The events are competitive but not car breaking. In addition to prizes given for individual performances in each event there is an annual competiton for individual champion driver and navigator and team championships. All members of the Alvis Register are de facto members of the IRC and are entitled to compete in IRC events. With the exception of the front wheel drive cars all vintage Alvis cars have an obvious affinity. The cars are of orthodox design with conventional ladder type chassis frames built from steel channel sections.
Suspension is by semi-elliptic leaf springs with a beam front axle.
The rear axle is of fully floating design in a massive aluminium casing. The early cars had rear wheel brakes only but four wheel brakes were fitted from 1924. While this was a very reliable design it suffered from vibration periods at certain engine speeds when the fluctuating loads applied by the valve springs to the camshaft caused the gear teeth to chatter. The experienced Alvis driver learns to ignore these or treat them like old friends but the newcomer may suspect imminent big end failure, especially on a well worn engine. Apart from the difference in stroke and the detail design of the cylinder head the two engines are were practically identical with many parts being interchangable.