Deck The Halls!

I must admit that when I saw this ornament on Ebay a month ago, I thought it looked a bit cheesy. Then a friend of the Register sent gave one to us as a Christmas gift; and I must admit that it’s actually pretty cool! The 3 ¾” round wood ornament is cut and etched on both sides with a laser to give it some depth. The detail is pretty crisp and the ornament is finished nicely. You can buy one now on Ebay for $5.75 which includes shipping. Click here or search Ebay for item 200671533242 to buy one now. Merry Christmas!

Chart: Allard Production by Year

Click here or the chart above to download the full size pdf 

We thought you might it interesting to see a year by year chart of Allard production. This chart data is based on our chassis database, which was first created by Tom Lush for his definitive Allard book and then updated by the late Tom Turner and Bob Lytle. Over the past few years I have worked to clean up the database to improve the searchability and clean up bad references. The database continues to be a work in progress as we discover new (old) information. In the coming weeks, we'll post additional data from the database that we hope you'll find interesting.

Cheers, Colin Warnes

Cartoons

From the October 1957 issue of Sports Cars Illustrated magazine.

Who builds a better sports car? 1950

In response to Erwin Goldschmidts letter and the feedback received, Motor Sport magazine Editor Bill Boddy put together a detailed analysis of US racing results from 1950 to determine the best sports car. Allard (Cadillac) vs. Allard (Ford) vs. Jaguar vs. Ferrari vs. Frazer-Nash. The article is very interesting and informative. However we must take issue with Mr. Boddy. After reviewing the handi-capped results, one could state that the Ferrari and Jaguar are better sports cars. BUT, if you add the Allard Cadillac & Ford results together, Allard is by far the best chassis in both the scratch and handicapped analysis. Click here or the photo above to view the full story.

Counterpoints, Part 2

In March of '51, the replies to Mr. Goldschmidts letter got a little more interesting. Click on the photo below to view the readable version. A few observations are at the end...

• The second letter by Mr. Holms: The race at Santa Ana was Roy Richters first and only sports car race...not a bad effort for a rookie. And the Pebble Beach race where the XK120's won the race...the J2 (owned by Al Moss) had its hood open at the start of the race while the fan belt was replaced. After being lapped, Michael Graham drove the J2 into 3rd place and would have won if there was another lap.
• The last letter by Mr. Clark: Richter's J2 was not supercharged. More importantly, Mr. Clark makes a few disparaging and unfounded remarks about Sydney's design. Yes, the J2 could be considered a fluke, but how many cars before and since have used power plants from other suppliers? And how many 'lesser minds' (like Jaguar) have used the de Dion suspension after Sydney reintroduced it to the world?

In the next post, we'll share an editorial by Mr. Boddy that attempts to objectively compare the racing success of the Allard vs the other builders such as Jaguar, Frazer-Nash, and Ferrari.

Counterpoints, Part 1

One can assume that Goldschmidt's letter resulted in more than a few Letters to the Editor at MotorSport. Here are two of the presumably many letters that they chose to publish in their February issue.

Fighting Words...

Back in January of 1951, MotorSport magazine (UK) published the letter below, written by noted Allard racer, Erwin Goldschmidt. As you can imagine, the letter proved to be quite controversial. We'll post some of the replies in the coming days.  

Old Magazine Covers, Part 9

A great cover shot of A. E. Goldschmidt having some fun in the dirt with his J2. This is from the January 1956, issue of Sports Cars Illustrated. By this time, the photo was likely five years old, but it's a fun shot nonetheless. There is no Allard content inside the magazine.

For Sale: Allard K2 3022

This K2 has been in the same small town for the past 50+ years with just two owners. The 40,000 miles are original and its original Cadillac V-8 is faster than hell.  This car features the original steel wheels and bumpers (recently re-plated). The undercarriage has never been touched, still exhibiting the original factory leather straps on the suspension and the wooden rocker boards and floors. A new exhaust system and starter motor were installed this past summer. Mechanically it is as solid as a rock.

Click to read more ...

Ebay: Allard K2 3029

Allard K2 3029 has also shown up on Ebay. Click here to view the listing.