The illustrious British car marque Alvis made a big impression on young Jan van den Brink in the 1960s. By now he has imported two of these cars to the Netherlands from the UK. He entrusts their care to Noble House.
Owning his own Alvis was a dream Jan van den Brink aspired to for a long time. “They are extremely rare cars, I only ever saw them in the car magazines that I read when I was a boy. Between all the other cars, the Alvis models really jumped out for me. I fell in love with their design.” After years of hard work, with an English classics magazine special of Alvis on his bedside table, Jan decided in the early 1990s to start a serious search for his own. “A middleman made a connection with a private owner in England. He had a TS Fixed Head Coupe from 1966. The purchase was quite a lengthy process. When everything was almost final, the good man still wanted to see a picture of me and my family. Only then could we close the deal.”
Six years later, the fixed roof Alvis TS was joined by a TE Drophead Coupe from 1965. “Also from England. The car was in good shape on the outside, but needed a new interior. I could purchase it for one thousand pounds. The day before my 50th birthday I drove the Alvis off the ferry onto the Dutch quay. And then there were two! Now I drive the convertible car in the summer and the hardtop in the winter. Yes, also when the weather is heavy. As long as the roads are clean, it’s not a problem.”
Jan loves to take the wife and dog on weekend getaways, to Luxembourg for example. “It’s great. The cars are both reliable. I got the tip to take them to Noble House because it is one of the few Alvis specialists in the Netherlands. I bring both cars in for a complete service once a year. Their professionalism is enormous and they are very persevering in finding solutions for any issues they encounter. They always succeed and usually for a fixed price. The nice thing about Noble House is also that you can always drop by. One of the specialists will always take the time to discuss your car with you.
The love for British classics has also led Jan van de Brink to the purchase of an Aston Martin DB 2/4. “A tip-off from Kees Huis in ’t Veld. It was an emergency sale, so the price was good. The door sills were rotten and the interior looked pretty bad. Noble House returned the car to an acceptable standard by replacing the interior covering, among other things. They also fixed up the engine, so that I can drive the car comfortably. This car has now taken me to places all over England.”
