Unique Success

It takes a great many things to properly come together for a small motor car company to be able to compete on the world racing stage. One thing for sure is to have a very talented driver. Sydney Allard was born in 1910 and by 1929 he was racing Morgan three-wheeled vehicles with a good degree of success. A few years later he switched to Fords and continued his winning ways.

Following the conclusion of World War II, Allard, now tired of not having complete control over the way the cars he was racing were put together, decided to do something about it. In 1945 he started the Allard Motor Company. True, Allard had built a handful of Allard Specials prior to the war. But it wasn't until after the clash that he decided to make a go of it as a true manufacturer.

Allard saw how crazed American G.I.s were about the sporty British cars of the time. Many were finding ways to ship MGs and Jaguars back to the states. So he developed a special competition car he called the J2. The car was nimble and light weight. But what was most impressive was that it was built around the very powerful and successful Ford V8 Flathead engine.

Those first J2s proved to be a success on the international racing circuit and Allard soon began tinkering with using different powerful American V8s; choosing from Ford, Chrysler, Buick, Oldsmobile and the engine that seemed to have the most success, a 331 horse power Cadillac V8. It was with this engine that the likes of Corvette developer Zora Duntov and the famous Carroll Shelby raced Allards to numerous victories.

By 1951 it seemed as though the rest of the racing world had caught up with Allard and so he introduced a new model, the J2X. The car had various improvements, including an altered front suspension which not only helped with handling but also caused the nose of the car to be extended.

Unfortunately for Allard the J2X wasn't as successful on the racing circuits of the day. Cars by Jaguar, Ferrari and Maserati were regularly besting it. Add this to the fact that sales, though never strong, were declining as Allard couldn't keep up with the demands for new and improved cars. By 1958 the Allard Motor Company closed shop. Sidney Allard passed away in 1966. He was a very unique blend of successful racer and successful manufacturer. Perhaps only Carroll Shelby was his equal in both areas.

The Allard seen here is a 1951 J2X model.