1955 Allard J2R

England-based Sidney Herbert Allard was a magician when it came to working with, and creating, automobiles and parts. In the mid-1930s he demonstrated his prowess by creating successful trial machines from a collection of Ford and Bugatti parts. in 1949 he captured a National British Hill Climb Championship with a car powered by a war-surplus V8 Steyr tank engine.

The Allard Motor Company was founded in the post-War era in 1946 with many of the vehicles leaving the plant under American Ford flathead V8 power. Accompanying them were Sidney's own upgrades such as intake manifolds and cylinder heads. As the 1950s got into full swing, Cadillac and Chrysler began producing suitable OHV V8 engines. With these powerplants, he created the J2X and JR sports racing models.

An Allard J2 sports racing car was given Cadillac power and entered the 1950 Tour of Sicily. Later it was entered in the grueling 24 Hours of Lemans where it managed an impressive third overall finish.

The cars he built were modern-day Hot Rods. Some called them beautiful while others considered them brutal. They were purpose-built machines that had the power to keep them in the front of the pack. The sports racing cars featured alloy bodywork, cycle fenders, and knock-off mounted wire wheels. Straight-line speed was not a problem; cornering was a bit difficult due to its semi-independent setup; braking and handling were their biggest issues. Nonetheless, they were fast enough to score major overall race results at Watkins Glen, Pebble Beach, Sebring, LeMans, and Monte Carlo.

The LeMans circuit favored aerodynamic cars. For this, Allard created the streamlined JR model in 1953. They were mechanically identical to the J2-X but given different bodies. There were only seven JR models ever created with two serving as factory entries at the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1953.

One of the entries was driven by Zora Arkus-Duntov, commonly known as the 'father of the Corvette.' The other car was driven by Sidney himself, who led the first lap of the race. He was forced to retire prematurely after less than an hour due to a cracked brake drum. The other car raced until 1:00 AM before it withdrew due to engine problems. It did manage a speed of 145.35 miles per hour on the Mulsanne Straight.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2011