<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Allard's reputation garnered in the pre-War years ensured plenty of publicity for his new car. In total twelve J1s were constructed and competed all over Britain and in Europe. One of the biggest drawbacks of the J1 was the flat-head V8, which was underpowered and continued to cause overheating problems. Some of the customers improved the car's performance by installing a Supercharger. Quickly after the J1, Allard introduced the more civil K1 sports two seater, L-Type Tourer and M-Type coupe models. These were constructed in a much larger number and supplied the company with enough financial means to continue developing racing cars.
In 1950 a new competition Allard was introduced; the J2. Although it carried over the general design of the J1, the new car was a big step forwards. The front suspension was similar in design, but the transverse leaf spring was replaced by coils. At the rear a DeDion axle was installed and the drums were moved inboard. Weight concentration over the rear wheels was again one of the priorities, which was achieved by moving the engine as far back in the chassis as possible. Although a highly modified Ford sidevalve V8 was Allard's engine of choice, the chassis allowed for a number of American engines to be fitted. Especially equipped with Cadillac's pushrod V8, the J2 was in a league of its own.
Allard's biggest road racing success came in 1950, when Sydney Allard and Tom Cole drove a Cadillac powered J2 to a third place overall and a first in class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In 1951 a slightly modified version, dubbed J2X was introduced. It was very similar to the J2, but the engine was installed further forward in the chassis to allow for a larger cockpit. Chrysler HEMI and Cadillac powered J2s and J2Xs dominated racing in America. The final evolutions of the J2 were the J2X Le Mans and JR, which both featured a fully enveloping body.
After 1908 Allards were constructed, production finally ceased in 1959. The ever increasing competition from the likes of Jaguar proved too much for the small company. Its small size makes the many victories in road races, rallies, hill climbs and trials quite exceptional. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Allard's reputation garnered in the pre-War years ensured plenty of publicity for his new car. In total twelve J1s were constructed and competed all over Britain and in Europe. One of the biggest drawbacks of the J1 was the flat-head V8, which was underpowered and continued to cause overheating problems. Some of the customers improved the car's performance by installing a Supercharger. Quickly after the J1, Allard introduced the more civil K1 sports two seater, L-Type Tourer and M-Type coupe models. These were constructed in a much larger number and supplied the company with enough financial means to continue developing racing cars.