1951 Allard

This 1951 Allard J2 is said to have been sold to its first owner in Cheadle, England, in March 1952 and was reportedly originally powered by an Ardun-modified Mercury V8. In the late 1960s, chassis J2121 was fitted with a 289ci Ford V8 before being moved to the US, where it spent 39 years with one owner. A refurbishment commissioned by its subsequent owner in 2010 preceded an Amelia Award at the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. After being purchased by its current owner in 2017, the car was fitted with a replacement Ford V8 that was reportedly overhauled to a displacement of 268ci and fitted with Ardun overhead-valve cylinder heads and triple Solex carburetors. Finished in British Racing Green, the car also features a Ford three-speed manual transmission, a De Dion rear axle, finned aluminum drum brakes, silver-painted 16” wire wheels, tan leather interior upholstery, and a machine-turned dash. This J2 is now offered by the seller on behalf of the owner with a service manual, a tool kit, and a Pennsylvania title. Introduced in 1950, the J2 model was developed by Allard as a lightweight sports racer targeting the US market and featured a steel ladder frame wearing aluminum bodywork with a louvered hood and front cycle fenders. US-bound examples were typically sent overseas without engines, while other cars were fitted with Ford or Mercury flathead V8s, which on some examples were equipped with Ardun overhead-valve conversion kits. This example is said to have been repainted in the early 1960s in British Racing Green, a shade that was again chosen for a repaint performed during the 2010-2011 refurbishment. Features include a louvered hood panel with a clearance bulge, leather hood straps, triple portholes along each side of the engine compartment, dual windscreens, and dual exhaust outlets. Silver-painted wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in 6.50R16 Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial tires. Hydraulic drum brakes incorporate inboard-mounted finned aluminum rear units. The right-hand-drive cockpit houses two-place seating upholstered in tan leather surrounded by bare aluminum interior surfaces and engine turning on the door panels. Additional features include latch-and-link lap belts, a padded armrest over a console storage box, black rubber floor mats, and a cowl-mounted rearview mirror. The banjo-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of an engine-turned dash panel housing Smiths instrumentation including an 8k-rpm tachometer, a 150-mph speedometer with an inset clock, and gauges monitoring amperage, fuel level, oil pressure, and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 1,100 miles. True mileage is unknown. The Ford V8 is said to have been overhauled by Roush Industries in 2017 with a displacement increase to 268ci and the addition of Ardun overhead-valve cylinder heads. Induction is via triple Solex downdraft carburetors on an Austin intake manifold, while the exhaust system incorporates four-into-one headers. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Ford three-speed manual transmission. Suspension comprises a front swing axle, a De Dion rear end, and coil springs at each corner. The Pennsylvania title was signed and notarized in July 2023.