1953 Allard J2X

The Allard J2X was built primarily for the United States market and combined light and nimble British chassis with big American V8 power. They were typically built with Ford or Mercury flathead engines, although the U.S. designated vehicles were often shipped engineless to be mated with American powerplants upon arrival. The J2X (with 'X' for extended) was introduced in late 1951 as the next evolution of Allard's highly successful J2. It was given a revised front suspension to improve handling and a relocated engine position, creating 5 inches of additional legroom in the cockpit.

Sydney Herbert Allard of England built a successful trials machine in 1936 using Ford and Bugatti parts. In 1949, his National British Hill Climb Championship racer wore four rear wheels and was powered by a war-surplus V8 Steyr tank engine.

The Allard Motor Company was founded in 1946 and their first post-war production model was powered by American Ford flathead V8s and was often fitted with Sydney's own alloy speed parts such as intake manifolds and cylinder heads. By the early 1950s, the Allards were powered by larger American overhead valve V8 engines like Cadillac and Chrysler's Hemi. The first Cadillac engine was installed into Allard's own J2 racing car which was entered in the 1950 Tour of Sicily. During the same year, at the 24 Hours of LeMans, it finished third overall.

The Allard J2 and J2X models raced extensively in the United States during the early 1950s, with many road racing victories to their credit while being driven by individuals such as Tom Cole, Erwin Goldschmidt, and Fred Wacker.

The spare wheel was relocated to the rear deck, although the side mount was offered as an option. The J2X received a 40-gallon fuel tank which helped improved the car's range and with the front-to-rear weight bias.

From 1951 through 1954, a total of 83 J2Xs were built, including five full-bodied examples built to compete at LeMans.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019