1950 Allard J2

English-based Sydney Allard built highly successful racing specials, followed by street cars that bore his name. Among his most famous creations were the J2 sports roadster and its extended version, the J2X. The lightweight and nimble British chassis was designed to house American V-8 engines and were primarily built for the lucrative American market.

During World War II, Sydney Allard's London-based garage was used to rebuild Ford vehicles for British forces. After the war, the Allard Motor Company was founded in 1946 and approximately 1,900 vehicles were built through 1959, with most being family cars for the domestic market. The first competition car was the J1, of which thirteen examples were built between 1946 and 1948. 151 examples of the K1 Roadster were built over a three-year period, beginning in 1946, at the Chapham Works in London. Never intended for export, the K1 was offered only in England and Scotland. Power was sourced from a stockpile of Ford flathead V8 engines (circa 1937 and 1937) which offered 85 horsepower, giving the 2,460-pound car a top speed of around 85 mph. The K1 was a two-seater built on a box-section frame with transverse leaf springs.

Despite its small size and limited resources, Allard's achievements were legion, Sydney himself finishing 3rd at Le Mans in a J2 sports racer and winning outright at the Monte Carlo Rally in a P-Type saloon. In regards to their road-going vehicles, they were quality, hand-built British vehicles that were very usable, fast and exciting to drive, and rather inexpensive to run and maintain. They were popular in production sports car racing in North America, earning numerous successes for drivers such as Zora Duntov, Carroll Shelby, John Fitch, and Tom Cole.

The Allard J2 had a 100-inch wheelbase chassis that measured 155 inches in length and was 68 inches wide. The rear suspension used a De Dion tube system with coil springs, while the front received a swing axle and coil springs. Sydney's use of the swing axle front suspension earned him success during the pre-war trials, allowing him to traverse difficult terrain with ease.

The J2 had rear inboard brakes (the first British sports car to have this innovation) and a quick-change differential. The J2s built for the British market received the 3.6-liter flathead V8 engine from the Ford Pilot, while the export models were shipped sans engine. Engine options included those from Oldsmobile, Chrysler, and Cadillac. The transmission was a three-speed manual.

Production of the J2 lasted between 1950 and 1951 with a total of 90 examples built.

The Allard J2X arrived in 1952 with a redesigned front suspension that allowed its engine to be placed 7.1 inches further forward in the engine bay. Along with improving weight distribution and improving steering, the relocated engine allowed for more legroom for the driver. The 'X' in the J2X name represented 'extended,' referencing the loner nose that protruded further beyond the front wheels. Most of the J2X also received a wide flat hood scoop and side access panels for the engine. The front suspension was improved but not totally redesigned, and the inboard brakes of the J2 were carried over. Most J2X's were shipped without an engine but with properly positioned mounts to accept the customer's choice.

Production of the J2X lasted through 1954 with a total of 83 examples built.

Racing regulations for the 1952 Le Mans 24 Hour race required fully enclosed wheels. In compliance, Allard created new Barchetta-style bodywork resulting in the J2X Le Mans. As few as nine and as many as fourteen such examples were built. Two examples contested the 1952 LeMans race, but both cars retired in the fifteenth hour. A few victories were won in American SCCA races, and a second-place finish was earned at the Formula Libre race at Snetterton in 1952.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 99J1738

English Chassis, American Power

Sydney Allard an avid automobile racer and Ford dealer in London produced 1,900 cars from 1946 to 1959. Most of these were family cars for the domestic market, but he also produced fewer than 200 J-series Allards, intended for competition. A majority of the J-series cars were exported, without engines, mostly to the United States where modern American V-8s were installed.

The J2 was an evolution from a long line of sports racers produced by racing enthusiasts Sydney Allard. He won the 1952 Monte Carlo rally and his lightweight race cars became popular in the United States.

Several engines were available, including a Ford 239 cubic-inch V-8, a Cadillac 331 cubic-inch V-8, and a Chrysler 331 cubic-inch Hemi V-8, which is installed in this car.

J2 Allards were built between 1950 and 1951. The combination of a light car and a powerful engine resulted in a potent performance, and they dominated the racing scene for this brief period. Mostly Cadillac engines were installed, but Ford and Chrysler's engines were sometimes fitted. (The factory would install the requested engine mounts before shipping the engineless car.) Only 89 J2 Allards were built and perhaps a couple of dozen have survived.

The J2 Allard displayed was shipped to the US in the summer of 1950 less engine, transmission, wheels, instruments, and electrics. The car was shipped in a crate to Los Angeles in August of 1950. The buyer, Col. Charles Steinmetz, installed a Mercury Ardun engine and raced it at Pebble Beach in 1951. No further history of the car is known, other than that it was sold later in 1951. The present owner purchased it in 1963, with the present 1951 Chrysler engine installed. He raced it for several years in vintage car racing and had the car professionally restored in 2003.

Roadster
Chassis number: J1513

This car left the London docks on March 2, 1950, bound for the Bell Auto Parts speed shop in Bell, California. The car was imported and owned by Mr. Roy Richter, who owned the Bell Auto Parts Company. It came with a Ford Mercury Flathead engine in it, which was soon replaced with a Cadillac OHV 331 cubic inches. The car was painted silver with red leather upholstery, as you see it now.

This car was extensively raced in Southern California by Roy, most notably at Torrey Pines, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Willow Springs, and Santa Ana. Its most significant race was at Tustin, California, where it won the first Santa Ana Road Race, just beating out the future World Champion, Phil Hill, in a Jaguar XK 120 Lightweight.

Upon Roy's death, Mrs. Richter sold the J2 to Kenny McLaughlin, who stored the car for ten years. The car was then sold to Duncan Emmons, who restored it.

The car is currently owned and raced by Bernard Dervieux of Palm Desert, California.

Roadster by Murray
Chassis number: J1733

Sydney Allard was an ingenious and competitive specials builder in the U.K. after World War II. Driving his own cars he won the British Hillclimb Championship, led at LeMans, and in 1952 won the Monte Carlo Rally outright, narrowly beating Stirling Moss.

The cars of Sydney Allard, Britain's premier competitor, and builder just before and after World War II, had established such a reputation that orders came from throughout the free world for cars built by his works of about 250 employees.

About 1900 Allards of all types were built between 1946 and the mid-fifties with the J2 and J2X perhaps being the most well-known models. With the Cadillac engine fitted as an option, these two models became formidable competitors on the post-war U.S. sports car circuits.

During 1949, the J2 was announced, a handsome two-seat sports roadster that was both a road and competition car. Differing from the earlier Leslie Ballamy-designed split-axle, swing-arm front suspension, the J2 came with coil springs up front and a DeDion-type rear assembly replacing the previous live axle, giving the new line remarkable handling for the time.

Engines of J2s for the British market ranged from 85 horsepower Ford 'flathead' V8s to a Mercury 'flathead' V8 of 152 horsepower. J2s were often shipped to United States buyers without engines and gearboxes and were usually fitted with overhead valve American V8s made by Cadillac, Oldsmobile or, during late 1951, Chrysler's new 180 horsepower Hemi.

Any American V8 made an Allard a formidable performer - the 427 Cobra of its time. Sydney's works built cars to order, and this car is a one-off example of custom body work.

This Allard, J2 1733, was purchased by its current owner in 1986, having spent its previous 22 years in an open-sided shed. Removing it from this shed required jacking up the center of the car because the frame rails were rusted in half. Upon disassembly, finding an identification tag from the Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, led to the discovery that it had been used as a test bed vehicle for a top secret sports car development project underwritten by the Murray Body Company.

Additionally, it was learned that this was the only J2 Allard produced with full front wings, as opposed to the standard cycle fenders.

With 89 J2 Allards built, almost all with cycle fenders, the order specified all-enclosing front bodywork that was judged to be too expensive to replicate as a regular model. During restoration, this Allard was discovered to have been the development test-bed of a sports car for the Murray Body Company.

Roadster
Chassis number: J1578

This 1950 J-2 Allard was raced by the company founder, Sydney Allard, and his co-driver Tommy Cole, in the 1950 LeMans endurance race. It was first off the starting line running within the top 5 through the night. It finished an impressive third overall and first in class, averaging nearly 88 MPH, for the full 24 hours. This accomplishment is compounded by the fact that the car had only top gear for the last 11 hours. This was the first attempt by Allard at LeMans and was the highest finish ever of any factory Allard. Ultimately, the Allard J2 finished 2,106 miles at an 87 mph average for the 24 hours resulting in a new record for the class and the only podium finish for any of the future attempts by Allard at Le Mans.

Two days before the Le Man's race, the Cadillac V8 engine failed in road testing. The team was permitted to rebuild the car in a local Le Man's garage after a quick dash to Paris for new pistons. The car just made the deadline for the event entry.

The Allard arrived stateside after Le Mans and was raced from 1950-53 at Watkins Glen, Bridgehampton, Sebring, Torrey Pines, Santa Barbara, and other tracks. Its career ended with a cockpit fire in 1954 while at Santa Barbara. Joe Landaker (a noted mechanic for Parravano, Edgar, and Von Neumann) purchased the car in 1955. He placed it into storage. It was purchased by the present owners in 1988, completing their multi-year search for the 'lost Le Mans Allard.'

The car was restored to its 1950 Le Man's livery in Australia in 2001. It has actively campaigned in historic races in both Australia and the western United States.

Roadster

In 1936, Sydney Allard founded the Allard Motor Company in England. He was a racer who got into commercial auto production as a way to provide support for his sports pursuits. In total, the company produced 1,900 cars before closing in 1959.

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 powerplants 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.

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.

This example was raced in the United States and Argentina as the 'Bar Leak Special.' The current owner purchased the car over five decades ago.

Roadster

The Allard was once described on the pages of Road & Track magazine as 'the most consistently successful hot rod of all time.' The car was the creation of Sydney Allard.

The J-2 was the most famous of all Allards built. Only 90 are believed to have been built, but sorting out the question of which cars had which engine poses an ongoing challenge for Allard enthusiasts to this day. The car was extensively raced, wrecked, repaired, and rebuilt.

The motors that made the Allard J-2's reputation were Chrysler and Cadillac motors, both displacing 331 cubic inches. They were rated from the factory at 180 and 160 horsepower, respectively - but were easily pushed beyond that.

The cars raced throughout the United States as well as in Europe and South America.

This example was brought to the United States in the mid-1970s, having a previous race history in the United Kingdom. This car features several modifications which make it especially roadworthy, including a Borg-Warner T10 gearbox.

The restoration of this car was completed in March 2011.

Roadster

This Allard Model J2 was driven to victory at the 1950 Watkins Glen Grand Prix by Erwin Goldschmidt. This was the type of car that could be driven during the week by its owner - and raced on the weekend.

Roadster
Chassis number: 99J 1577

One of the most prolific Allard J2 racers was Fred Wacker of Chicago. The grandson of a prominent Chicago politician, Fred Wacker served as president of Ammco Tools from 1948 to 1986 and was a gifted engineer, pilot, musician, and racing driver. With the means to buy the best and the talent to drive it, Fred started racing in an MG TC and worked his way up to a drive with the Gordini Grand Prix team in Europe. However, it was with his famous '8-Ball' Cad-Allards that Fred Wacker truly established his racing career.

The first Allard J2 to wear Fred Wacker's famous number eight (a tribute to his father's racing yacht) was this car, chassis number 99J 1577. This car was produced on June 8th, 1950, and was delivered in right-hand drive and with a 40-gallon fuel tank. Wacker took delivery and immediately contacted Frank Burrell to fit a Cadillac 331 V8 in the car in time for the 1950 Watkins Glen Grand Prix. Burrell was a Cadillac engineer who had worked on the tank engine program during WWII and had also developed many special performance parts for the new overhead valve engines. According to his son Barry Burrell, Frank built an engine with one of his own special dual-quad aluminum intake manifolds, and he modified the chassis to accept a heavily reworked Hydramatic automatic transmission. The transmission had been fitted with internal parts from Cadillac's tank engine program and modified to allow for manual shifting. While the choice of transmission may seem odd to some, the result was one of the fastest accelerating Allards of the day. The livery was designed by Karl Brocken – all black and adorned with a bold white number 8, earning the car the nickname '8-Ball'. Fred Wacker would enjoy a great deal of success with this chassis. Highlights include:

1950 Watkins Glen Grand Prix - 3rd Overall

1950 Sebring 6h – Classified 8th on Index of Performance, 2 full laps ahead on track. The race was run on a handicap system. Officially, a Crosley Hot Shot won the race, but the Allard J2 completed the most laps in the six hour event. This was the first race ever run at the new Sebring circuit, December 31, 1950.

1951 Palm Beach Grand Prix – 2nd Overall

1951 Watkins Glen Grand Prix – 12th Overall (DNF, Mechanical)

1951 Buenos Aires Sports Car Olympics - 2nd Overall

Immediately following the Buenos Aires races, Wacker made a deal to sell 1577, but the negotiations fell apart thanks to new restrictions on imported cars in Argentina and '1577' returned to the USA where it was sold. Fred purchased a second J2, #2086, which would also run in his '8-ball' livery (but on a red background). Fred was behind the wheel of 2086 while battling with John Fitch's Cunningham for the lead of the 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix when the two cars triggered the infamous crash that effectively ended open road racing in America.

Following its sale, it is believed that #1577 continued to race as the 'Bar's Leaks Special.' The first of several racing cars used to promote the automotive chemical company, it is believed to have run in their colors for a brief period. In 1958, 99J '1577's' current owner discovered it on a used car lot near Detroit. He was an avid sports car racer, though Corvettes were regularly outclassing the Thunderbird he was driving at the time. He saw the Allard and figured it would be just the tool he needed to beat the 'Vettes. He used the car on a regular basis both on the track and on the road. When it was no longer competitive or practical to run as a daily driver, the Allard was put into storage.

This owner was Emil Loeffler, of Livonia, Michigan, and later Naples, Florida. Mr. Loeffler had purchased the car from Delavan 'Del' Lee, a fellow Allard racer and car dealer. Mr. Loeffler owned the car from 1958 until his death in 2019, an astonishing 61 years. Mr. Loeffler worked for Ford his entire career, including Ford Racing, and was involved in the Cobra Jet Drag racing program, with cars running the 428 Cobra Jet V8. When Mr. Loeffler bought the car in 1958, the original engine was already out of the car, and it was then running a 1954 Chrysler Hemi.

Circa 2000, after four decades of dormancy, Mr. Loeffler began restoring the body and drivetrain of the car. He liked the silver color of his Lincoln Town Car, so he painted the car silver. He retained the Chrysler Hemi in the car.

Engine

The engine is a Cadillac 331, which was the first mass-produced OHV V8 in the American market. It was introduced in 1949, and it produced 160bhp in stock trim. In 1950, it was the hottest V8 on the road. With the dual carb manifold from Mr. Burrell, power was boosted to around 200, but further mods can produce a reliable 250bhp +. Most Allards sent to America had Cadillac V8s.

In 1929 Sydney Herbert Allard began working in the Adlards Motors garage, an official Ford dealer, preparing racers for international motor racing. His Allard Specials quickly proved their potential and Allard's reputation began to build. After racing motorcycles and three-wheeled Morgan's, he began racing four-wheeled vehicles. During World War II, the Allard Motor Company repaired military vehicles. Though their duties kept them very busy, Allard still found time to design and build sports cars.

In 1936 the first Allard Special, commonly referred to as the CLK5 because of its registration number, had been created using Ford products. It sat atop a Ford 40 chassis, outfitted with a Ford flathead V8 engine, and given a Bugatti Type 51 body. The cockpit was pushed back as far as possible with much of the weight resting on the rear wheels. The lightweight construction and ample ground clearance made the Allard Special a formidable opponent on the racing circuit. This success translated to increased interest in a production version of the Special. Prior to World War II, a few Specials were created that were powered by the Ford V8 or a Lincoln V12. The flat-head engine and its manifold design were its Achilles heel, which often overheated at high speeds. Nevertheless, the Specials continued to be highly competitive, though produced in limited numbers.

After World War II, Allard introduced the J1. Under the hood was a 3.6 liter Ford V8 engine mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. The engine continued to suffer from overheating problems and was criticized as being underpowered. The front suspension was a split axle with a live axle in the rear. Transverse leaf springs were also used in the front and rear. The J1 carried a full body with removable wings which could be replaced with cycle fenders, leaving the J1 prepared for road and track. In total there were twelve examples of the J1 produced.

The J1 was quickly followed by the K1, a two-seater sports car. Produced in larger quantities, the K1 was profitable and provided means in which to continue their race car creations.

The next iteration of the Allard race cars was the J2, introduced in 1950 and designed similar to its J1 sibling. The transverse leaf springs of the J1 were replaced with coils and the live axle was changed in favor of a De Dion setup. The engine was moved even further back putting extra weight on the rear tires, a design Allard continued to favor. The Ford side-valve V8 was the engine of choice however a variety of engines were used including Cadillac's pushrod V8 and Chrysler's HEMI.

A year later the J2X was introduced which was nearly identical to the J2 but had its engine moved forward providing more cockpit room. The J2X Le Mans and JR were enclosed bodies and the final iteration of the J2 racer.

Sydney Allards greatest appearance at a sporting event came in 1950 when he and Tom Cole drove a J2, powered by a Cadillac engine, to a first in class victory and third overall finish at the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans race. This was truly an impressive accomplishment and a testament to the abilities of the automobile. The Allard J1, J2, and J2X racers have dominated racing on many continents and continue to provide stiff competition in modern Historic sporting events.

In 1959 Allard was forced to cease production due to financial difficulties and rising competition from other marques. A total of 1908 Allards had been constructed.

by Dan Vaughan