul you’ll already be scrutinizing your assets to see what you can sell to raise the money to buy this Alvis Twenty-Five Charlesworth Saloon because it is absolutely gorgeous.

Reeking of the elegant, decadent world that changed forever just a year after it was delivered to Captain Diggle at the Kattes Hotel, this is your passport to a gentler and more indulgent lifestyle: Buy this and you’ll be dressing for dinner, attending Glyndebourne throughout the summer, and wafting across Europe to spend the winter at your chalet in Zermatt.

Or just creating a stir at the pub and your classic car show.

Having had the right money spent with the right people on the right things, including £43,000 in the hands of its last owner alone, albeit spread over the three decades he owned it, our guide price of between £30,000 and £40,000 feels like an insult.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.