Allard J2 FIA

• Chassis No. 99J1557
• French classic car registration document
• Vehicle sold without an MOT

“A genuine dragster eligible for the finest races on the calendar, including Monaco and Goodwood…”

Like Enzo Ferrari and Carroll Shelby, Sydney Allard began his career as a racing driver before turning his hand to building sports and racing cars. Whilst Ferrari was Italian and Shelby American, Allard was a true Briton, born in London. He founded the Allard Motor Company in the aftermath of the Second World War, and whilst he built road-legal sports cars, his true aim – just like Ferrari and Shelby – was to design racing cars to compete and win… Like Shelby, he chose not to build engines, preferring to rely on the power provided by a variety of V8s, mainly American ones.

The first car to go into production was the J1, built in 1946–1947, quickly followed by the J2, which was far more elegant and refined. The racing versions of the J2, with motorbike-style front mudguards, were stripped of all luxury and superfluous features in the pursuit of maximum lightness. The J2 roadster, with its aluminium body, weighed barely more than 900 kg, even when fitted with an American V8 engine made predominantly of cast iron.

Available in both a road-going version and a lighter racing version, the J2 enjoyed success in competition on both sides of the Atlantic. Notably, it secured third place overall at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans (driven by Tom Cole and Allard himself) at an average speed of 141.20 km/h, thanks to a Cadillac V8 engine – a result that remains, without doubt, Allard’s most remarkable achievement in racing history. In late 1951, the J2, of which 90 were built, was succeeded by the J2X (X for ‘Extended’, i.e. improved).

Under the bonnet of the Allard J2 and J2X, which could be purchased without an engine, were various American V8 engines, notably Ford side-valve V8s, Cadillac overhead-valve (OHV) V8s and the first versions of the Chrysler V8s with hemispherical combustion chambers, already known as ‘Hemi’. The Allard J2 and J2X have raced so extensively that today a well-prepared example is invited to take part in virtually every historic race.

Unlike most Allards, the car offered for sale, chassis #99J1557, has spent most of its life in England and is right-hand drive – a real advantage on the racetrack! Its history can be traced back to the early 1980s, when it was restored and began to compete regularly in British races. In 2016, its Ford side-valve V8 was replaced by a Mercury V8 fitted with Allard cylinder heads and tuned by Royal Customs to 170 ch… With a transmission fully overhauled and optimised by WG Racing – who have been looking after it since its arrival in France – and a PTH valid until 2033, this stunning, high-performance Allard, duly registered in France, is ready to line up at the Le Mans Classic, the Monaco Historic Grand Prix and the Goodwood Revival – all events at which it has already competed…