Even though the company had only been around for a little over ten years, Allard made a number of very successful racing cars. It was fast back then, and it still is with the Cadillac V-8 engine. It’s good for both driving old sports cars and making a Le Mans lap while on the road. The idea of starting your own car company is as old as history, even though short-lived auto startups may seem like a new thing. A lot of people have tried, almost succeeded, and then failed; the fact that they were unique may have made them more desired. The same is true for the cars that Sydney Allard from London makes. He put together strong American V-8 engines and light English frames a long time before Carroll Shelby’s Cobra. Allard was only around for ten years, but that was long enough for it to leave its mark on events like Monte Carlo and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This 1954 Allard J2X is one of the last cars with Sydney’s name on it. It is for sale on Bring A Trailer, a part of Hearst Autos, and on Invoice Pricing. The Allard J2 racer, which was driven by drivers like Carroll Shelby and Zora Arkus-Duntov (the father of the Corvette), was changed and made bigger to become the J2X. Shelby probably got ideas for his AC Cobra from many different sources, but Sydney Allard was one of the most important ones. Sydney Allard co-drove a Jaguar J2 to third place in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jaguar’s first race in the event. His family’s work during WWII, mostly supervising Ford cars used to move supplies and troops, gave him the money to start his own business. When the war ended, he had too many Ford motor parts, so he started putting them together in different ways to make cars. Even though there was rationing after the war, there was a big need for cars in the UK, and the industry was doing very well. But Sydney was really a racer, so he started making cars that were meant to be raced right away instead of making cars that were contained and would appeal to a wide range of people. Luckily, the market for sports cars in the United States was growing and demanding speed. Allard’s win at Le Mans was the best way to get the word out. The J2 showed its worth by getting drivers to the podium in more than one-third of the races they ran. The Jaguar C-Type and D-Type were the cars to beat at Le Mans in the early 1950s, and Allard’s J2X was a response to them. It had the same 100-inch wheelbase as the J2, but it was a lot longer. The engine was slightly moved forward, and the suspension system was changed. This model was advertised as brand new in Canada, and it was featured in Track & Traffic, the main motorsports magazine in the country at the time. The body is a mix of Art Deco and Richard Scarry styles. It has a 333-cubic-inch Cadillac V-8 engine with two four-barrel Holley carburetors, which is very American. A J2X weighs about 2100 pounds, but it was very fast back in the day and is still pretty scary by today’s standards. It has a manual gearbox with four speeds. It was said that the inside of this car was beige before it got a beautiful blue paint job and red leather highlights. Even though the J2X is a rare car, this one wants to bring a little 1950s Le Mans to the streets with its famous Cadillac engine. Even though Allard had to shut down in 1957, you can still drive one. August 3 is the last day to bid on the sale.
