Dixie Flyer "Firefly" speedster photographs

4 minute(s) of a 91 minute read

Hello All, 

Here is the latest development in the Dixie Flyer saga. My jeweler/instrument maker son has been doing some work to recover the original magneto switch for the Dixie Flyer. This was seized solid with the key solidly in place with little chance of recovering it. He has managed to dismantle the switch and has made new insulation collars after freeing up the works. It is now ready to go back together and another "box" can be ticked. One thing I am having trouble finding is a Sessions car dashboard clock ( silver face) from the late teens or early twenties. anyone got one (in any condition) on their shelf.

11-9-2008

Hello All Alvis fans

Here a couple of photographs of a few of the cars or the Alvis Car Club of Australia's National Rally. Count the "bunnies".

11-10-2008

Carine is correct it is a 1932-3 SA Speed Twenty. this is an early version of the Speed 20 with beam axle front suspension. later cars had independent front suspension with a transverse leaf spring. Perhaps you should consider taking your next holiday in Australia. You could look at the Alvis CC of Aust web site, Several O/S visitors were lent cars for this Rally, others brought their cars with them. The same way that we take our Lagonda to the U.K. and Europe every five years.

With a little luck we will have the Dixie Flyer in Louisville Kentucky in 2010. Now that will be something else!

Sorry Keiser 31 

I have to get a rear end sorted out before I can move the chassis out to photograph, hope to do this within the next few weeks. Saw the engine at my reconditioner's factory yesterday and it should be ready for me to collect and start assembly before Christmas. The Gearbox is having a complete set of new gears cut so that may take a little longer. At present I am concentrating on the little bits at present, so my search for a early 20s "Sessions" 8 day dashboard clock continues. Once the chassis is on its wheels I can start on the body frame. If I showed you a photo of the interior of the single car garage that I work in you would have a fit!

Hello & welcome David au

My good friend, motoring writer and historian Michael Worthington Williams alerted me to NW Motors some time ago. Sadly they seem to have disappeared without a trace. I did find one garage in Wales that had a Dixie Flyer agency but that trail has gone cold too. My search has been nothing if not diligent. 

I too owned an early 20s Metalurgique in the mid 70s. In my humble opinion one of the best 2 litre cars of the period. Probably even better than a 2 Litre Lagonda in lots of ways. Now that is praise! Of the 30 or so Dixie Flyers sold around Australia all except one seem to have been broken up by 1940. Even my car was just a pile of very rusty bits when I bought it 18 months ago.

If you go back to my very first photograph of the Dixie Flyer and look closely at the pile of "rubbish" in front of the car you will see the crankshaft, the diff centre and crownwheel carrier. Then you will perhaps understand what I am up against. My interest in old motor cars goes back to the 1950s when as a 16 year old I bought a 1919 Austin 20hp for the princely sum of ONE DOLLAR.

For the Photocollectors is is one of the newly restored (re enameled with proper glass enamel) Radiator badge.