1948 Allard K1

Racing driver Sydney Allard constructed one of the most unlikely of all pre-war trials specials by grafting a body from a Grand Prix Bugatti onto a crashed Ford V8 coupe. Its lightweight construction and relatively powerful American V8 engine demonstrated the formula's potential and would become the foundation for future Allard vehicles, inspiring future imitators along the way, including Carroll Shelby who acknowledged Allard's influence on the Cobra.

When World War II came to a close, Sydney Allard quickly progressed from a 'racing specials' builder to a motor manufacturer, though the latter activity was really little more than a means of financing the company's competition program. These post-war cars followed a similar mold of the first trials special of the mid-1930s, using lightweight construction, American V8 power, and an independent front suspension. These favorable characteristics earned Allard a formidable and enviable competition record, a tremendous achievement considering its limited resources and small size. Among the numerous accolades were a 3rd at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans by Sydney himself in a J2 sports racer and winning outright at the Monte Carlo Rally in a P-Type saloon. The victory at Monte Carlo was the only time a driver and manufacturer won the event.

Among the earliest models produced by Allard in the post-WWII era was the K1, announced in 1946. It was a lightweight two-seater resting on a box-section frame and powered by either Ford or Mercury flathead V8 engines. The Bellamy-pattern independent swing-axle front suspension was paired with a beam axle rear suspension with torque tube and transverse leaf springs, effectively resulting in an independent rear suspension well before other carmakers utilized this setup. A longer wheelbase version, called the L1, had seating for four. Like many of the production Allards, the J1 came equipped with either Ford or Mercury components since they were readily available from Ford in the U.K. Allard vehicles destined for the U.S. were usually fitted with Chrysler or Cadillac powerplants.

The Allard vehicles were minimalistic and purposeful, and they were usable and relatively inexpensive to maintain and run. Their torquey and powerful V8 engines appealed to the performance enthusiast, and the three-speed manual gearbox and high overall gearing allowed them to be driven very fast. They were suitable for both road and track use, finding popularity in North America with such drivers as Zora Duntov, John Fitch, Tom Cole, and Carroll Shelby. Mr. Shelby won every race he entered in 1953 with his Allard.

Allard built approximately 151 examples of the K1 between 1946 to 1948. Among the specifications were a 106-inch wheelbase and four-wheel Lockheed drum brakes. The frame used stamped steel channel sections by Thomsons of Wolverton, and side rails and cross members were specially designed to accommodate the suspension and live rear axle.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 577

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.

Roadster
Chassis number: 71K 595

The Allard Motor Company was founded by Sydney Allard in 1936 and specialized in building one-off specials that combined powerful American V8 engines and lightweight bodywork in a well-engineered package. The high power-to-weight made them successful at the racetrack, giving them notoriety leading to popularity and sales. When World War II came to a close, the Allard Company began producing purpose-built sportscars that could be sold at dealerships. Near the close of the 1940s, the Allard model lineup included the K, L, and M models.

The Allard K1

Introduced in 1946, the Allard K1 was the company's first postwar model and approximately 151 examples were built in total. These dual-purpose road and race cars continued to use the formula utilized in the pre-war era, with stout engineering combined with high horsepower and low weight.

This particular Allard K1 was built by the factory in early 1948 as a rally car. It was given an aluminum wing, cowl, and bulkhead, plus a special radiator and petrol tank. The 221 cubic-inch Ford flathead V8 engine received twin Downdraft Ford carburetors and produced an estimated 85 horsepower at 3,800 RPM. A three-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drum brakes, and Girling shock absorbers were also specified, along with an independent front suspension and a live rear axle.

After leaving the factory, this K1 was delivered to Leonard Potter of the UK who campaigned the Allard over the course of the year, winning the Unlimited Cup in the Allen Trial, the Jeans Gold Cup, and placing 2nd Overall in the Alpine Rally. At the end of the 1948 season, the Allard was sold back to Allard Works and used as a sales demonstrator.

Potter raced the K1 (chassis 71K 595) again in 1949, competing in the Alpine Rally for the Allard Works team, winning five separate awards for various stages.

After its competition career ended, the car was sent to the United States and into the care of A.F.M. Luscombe. It later spent time in Harrah's Automobile Collection of Reno, Nevada. William Harrah eventually sold the car in 1971 to Allard racer Pete McManus.

In the mid-200s, the car was given a restoration by Hoffman Vintage Racing, which would earn multiple awards at concours events such as Greenwich, Radnor Hunt, and Lime Rock Park.

by Dan Vaughan