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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 Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: J2X 3071
Engine number: 2S222

The competition-model two-seated Allard J2 was introduced in 1949. The J2 was fitted with a big Chrysler or Cadillac engine that developed phenomenal torque at low speeds.

In 1951, Allard introduced the J2X. Low, wicked lines characterized the J2X. In a quirky piece of design for a modern sports car, the spare tire was mounted on the side. As with other non-supercharged racers, an air scoop was fitted on top of the alligator hood. At speeds over 90 mph, the large air intake on the grille emitted a shrill whistle that sounded exactly like a supercharger. The J2X sold for four years. It was on par with the later AC Cobra with a light chassis and a powerful engine that added up to a very fast ride. The 172-horsepower engine propelled the car from zero-to-sixty in ten seconds and had a top speed of 111.6 mph. It weighed 1,980 pounds.

Prior to the current owner purchasing the car, it was owned by a single family in California. It was parked in a barn for the past 40 years after a carburetor fire, which is evident by the blistering of the paint on the hood. The car has never been restored.

Roadster
Chassis number: J2X3144
Engine number: 2350

There were just 83 examples of the Allard J2X produced with production beginning in late 1951 and continuing until 1954. There were several distinguishing features between the J2 and the J2X, such as a new front suspension consisting of radius rods being placed in front of the axle, which necessitated a six-inch frame extension at the front. The wheelbase remained the same as the J2, with the engine mounted farther further in the X. This allowed more cockpit space and provided better handling. The engine of choice was still Detroit power with overhead valves.

This J2X with chassis number 3144 had cycle fenders, its original Bluemels Brooklands steering wheel, five British-made Pirelli Cinturatos, English Tenex fasteners, Lucas 700 headlamps, raked aero screens, rare steel wheels with Allard hubcaps and a passenger-side-mounted spare. The interior features a machined dash and Smith gauges.

In October of 1978, Ron VanKregten purchased the car from Jack M. Barbour of San Marino, California. It has been part of the collection since that time, coming to auction in 2009.

The car is powered by a 331 cubic-inch Cadillac V8 engine that produces 265 horsepower with the help of the single Quadrajet 4-Barrel carburetor. There is a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes with inboards at the rear.

In 2009, this J2X Roadster was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The car was estimated to sell for $225,000 - $275,000 and was offered without reserve. The lot was sold for the sum of $258,500 including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

The Allard Motor Company was born in 1946. His creations sported Ford flathead V8s topped with Allard's own intake and cylinder head designs. By the early 1950s, larger V8s, like Cadillac OHV and the Chrysler Hemi were finding their way into Allard's J2 and JX2 sports cars. Beautiful and brutal were both apt descriptions of Allard's work; they were not for the faint of heart or the light of foot.

This JX2 is powered by a 300-horsepower Cadillac OHV V8, with three Rochester carburetors and a three-speed manual transmission. It rides on a Ford split beam front axle, a DeDion rear, Lockheed brakes, and a steel chassis with a 100-inch wheelbase. Nine were manufactured, with this car being delivered initially to the Allard Motor Company in New York.

Roadster
Chassis number: J3202

This Allard J2X is one of only 85 built and one of nine which came from the factory with the 'Le Mans' style enclosed body. Bought brand new by Masten Gregory and shipped to him in Topeka, Kansas, Gregory raced the car in a few club events and then at the 1953 Sebring 12 Hour, where it broke after only 16 laps. It raced at Sebring again in 1955 and was driven by Walt Grey. The current owner purchased it in the late 1980s and has even raced it in New Zealand.

Roadster

Most Allards had one of several engines installed: a Ford 221 cubic-inch V8, a Chrysler 331 cubic-inch Hemi V8 or a 331 cubic-inch Cadillac V8. This car has a DeSoto Hemi V-8, the only Allard known to be so equipped.

This car was raced at Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events in the mid-1950s.

The J2X series was a limited production Allard; only 83 are believed to have been built

The current owner, who knew of this car for many years, bought it in 1969 in wrecked condition and repaired it enough to get it back on the road. Years later, he was able to restore it back to its former glory, as seen today.

Roadster
Chassis number: 3146

Carroll Shelby, at the time a novice driver, drove this car to victory in every race entered in 1953. In January of 1954, Shelby placed 10th at the 1000 km of Buenos Aires (1st US Car) - caught the attention of the big European teams - and the rest is history.

Roadster

Sydney Allard was a bit of a pioneer, installing American-built V-8 engines in a British car. After World War II, British motor trader Sydney Allard started the Allard Motor Company Ltd. The majority of these cars were exported to America without engines. The chassis was set up to accommodate various V8 power plants. The J2X was the sports/racer of the early fifties. It was strong, brutal, and fast. It featured a lightweight tubular steel frame and when fitted with a Cadillac V8, it produced 150 horsepower which in the 1800lb J2 was good for a top speed of 120 mph and zero-to-sixty in 9.5 seconds. This car is one of only 83 built.

The J2X was built from 1952 through 1954 with a total production of just 82 cars. It was essentially a re-engineered derivative of the predecessor J2, both being designed as a race car that could be driven on the street. The stark sports car featured a simple box-section frame with coil springs and the swing-axle front suspension and de Dion rear suspension. The body was light-alloy construction with separate cycle-style front fenders and no windshield or weather protection, and an outside-mounted spare as compared to the concealed spare of the J2.

Most J2X Allards were equipped with Cadillac or Chrysler V-8s, which sat seven inches further back in the chassis, thus the 'X' designation. It featured an improved front suspension that required the extended frame to be made lighter and more rigid to improve handling, and more capable of handling the torque of the powerful V-8s. This example is powered by a 331 CID Cadillac V-8 engine.

Roadster
Chassis number: 2092

This 1953 Allard J2X Competition Roadster is powered by a 331 V8 engine producing 370 horsepower. The car came with two fuel fillers and was useful when new but was later changed to the single 'Indy' type fuel filler. The car did not come equipped with a center mirror however since it was crucial in racing a custom center mirror was installed. The car came fitted with LeMans headlights that were not covered but had egg crates over them for dirt roads and tracks. Headlight 'bubbles' were installed later.

Roadster
Chassis number: J2X 3142

In the 1930s, British racing driver and constructor Sydney Allard started out building Ford-based specials. During World War II, he rebuilt Fords for the British forces. When the war came to a close, there were plenty of parts and engines available, so he began building a two-seater sports car on a box-section frame with transverse leaf springing and American V-8 engines.

The Allard sports cars of the 1950s included the J2, followed by the J2-X featuring a de Dion rear axle on coil springs and radius arms, and front radius rods relocated ahead of a split front axle. A total of 83 examples of the J2-X were built. This particular example was formerly owned by American vintage racer and Allard connoisseur, Duncan Emmons of Rancho Mirage, California, and later by a collector who reportedly invested some $74,000 to prepare it for many rallies. It was used from 2006 through 2009, including appearing on the poster for the Copperstate 1000 in 2007.

This car is powered by an Oldsmobile 394 cubic-inch V8 engine. It has 3.31 gears in a four-speed transmission.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 3066

It is believed that this J2X Le Mans was the first example to be exported to the United States. It was first owned by an Air Force captain stationed in Nebraska. It was finished in blue with a red interior and was powered by a Chrysler 331 cubic-inch Hemi engine. Additionally, it had a 40-gallon petrol tank, oil cooler, full windscreen, wipers, soft top with side curtains, and Alfin drum brakes.

Bob Peterson of Piedmont, California acquired it around 1953. It was campaigned by drivers Carl and Fred Block in SCCA competition. At the 1954 race at Golden Gate Park, Carl Block hit a row of hay bales, damaging the Allard's front bodywork. The newly sculpted and restyled aluminum front end (which it wears today) may have been done by customizer Jack Hagemann. This was also when it received its red exterior paintwork.

In 1958, Bob Peterson sold the car to John Tilton for $2,500. In the mid-1970s, the Tilton children retrieved the J2X Le Mans from long-term storage and convinced their father to have it restored. The restoration work was handed by Vic Russum of Racing Dynamics West in Los Angeles, with paint and bodywork by Eddie Paul.

After the restoration work was completed, the car raced at the 1977 and 1978 Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca and was invited to the 1977 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 3146

In the early days of post-war sports car racing, the Allard J2 and J2X ruled the roost with their lightweight aluminum construction and American V-8 power. Sydney Allard produced the chassis and bodies and shipped them to the states without an engine (83 J2X were produced). In the case of #3146, it was ordered by Texas Oilman/Sportsman Roy Cherryhomes, to be configured for the Cadillac 331 CID V-8, the weapon of choice for early 1950's hot rodders.

Cherryhome approached young upstart driver/chicken farmer Carroll Shelby to drive his car in SCCA events in Texas and the plains states. At the time, Gen. LeMay of the Strategic Air Command was organizing races on his airfields, drawing tens of thousands of spectators to each event. Though Shelby wasn't paid, all expenses were covered for a fast car with an excellent mechanic.

Shelby drove the car in five races in 1953, placing first overall in four races and second in the fifth race. In January 1954, the car was shipped to Buenos Aires for the international 1000KM race in Buenos Aires where Shelby and Dale Duncan competed against all the world's top teams and drivers. There, it ultimately finished tenth and won the Kimberly Cup as the top U.S. team to finish.

Shelby's performance in this race caught the attention of John Wyer of Aston Martin and led to a full-time factory ride for Shelby in 1954 through the end of his racing career which culminated with a LeMans win in 1959.

Of course, Shelby later went on to design and build the iconic AC Cobra. He stated on numerous occasions that his experience with the Allard's combination of lightweight British chassis and body with American V8 power inspired him to build the Cobra.

Roadster
Chassis number: 3146

Roy Cherryhomes of Texas ordered this 1952 Allard J2X through Neil Kirk Motors of Hollywood, California on November 6th of 1952 and was powered by a 331 cubic-inch Cadillac V8 engine. It was driven in five Sports Car Club of America races in 1953 by an upstart driver and chicken farmer named Carroll Shelby who placed first overall in four of them and second in the fifth race.

The car's first international race was in January of 1954 in Buenos Aires where it was once again driven by Shelby and co-driver Dale Duncan. They completed the 1000-kilometer race in 10th place overall and won the Kimberly Cup as the top-finishing U.S. team.

The car's history through 1970 remains a mystery. When Dr. Richard McKee of Fort Worth, Texas acquired the car in 1970, it was powered by a modified Chevrolet V-8 engine. He undertook a multi-year, frame-up restoration and when the work was completed, he campaigned the car in four vintage races in 1975. It raced with a period-correct 331-cubic-inch Chrysler FirePower Hemi V-8 engine.

Dr. McKee showed it at various events before it was sold in 1989 to Peter Booth of Colorado Springs, Colorado. After refurbishing the car, he campaigned it in 29 vintage races from 1990 through 2010.

The car's next owner was August Grasis III of Kansas City, Missouri who purchased it in 2013 and installed a correct, 331-cubic-inch Cadillac V-8 in 2015. Racing in vintage events, he claimed several first-place finishes.

The current caretaker acquired it in late 2017. It has since been treated to perhaps the most thorough mechanical recommissioning of its life.

In 2019, the Allard won the 2019 Del Monte Trophy in Monterey, California.

by Dan Vaughan

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