Recollections from the 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix

 

By Ed Reed

Reading about the plans underway for an Allard Gathering at Watkins Glen this September, in the Allard Register, brought back memories of the first time I attended the Grand Prix back in 1952, as a spectator. Little did I realize it would be the last year of the original road course. 

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Rallying With Sydney Allard

By Hugh Braithwaite

Passing outside his office Ifirst saw the car that I had agreed to navigate in for Sydney Allard and my attention was immediately drawn to two unusual features. Firstly there was a long piece of angle iron sticking up out pf the floor beside the driving seat, topped off with a rubber bicycle handlebar grip. It was fitted so that the top was close to the gear change lever on the steering column. Secondly there was an enormous thick magnifying glass fitted on the steering column between the dash board and the centre of the steering wheel. I was used to all the usual fittings of flexi light for map reading, horn button on the navigators’ side to save the driver having to take a hand off the wheel and also for helping to steady the navigator's nerves, though I never admitted to this.

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Amelia Island, 2010

 

Like the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, or the buzzards to Hinkley Ohio, March is the time for the faithful to return to Amelia Island. From AC to Zagato, the 15^th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance lived up to its history and hype, and once again presented a stunning array of cars and motorcycles to one of the largest crowds on record.

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Book Review: “Anglo-American Cars, From the 1930’s to the 1970’s”

Written by Norm Mort, Veloce Publishing, 2009, 96 Pages. ISBN: 978-1-845842-33-8

 “Anglo-American Cars, From the 1930s to 1970s” is the latest book from Norm Mort from the “Those were the days…” book series by Veloce Publishing. The book is broken down by decade, and then alphabetically by manufacturer. “Anglo-American Cars …” presents a summary of each manufacturer, their principals, the cars they made, and the reason for their demise. The book is printed on heavy weight paper and features many interesting photos, most of which are in color.

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Allard of the Week: K2 1741

K2 #1742 was shipped from the London docks on October 13, 1950 and was shipped to the USA without engine. Upon arrival, it was fitted with the preferred Cadillac 331 engine, with a single – bbl Carter carburetor, and 3-speed Ford transmission. Most of the early history of the car is unknown, other than it spent most of its early life on the East Coast and the Midwest, ranging in location from North Carolina to Indiana. In the early 1980’s it was even sold at one of the Barrett-Jackson auctions. After bouncing around between owners, it eventually ended up with

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Allard Register Issue #54

Click here or the picture above to download issue #54 of the Allard Register, we hope you enjoy!

Allard J2X 2138 For Sale

The first Allard J2X, chassis 2138 is now for sale. To learn more, click here!

Allard K2 Damaged at Russo & Steele

Unfortunately an Allard K2 was a part of the unfortunate tent collapse that happened at the Russo & Steele auction last weekend in Scottsdale, AZ. Fortunately, from the photos that were captured from a YouTube video, the car appears to have sustained relatively minor damage, especially when compared to other cars. For those of you unaware, the tent where the auction cars were stored, collapsed due to the severe winds that were part of a major storm that swept through the Southwest. Damage to the cars was estimated at $1.5 million.

Click the picture above to watch the video.

Mark Your Calendars, the Allard's are Gathering at Watkins Glen!

Plans are underway for an Allard Gathering at Watkins Glen this September to celebrate Erwin Goldschmidt’s win 60 years earlier. His car, along with many other Allards will be there to celebrate the event. Andy Picariello is organizing the event which will take place during the SVRA’s U.S. Vintage Grand Prix Festival this September 10-13. Many Allard special events will take place throughout the weekend, including a drive on the Old Course and a special display at the track. All Allard owners are encouraged to attend with their cars, whether racing or not. If you are interested in attending, please email Andy at afpic@cape.com with your contact information and if you intend to bring your car for race or show. Andy needs to get the SVRA an initial head count soon (for lodging and track space), so if you are interested, please contact him now (this is not a formal commitment!). Organizing an event like this takes a lot of work, so if you’d like to help Andy, please let him know! We look forward to seeing you there!

Click here if you are interested in attending!

Additional information:
Watkins Glen Web Site
Event Web Site
SVRA Web Site

Bob Lytle, Remembered

 

Ardent Allard enthusiast, archivist, historian, ambassador, and accomplished racer – and my good friend – Bob died on December 13^th with his family by his side.

I first met Bob several years ago at the Monterey Historic Races. It did not start as a face-to-face meeting, because my first view of Bob was his long legs sticking out from under his J2X. “Hi Bob. It’s Andy.” I said. “What’s going on?”

“Damn diff is coming loose. Pass me the nine-sixteens, will you?” Greasy fingernails were followed by several beers and a long chat.

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