 1951 K2 |
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1952 Allard K2 news, pictures, and information | ||
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 |  |  | Roadster |
 |  |  | Roadster |
This automobile was found in 1984 with a tree growing up through the middle of the chassis and has been fully restored. The automobile is believed to have been raced when new.
 |  | Roadster Chassis Num: K3036 |
| Sold for $63,250 at 2007 RM Auctions. | ||
The K1 was replaced with the K2 which featured a design only slightly different than the K1. It had a smaller grille on a wider front end and a sleeker trail with a trunk that could be opened. The elegant bodies rested on a front coil spring suspension borrowed from the P saloon car.
Between 1950 and 1952 there were a total of 119 K2 Roadsters created. This example with chassis number K3036 was sent to the US in March of 1952. It was one of the last to be created, and like most Allards, was shipped without the engine. It was later fitted with a 317.4 cubic-inch Lincoln overhead valve V8 engine that could produce 160 horsepower. It was mated to a three-speed manual gearbox and has four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
This car has an older restoration which still shows well in modern times. It has a two-tone red and white leather interior and an aluminum dash with Brooklands steering. This vehicle was brought to the 2007 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions, where it had an estimated value of $80,000 - $100,000. It was offered without reserve and sold for a high bid of $63,250.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007
 |  |  | Roadster Chassis Num: K3028 |
The Allard K2 was sold by Noel Kirk Motors, located at Sunset Boulevard and Formosa Street. It was sold to friends of Noel Kirk, Dick and Margaret *(last name unknown). They sold it to Denny Colburn. I bought it from Denny Colburn in March 1960 for $1,200.00
The current owner restored the Allard and entered Concours shows over several years and started racing it in vintage races in 1986.
'I found a note from Noel Kirk to his 'good friends Dick and Margaret' wishing them literally miles and miles of happiness. It was signed 'Noel.' This note, on Noel Kirk Motors stationery, was found inside the door upholstery in 1960 when re-upholstering the seats. The current owner still has this note preserved in his Allard collections.
 |  | Roadster |
After the close of World War II, Allard saw the potential of the United States market and proceeded to build 12 J2s in 1946 followed by 90 starting in 1950. Many of the cars were shipped to the United States without engines and then fitted with power-plants to the customer's specifications. Most were given a Ford flat-head V8, but some were also built with Cadillac and Chrysler engines. The car rode on a 100 inch wheelbase and weighed in at 1700 pounds. J2X production finished the series in 1954. Allard J2 and J2Xs dominated American sports car racing in the early 1950s. The bodies were generally made of aluminum and lightweight, giving a high power-to-weight ratio.
A major feature of the Allard was the deDion rear end fabricated from light steel tubing and a Ford 'banjo' center section. This gave the Allards a form of independent rear suspension years ahead of the competition.
Three postwar models were introduced: the J was a competition sports car while the K was a slightly larger car intended for road use. The L was a four-seater vehicle. All models were given primarily Ford mechanicals making them rather easy to repair and keeping costs low. Allard also introduced several larger models, the M and N. As new models were developed and modified the letters began to be followed with a number to differentiate the various version.
In 1952 Allard produced 119 K2 cars.
This Allard K2 Roadster was found in disassembled condition in Rochester, New York. Fortunately for the buyer, nearly everything needed was in one of the many boxes that came with the chassis. After nine months of work, the car was restored to its current condition. Power is from a 1952 Cadillac 331 CID engine with two four-barrel carburetors.
 |  |  | Roadster Chassis Num: 91K3019 |
| Sold for $198,000 at 2007 Barrett-Jackson. Sold for $118,250 at 2012 RM Auctions. | |||
Before World War II, Sydney Allard built specially designed cars to compete in trial events. These cars, powered by American V-8 engines, would be used to great effect because of their high torque engines. This would set the stage for the motor company when the world war came to an end in 1945.
After the war, Allard saw a burgeoning market in the United States, especially since that was where his V-8 engines came from in the first place. Having much more common mechanicals underneath the English-designed body would prove to be quite successful in the United States and around the world as an Allard would finish 3rd overall in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans and would take the victory in the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally.
Allard's immediate postwar designs would come in basically three models that had single-letter identifiers. The 'J' was strictly a competition sports car. The 'K' was slightly larger and was intended mostly for road use. And the 'L' came with four seats and was certainly just meant for the road. At the 2012 RM Auction in Arizona one of Allard's 1952 K2s would be made available for sale.
While the K1 would be designed and developed for road use, the K2, which would follow the K1 in 1950, would be developed for both the road and the track. Only 119 of the K2 models would be made and the one available for sale at the RM Auction in January would be a ‘Factory Special', or, ‘Special Production' model of the K2 as it would be the display car at the 1952 New York Auto Show.
Already something of an absolute terror on both the road and the track, this fully enveloped K2 Allard would come with Borrani wire wheels and a Cadillac V-8 engine originally, but all of that would change once it was sold to its first owner.
After being delivered in March of 1952 to R.P. Imported Motor Co. of New York it would be sold to J. Dany, also of New York. Some time during Dany's ownership the car would undergo replacement of the Cadillac V-8 engine. Around 1957, the car would have a 392 cu. in. Chrysler 'Hemi' engine placed inside. This would give the car incredible power, but it was hardly finished from being increased in its power output.
In 1960, the car would be sold. The car would travel from New York and would end up in Missouri as the property of D. W. Ememon. Ememon would own the car until 1966 and would end up selling it and shipping it across the Pacific Ocean to Australia. In Australia the car would be the property of J. Kimneint of Freemantle. The car would remain with Kimneint for about twenty-three years. Then, in 1989, the car would be sold and shipped back to the United States. It would make its way to California and to Kerry Horan.
Horan would receive a car that had travelled more miles during its life being sold than it actually travelled under its own power. However, the many years had taken their toll and the car needed a complete restoration. UK specialists, including Ron Jenkins of RaceSport International would be involved in a concours-level restoration of the Allard. Rod Jolley would take care of the restoration of the body. Jolley's hard work would enable the car to retain almost all of the original alloy body panels with the exception of the rear deck lid. Unfortunately the steel floor had corroded, but a new steel one would be fabricated to replace it. Even the finish of the car would be completed by another well-known restorer. Kevin O'Rouke, a UK restorer of Moto Technique Ltd. would have the honor of applying the new exterior finish and making the Allard come alive.
Coming alive would be exactly what the car would need after having been in competitive FIA-legal vintage races. The engine, the original 392 cu. in. Hemi V-8 had been bored to 396 cu. in. and produced an estimated 600 bhp. This, and the regular wear and tear of consistent vintage racing, put a lot of stress upon this aged chassis, and especially, its suspension components. Already having a reputation for cracking and failing, the uprights to the suspension would be removed and replaced by new parts fabricated brand new from billet material. New axle shafts would be fabricated as well, along with machined Jaguar rear-axle hubs. Of course, with 600 bhp braking power would be of utmost importance and the Allard would be fitted with Buick drum brakes that were much larger than the original ones.
Having received its FIA Historic Vehicle Identity papers in 1994, this Allard has become a popular entry in historic races and achieved a number of victories all over the world including the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom.
The car's most recent history includes an invitation to take part in the Goodwood Revival Meeting. It also includes numerous awards for its restoration. The car would gather the VSCC Concours d'Etat Trophy. It would also earn the Best Race Car award at Lime Rock. Finally, the car would achieve the honor of being the Best Vintage Sports Car at Mid-Ohio. This car's competitive history, and its numerous awards for its restoration and reflection of Allard, would lead to the car setting a public record for sale price for a K2, which it set back in 2007.
Stocked full of spares parts including original Halibrand 'kidney bean' wheels, brake shoes and numerous other items, this Allard is certainly still not ready for a life just sitting around as part of some collection. In the case of this particular chassis, there is certainly racing blood flowing through its veins. Complete with numerous documentation, correspondence, owners history and other papers, this 1952 Allard K2 ‘Factory Special' not only provides very interesting reading to help imagine the era when the Allard was a fierce competitor in the ranks of endurance racing. But, it still provides the graphic, full representation bringing the imagined to life as it is still more than at home racing around motor circuits.
Armed with such history in the company itself, its world-wide racing experience and an award winning restoration chassis 91K3019 would be expected to garner between $175,000 and $210,000 at auction.
Sources:
'Feature Lots: Lot No. 220: 1952 Allard K2 ‘Factory Special' Roadster', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=AZ12&CarID=r174&fc=0). RM Auction. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=AZ12&CarID=r174&fc=0. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
Wikipedia contributors, 'Allard', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 January 2012, 16:05 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allard&oldid=468950649 accessed 7 January 2012
By Jeremy McMullen
 |  |  | Roadster Chassis Num: K2029 |
| Sold for $104,500 at 2012 RM Auctions. | |||
K2029 was given a Cadillac overhead valve engine and a DeDion rear suspension with a 3.54:1 axle ratio. It is a left-hand drive car that was originally finished in white with a black leather interior and black wire wheels. On March 19, the order was made to change the color to bronze and the interior and wheels to red.
The car was put into long-term storage in the late 1980s and sold the present owner in the early 1990s as a work in progress. The car was repainted in red and given a new tan leather interior. At that time, the seat was lowered and moved back to improve ergonomics. The odometer showed just 26,000 miles and currently shows 29,000 miles.
In 2012, the car was offered for sale at RM Auction's sale in Amelia Island, Florida. It was estimated to sell for $100,000 - $125,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $104,500 inclusive of buyer's premium.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2012
 1952
Allard
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| Allard J2 |
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| Allard J2X |
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Average Auction Sale: $126,500 |
| Tags | |
| Borrani, Carroll Shelby, flathead, George Barris, Hemi, hydraulic drum, left-hand drive, 1952, 1952 Allard, K2 | |
| Allard: 1951-1960 |
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| Allard History |
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| Manufacturer Website |
| J1 | J2 | K-Series | L-Type | M-Type | P1 | Palm Beach |
| 1951 K2 |
