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.

Back in the day...

Beautiful exhibit at the 5th annual Hot Rod and Motor Sports Show is the new ALLARD, owned by Reg Fudge, Jr., Los Angeles. Sports car will be equipped with 160HP Lincoln overhead valve V-8 engine. Waving from the car is 18-year-old model Earlyne Taylor, contendor for the title of Hot Rod Show queen.

Do you know what car this is?

RM London Auction Preview - J2 #2089

On October 29, RM will auction Allard J2 #2089 at their London event at the Battersea Evolution in London. Little is known of this cars early history when it was first delivered new to Cuba on July 31, 1951. However, the car’s ownership history picks up in the early 80’s when the car was registered in Florida. Since then the car has changed hands two more times. The car is currently equipped with a Cadillac 427 in³ engine (rated at 375 hp and 525 ft*lbs of torque) and an automatic transmission. If the new owner prefers a more traditional power plant, the car also comes with a Cadillac 331 and T10 4-speed transmission. J2 #2089 is listed as Lot # 279 and is estimated to sell for £155,000 to £175,000 (approximately $240,000 to $270,000). To learn more about this car, please click here to visit RM’s web site.

SOLD - Allard J2-1698

Details: Delivered January 26, 1951, Chassis # J2 1698, Engine #  8M931, Red with red interior, Shipped to Gardiner’s Motor Service, Sydney. Factory records show this car was shipped with the above-mentioned engine number (most exported Allards were shipped without an engine).

Sold immediately to Jack Murray.

This car was raced with a Cadillac motor which, it is understood, was installed by Murray in Sydney. The Cadillac motor was subsequently given the number N57110P.

This car’s first Bathurst race was the October 1951 meeting (not the ’51 Easter meeting as has been reported elsewhere). Raced by Murray, who tended to confine his racing to the northern states, through to 1955, including to fourth place in the 1952 Australian Grand Prix held at Bathurst, and in the 1954 Australian Grand Prix at Southport Qld, where it did not finish.

Click to read more ...

What the!?

Our friend Ralph from www.psychoontyres.blogspot.com sent us these photos the other day of this amazing Allard J2 styled track day special. The photos were taken at a Mallory Park test day this past week. Unfortunately Ralph wasn't able to speak to the owner so we don't know if the car started life as an Allard or if the owner just wanted something different. Either way, we like it and we bet Sydney would have loved it! The car features a big-block Chevy engine, tube frame chassis, and doubel A-arm front suspension. Ralph said tells us the car is fast and the engine sounds like heaven.

If you know anything about this car, please contact us!

Update on Friday, August 19, 2011 at 10:17PM by Colin

From Mike Knapman...

"It is based on a Kougar chassis. Fitted with a dynoed 600 hp 427 Chevy engine for Sports Racing and GT class races. Geared for 160 mph.
The owner visited our (AOC) stand at Silverstone in 2010 and was so impressed by the J2 he saw on display he decided that was the style he wanted his bodywork to be.  He oviously went away and made it."

To learn more about Kougar's, click here to visit their web site:

Allards @ Silverstone Classic!

By Mike Knapman

The organisers of the Silverstone Classic set out to make 2011’s Classic the biggest and best ever.  “Rocking & Racing” were the two keywords.  They succeeded. Over 1100 entrants ensured full 52 car maximum grids for the historic races that went on from dawn to after dusk.  120 Classic car clubs and 7,000 thousand classic cars were on display.  A staggering 800 E-Types paraded on Saturday.   80,000 members of the classic car public paid to come in. The weather was not bad either, cloudy with sunny periods or vice-versa. This was “the biggest race meeting ever staged in international motor racing history”.

Click to read more ...

ALLARD & The 1953 Redex Reliability Trial

 

By Chris Lowth

That original 1953 Redex Reliability Trial remains as a watershed in endurance rallies in Australia, up to that time it was the second longest trial ever staged in the world (the previous longest had been from New York to Paris in 1908). It was an expedition into the unknown.

It was organized by Dunlop executive Harry James, who in 1904 had organized Australia's first motor race meeting, a four event "demonstration" at Aspendale racecourse in Victoria. James, who was generally regarded as the father of Australian motor sport, was also a great-uncle to arguably the biggest name to ever grace an Australian racetrack Peter Brock.

Click to read more ...

July 23 Demo Day @ Simeone Museum

On Saturday July 23, The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia will feature their Allard J2 #1975 in one of their monthly Demo Days. The theme of the Demo Day is "American Mega Motor Racers" and will feature the Allard, and the museum's '53 Cunningham C4R, '63 Corvette Grand Sport, and '66 Ford GT40 MkII. If you live in the Northeast, you should make plans to check out the demonstration and the rest of Dr. Simeone's amazing collection. The Museum features a large parking lot, which allows them to put on a good show. You can click here to learn more about the event and museum.

Click hereto read about our visit to the Simeone Foundation Museum last year and view our photo gallery.

The Restoration of J2 1739

Click here to view a photo blog of the Burt Collection's restoration of their Allard J2 #1739. The photos are fantastic, enjoy!