Allard
Encyclopedia
The Allard Motor Company was an English car manufacturer founded in 1936 by Sydney Allard
. The company, based in Putney
, London. until 1945 and then in Clapham
, London, produced approximately 1900 cars until its closure in 1966.
Allards generally featured a large American V8 engine in a small, light British sports car body, giving a high power-to-weight ratio
and foreshadowing the more famous AC Cobra
- in fact, Carroll Shelby
drove an Allard in the 1950s.
in a body mostly sourced from a Bugatti racing car, and used the American engine's high torque
to great effect in this slow-speed competition.
Further Allards were soon built, all specially ordered, and fitted with a variety of large, Ford-sourced engines, including Lincoln-Zephyr
V12 powerplants
. By 1939 and the outbreak of war, twelve Allard Specials had been built, and Sydney Allard planned volume production, but the war forced a delay to those plans. Allard's company worked instead on Ford-based trucks during the war years, and when hostilities ceased, Allard had built up quite an inventory of Ford parts.
Sydney Allard soon saw the potential of the US market, in much better shape financially and rather lacking in quality sports cars. A special model intended for the American market was soon produced, the J2, fitted with a new independent rear suspension. They were available with a huge choice of different American engines, including a new Cadillac V8, much more powerful than the Ford units used before. Importing American engines just to ship them back across the Atlantic proved troublesome, so soon US-bound Allards were shipped engineless and fitted out in the States.
They proved phenomenally successful, and the American mechanicals meant that unlike more exotic British sportscars, they were familiar beasts for mechanics to work on. They were used to great effect in competition on both sides of the Atlantic, including a third place at Le Mans
in 1950 and first place in the Monte Carlo Rally
in 1952 (driven by Sydney Allard himself).
A rather bizarre model was the 1953 Allard Clipper
that was hoped would cash in on the microcar
market. This tiny car with glass fibre body was powered by a rear mounted 346 cc Villiers
twin cylinder motorcycle engine and claimed to seat three people abreast with room for two children in an optional dickey seat. About 20 were made.The Allard Clipper was designed by David Gottlieb and had an "indestructible" plastic body that was made by Hordern-Richmond
Ltd. This made it the first car to have a plastic body.
station wagon with eight seats, a huge V8 engine and beautiful bodywork, didn't seem to find a market.
By the mid fifties Allard was struggling as a manufacturer. Its attempt to give Dodge dealers a Corvette competitor using a rebodied Palm Beach with a Dodge Hemi engine were hit by the recession in the US economy in the late Fifties, and Allard produced few cars after 1959, and those only to special order.
Sixties Allards were simply performance modified British Ford Anglia
s marketed as the Allardette 105, 109, and 116. Everything ended in 1966 when Sydney Allard died; on the same night, a fire destroyed the factory and most Allard company records.
The Allard name was bought by a new company in 1991 but production never started. In 1994 a new version of the J2 were made by Allard Replicas of Harpenden
, Hertfordshire in either kit or assembled versions with full agreement with the trademark holders. Production ceased in 1997.
A new version of the J2X, named the J2X MkII, is currently being produced in Montreal
, Canada, and upper New York state, USA. It was displayed at the LA 2009 Auto Show.
The site where the Allard cars were produced is now a housing co op and was named after the car. Allard Gardens is now a development of 26 luxury units. In the late nineties some of the Allard cars returned to the site for a reunion.
Sydney Allard
Sydney Herbert Allard was the founder of the Allard car company and a successful racing motorist. He was remarkable in that he achieved sporting success in cars of his own manufacture....
. The company, based in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, London. until 1945 and then in Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
, London, produced approximately 1900 cars until its closure in 1966.
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
and foreshadowing the more famous AC Cobra
AC Cobra
The AC Cobra, also known colloquially as the Shelby Cobra in North America, is an Anglo-American sports car that was produced during the 1960s.-History and development:...
- in fact, Carroll Shelby
Carroll Shelby
Carroll Hall Shelby is an American retired automotive designer and racing driver. He is most well known for making Mustangs for Ford Motor Company known as Mustang Cobras which he has done since 1965...
drove an Allard in the 1950s.
Prewar Allard Specials
The first Allard cars were built specifically to compete in Trials events - timed events somewhat like rallies but through much worse terrain, almost impassable by a wheeled vehicle. The first Allard mounted a Ford flathead V8Ford Flathead engine
The Ford flathead V8 was a V8 engine of the flathead type, designed by the Ford Motor Company and built by Ford and various licensees...
in a body mostly sourced from a Bugatti racing car, and used the American engine's high torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
to great effect in this slow-speed competition.
Further Allards were soon built, all specially ordered, and fitted with a variety of large, Ford-sourced engines, including Lincoln-Zephyr
Lincoln-Zephyr
Lincoln-Zephyr was a marque for the lower priced line of luxury cars in the Lincoln line 1936-40. Lincoln-Zephyr and Mercury, introduced 1939, bridged the wide gap between Ford's V-8 De Luxe line and the exclusive Lincoln K-series cars. This served a purpose similar to Cadillac's smaller LaSalle...
V12 powerplants
Lincoln-Zephyr V12 engine
Ford Motor Company's Lincoln division produced two other L-head V12 engines from 1932, but required a more compact unit for their new streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr line. As Ford had just introduced their Flathead V8, this was the logical starting point for a new Lincoln V12 line...
. By 1939 and the outbreak of war, twelve Allard Specials had been built, and Sydney Allard planned volume production, but the war forced a delay to those plans. Allard's company worked instead on Ford-based trucks during the war years, and when hostilities ceased, Allard had built up quite an inventory of Ford parts.
Postwar
Using these and bodywork of Allard's own design, three postwar models were introduced: the J, a competition sports car; the K, a slightly larger car intended for road use, and the L, with four seats. All used primarily Ford mechanicals, making them easy to maintain anywhere. Sales were fairly brisk for a low-volume car, and demand was high for cars in general; Allard introduced several larger models, the M and N.Sydney Allard soon saw the potential of the US market, in much better shape financially and rather lacking in quality sports cars. A special model intended for the American market was soon produced, the J2, fitted with a new independent rear suspension. They were available with a huge choice of different American engines, including a new Cadillac V8, much more powerful than the Ford units used before. Importing American engines just to ship them back across the Atlantic proved troublesome, so soon US-bound Allards were shipped engineless and fitted out in the States.
They proved phenomenally successful, and the American mechanicals meant that unlike more exotic British sportscars, they were familiar beasts for mechanics to work on. They were used to great effect in competition on both sides of the Atlantic, including a third place at Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
in 1950 and first place in the Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
in 1952 (driven by Sydney Allard himself).
A rather bizarre model was the 1953 Allard Clipper
Allard Clipper
Allard, better known for light sports cars produced a pilot run of around twenty glass-fibre bodied three wheeled Clipper microcars in 1953-1954...
that was hoped would cash in on the microcar
Microcar
A microcar is the smallest automobile classification usually applied to standard small car . Such small cars were generally referred to as cyclecars until the 1940s. More recent models are also called bubblecars due to their egg-shaped appearance.-Definition:The definition of a microcar has varied...
market. This tiny car with glass fibre body was powered by a rear mounted 346 cc Villiers
Villiers Engineering
Villiers Engineering was a manufacturer of motorcycles and cycle parts, and an engineering company based in Villiers Street, Wolverhampton, England....
twin cylinder motorcycle engine and claimed to seat three people abreast with room for two children in an optional dickey seat. About 20 were made.The Allard Clipper was designed by David Gottlieb and had an "indestructible" plastic body that was made by Hordern-Richmond
Hordern-Richmond
Hordern-Richmond Aircraft Ltd was registered as a private company on 29 April 1937 with a nominal capital of £10,000 in 10,000 shares of £1. The objects were to carry on the business of manufacturers of and dealers in aircraft and aeronautical equipment...
Ltd. This made it the first car to have a plastic body.
Decline
Allard's R&D department, unfortunately, did not keep up its former pace, and soon other manufacturers were producing cheaper and more technically advanced cars. Allard scrambled to try and keep up, but its new Palm Beach smaller car was a year later than its competitors. Allard's new K-3 also did not live up to expectations, though it was a beautiful car, and their Safari Estate, a large WoodieWoodie
A woodie is a car body style, especially a station wagon, where the rear bodywork is constructed of wood framework with infill panels of wood or painted metal....
station wagon with eight seats, a huge V8 engine and beautiful bodywork, didn't seem to find a market.
By the mid fifties Allard was struggling as a manufacturer. Its attempt to give Dodge dealers a Corvette competitor using a rebodied Palm Beach with a Dodge Hemi engine were hit by the recession in the US economy in the late Fifties, and Allard produced few cars after 1959, and those only to special order.
Sixties Allards were simply performance modified British Ford Anglia
Ford Anglia
The 1949 model, code E494A, was a makeover of the previous model with a rather more 1940s style front-end, including the sloped, twin-lobed radiator grille. Again it was a very spartan vehicle and in 1948 was Britain's lowest priced four wheel car....
s marketed as the Allardette 105, 109, and 116. Everything ended in 1966 when Sydney Allard died; on the same night, a fire destroyed the factory and most Allard company records.
The Allard name was bought by a new company in 1991 but production never started. In 1994 a new version of the J2 were made by Allard Replicas of Harpenden
Harpenden
Harpenden is a town in Hertfordshire, England.The town's total population is just under 30,000.-Geography and administration:There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural....
, Hertfordshire in either kit or assembled versions with full agreement with the trademark holders. Production ceased in 1997.
A new version of the J2X, named the J2X MkII, is currently being produced in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada, and upper New York state, USA. It was displayed at the LA 2009 Auto Show.
The site where the Allard cars were produced is now a housing co op and was named after the car. Allard Gardens is now a development of 26 luxury units. In the late nineties some of the Allard cars returned to the site for a reunion.