1948 Allard K1 Roadster

There were 151 K1 Allards produced between 1946 and 1948.

This 1948 Allard is stock even though it has an appearance different from most K1s. It features cycle-type front fenders that were used on some K1s as prototypes for the development of the model which followed, the J2 Allard. It has an Italmeccanica supercharger with dual carburetors on a 239 cubic-inch Mercury flathead V8 engine, high compression heads, and dual exhaust, all of which were available on Allards at that time.

During 1983 and 1984, this car participated in vintage sports car racing events in England and at LeMans, France. In both years, it won its class in the Historic Sports Car Club in England and was a class winner at Le Mans in 1984. In 1990, it competed in the Monterey (California) Historic Races where it won the Peoples Choice Award among other Allards there. The car continues to be actively raced in vintage sports car events in the United States.

Sidney Herbert Allard built a reputation in England as a prominent builder of competitive racers. The Allard Motor Company was founded in 1946, though Sidney had been building and modifying vehicles since the mid-1930s. The post-war automobiles were mostly powered by Ford flathead V8s and often fitted with Sidney's own intake manifolds and cylinder heads. His J2X Sports Racers utilized the Cadillac and Chrysler OHV V8s continuing the tradition of American power in a British alloy body. Allard cars were seen at almost every sports car race in the 1950s.

For an all-too-brief period in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the name Allard was one of the most revered of all motor manufacturers. The company's road cars were some of the most popular among wealthy enthusiasts, especially in the United States. The racing versions were more than competitive on the track, and the company's founder, Sidney Allard, was one of Britain's leading competitive drivers, winning the British Hillclimb Championship in 1949 and the Monte Carlo Rally in 1952.