1951 Allard J2 Roadster

After World War II, a war-torn Europe was recovering and rebuilding. Buildings had been bombed, attacked, and devastated. Materials were in short supply. A decree was put forth for H.M.'s government which allocated scarce materials to enterprises that produced revenue. In response, Sydney Allard adapted a V8 engine to his racer, dubbed it the J2, and began looking for US buyers. The earliest examples had a Ford flathead engine. As time passed, J2s were given engines from Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Chrysler.

The inboard drum brakes from the Allard J2 were from the Jaguar XK 120. The front suspension had coil springs and split beam swinging arms while in the rear was a de Dion setup with a live axle. The lightweight and minimalist body was mounted on a ladder frame. In an effort to keep weight down, the cockpit was given only necessary items, and non-essential items were eliminated. The Brookland aeroscreens were the only protection for the passengers from the elements.

In 1950, Tom Cole and Sydney Allard drove a J2 with a Cadillac engine to a third-place overall finish in the 1950 24 Hours of LeMans. Following this success, Blakes, the main Ford distributor in Liverpool, England, placed an order for a J2 which he intended to enter in the 24 Hours of LeMans for 1951. The #1 car was driven by Sydney Allard and the second was given #2 and fielded by Blakes. Both cars failed to finish, however, car number two was officially ranked 31st of 60. It was later sent to South America where it continued to be raced for a number of years.

The green example shown wearing number 40 was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, CA. This is the #2 car that was raced at the 1951 LeMans race and driven by Hitchins and Reece. It was found still outfitted with the original Cadillac OHV V8. A full restoration was undertaken and safety features were added such as the roll bar and seatbelts.

There were only 90 examples of the J2 produced with only a small amount of those being used as competition vehicles. The competition cars were often given large, 55-gallon fuel cells, and aluminum bodies. This vehicle had those options. This vehicle has been a participant in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1994. At the auction, it was expected to sell between $275,000-$375,000. At the conclusion of the auction, the vehicle had been sold, netting $313,500.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2006