Allard J2 Ford
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Car producer : |
Allard |
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Model: |
J2 Ford |
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Year: |
1950-1952 |
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Type: |
Roadster |
Sydney Allard soon saw the potential of the economically more vibrant – but sports car starved – US market and developed a special competition model to tap it, the J2. The new roadster was a potent combination of a lightweight, hand-formed aluminium body fitted with independent front suspension and de Dion type rear axle, inboard rear brakes, and designed for a Ford "flathead" V8. Allard's distinctive front suspension was produced by splitting the I-beam front axle in two to make swing axles, with long radius rods and a new feature, for their day, of inclined telescopic shock absorbers.
It was as spartan as a spartan race car could be, and was built along the rugged lines of Allard’s prewar trials car. Powered by the reliable and readily available Ford flathead, the J2 was easily modified and maintained, as there was certainly no shortage of speed equipment geared to the L-Head V8 and any mechanic worth his salt was quite familiar with the powerplant. The J2 utilized Allard’s preferred split beam swinging arm front suspension with coil springs and employed a deDion-style live axle with inboard drum brakes. The brakes themselves came from the Jaguar XK 120, but worked much more effectively on the 700-pound lighter Allard.
Available both in street trim and stripped down for racing, the J2 proved successful in competition on both sides of the Atlantic, including a third place overall at Le Mans in 1950 (driven by Sydney Allard himself, who also placed first in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1952 driving an Allard P1 saloon car). Of 313 documented starts in major races in the 9 years between 1949 and 1957, J2's compiled a list of 40 first place finishes; 32 seconds; 30 thirds; 25 fourths; and 10 fifth place finishes. Both Zora Arkus-Duntov (the first chief engineer for the Chevrolet Corvette) and Carroll Shelby (the creator of the AC Cobra) raced J2's in the early 50's. 90 J2's were produced between 1950 and 1952.
