1953 Allard Palm Beach

History

For an all-too-brief period in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the name of 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.

Born to wealthy parents in South London, England in 1910, Sydney Allard, would have a tremendous career as a mechanic, race car driver, and car company owner. At age 18 he began work in a garage as an apprentice mechanic; this was also the time Allard began his racing career. Initially, he specialized in cross-country trials in a Morgan. After a year he began racing at such memorable tracks as Brooklands and Donnington Park.

The first automobile built by Allard was in 1930 and it was given a Ford flathead V8 engine. Demand for the vehicle soon escalated, so Allard set up an assembly line to cope with this new interest. During the Second World War, the company focused on building military vehicles. When peacetime resumed, the company resumed automobile production with the introduction of their K1, a simple two-seater convertible powered by a flathead V8. The bodies used steel panels draped over traditional wood framing.

The company produced both two-seat and four-seat models in both open and closed configurations. The road-going cars were built to support his racing endeavors.

From 1952 through 1959, the company produced the Palm Beach model. It was an attempt to boost sales and was built on a short 96-inch wheelbase. It was smaller and less expensive than their V-8 powered roadsters and given a body design similar to the K3s. They had an oval grille in the front, a one-piece windshield, and a full-width roadster-style body. The early cars were powered by either a British Ford four- or six-cylinder engine. In 1956, the Palm Beach was given a redesign, resulting in more room under the bonnet, with some of the cars being fitted with V-8 engines. Between 1956-1959, only seven examples of the Mark II cars were produced. 1959 was the final year of production for the Allard company.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2011