Our Video of the Week the Wednesday features a car we don’t talk about often, in fact, I don’t think we have ever mentioned an Allard here before. And that is quite a shame actually, as they were handsome cars that combined British style with American power into a fearsome competitor. This video on the rare Allard J2X comes via the folks at Fifth Gear.
Although made in England with a Cadillac powerplant, the Allard was always aimed at the American market. Production began in 1949 and lasted no more than a decade. For a few short post-war years an Allard was often the car to beat, but by mid-1950s Allard found it difficult to keep with the ever more sophisticated products of larger rival manufacturers and in 1959 finally stopped making cars.
These days, there are probably more Allard replicas on the road than actual vintage originals.
If you are interested in the fascinating story of the Allard, you might want to check out the Allard Owners Club, the Allard Register, and also the book Allard: The Inside Story by Tom Lush. And if you ever get the chance to see one at the vintage races, don’t pass it up. Their presence is wonderful.
Not to draw too fine a line – but couldn’t there be an argument that Allard is still in business? If you report on the stuff made today in India (or elsewhere) as being “British” and kinda implying that it’s the “same” company as back in the glory years of British car making – I would give the “new” Allard a little more credit.
I’m not an Allard employee or owner. I have a 51 TD and a 59 Bug-eye. My hat goes off to them though for what they are doing here in USA. Thanks
This is not in fact the “real” Allard. It is a company owned by a person with the same last name who is passing it off, with full knowledge, as the real thing. In fact the REAL Allard is still in business in Britain, making continuation models. See http://allardsportscars.co.uk.
Sadly, too many in North America believe they are dealing with the real thing when it is in no way related.