Alvis GTS

The Alvis GTS, also called the Rover/Alvis GTS and nicknamed Gladys, was a prototype grand tourer developed by Rover to be sold under the Alvis name. Alvis had sold its car division to Rover in 1965, and Rover built the GTS as a possible successor to the Alvis TF 21 using the chassis and engineering of its P6 saloon and its 3.5 litre V8 engine. The body was styled by David Bache, with a steeply raked rear pillar that made it a fastback coupe with a large tailgate, long overhangs and rectangular headlamps behind glass. A running prototype was built in 1966 by the coachbuilder Harold Radford. Development ended when Rover merged with Leyland in 1967 and then with the British Motor Corporation to form British Leyland, whose management saw no need for a third luxury marque beside Jaguar and Daimler. The single prototype survives and is displayed at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon.