The Allard was one of those hand-built, individually-designed sporting cars which flourished briefly after the Second World War, and died away as soon as shortages and waiting lists disappeared. Inspired by London motor trader Sydney Allard, the first ‘Allard Specials’ were trials cars built in the 1930s, but production of a big, and unmistakably styled road car followed in 1946.
The original Allard was based almost entirely on Ford V8 running gear – chassis, engine, transmission and suspension items – which were modified to suit Syd’s own ideas, although the aluminium-panelled bodies (complete with their long, swooping noses) were all his own invention. An Allard, therefore, combined the simplicity and easy availability of Ford parts, with a certain exclusivity, which had a great charm at a time when new cars were scarce. Even by late-1940s standards, the ride, handling and steering were no more than adequate, but the performance was encouraging. Standard Ford side-valve engines produced only 85 bhp, but enlarged (Mercury), more highly-tuned examples were also available to make them into truly fierce machines.
The first Allard of 1946 was the J1 competition two-seater, which was closely followed by a longer and heavier K-type, while the L-type was a full four-seater tourer. |
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All shared the same type of divided-axle/transverse-leaf spring front suspension, and the same frontal styling.
An early Allard’s appeal was not entirely in its performance, nor even in its styling, but in its extrovert character, and its relatively easy availability. Although an Allard cost as much as a Jaguar XK120, it was simpler to maintain and repair, and the fact that private owners also started winning rallies in it helped enormously.
By the early 1950s massively powerful Cadillac V8-powered J2s and J2Xs (pictured) were on the market, an all-new tubular chassis frame was being designed, and touring Allards like the P1 saloon and the M2X convertible had fleshed out the range. Sydney Allard’s famous P1 victory in the 1953 Monte Carlo Rally made many headlines, but Allard’s short career was almost over. The last of these V8-engined cars was made in 1955. All in all, about 1,800 of this family were produced.
These were hand-built cars, individually designed but using freely available Ford engine parts. The bodywork was made of aluminium panels and the cars were as expensive as the Jaguar XK120, but easier to maintain and repair.
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