Allard

The Allard Motor Company was founded in 1946 by Sydney Herbert Allard, grandpa to the present proprietor but the storyline began much earlier.

Sydney's dad Arthur Allard was a property developer and master contractor, a profession he expected Sydney and his brothers would follow, however a fire for mechanical products grew in Sydney from the youngest age rather than for bricks and mortar, Arthur soon introduced his son from his desire to go into the construction trade realising the futility of his own attempts.

Whilst building his trade Sydney's Adlard Motors facilities were changed in 1935/36 with the redevelopment of the website by his dad with garage facilities beneath a big block of flats.

The actual Allard history begins together with the first accurate Allard assembled in 1936 on the Ford Model 48 chassis recovered from the nearby garage and mixed together with the whole tail and scuttle from the GP Bugatti Type 51 in a nearby coachbuilders, added things for example Bugatti steering assembly, a 3622cc Ford Sidevalve V8 motor and narrowed back axle were juxtapositioned in such a means to create a perfectly conceived trials car made in only 18 days and evenings.

Named after its registration plate 'CLK 5' established itself over the following two years using a significant variety of victories in trials as well as other races. SHA's first triumph was at Southport Sands 50-mile event on April 26th 1936 with speeds exceeding 100miles per hour. Several victories followed in trials events, this is recognised by the motoring press, 'The Motor' featured an animation of CLK 5 using the caption 'SH.Allard scaling nearly every hill in nearly every demo'.

Since the war ended he purchased all the rest of the shares of Ford components including many sidevalve engines and Ford became the maker that Sydney selected to furnish all the important components to his vehicles through his Ford car dealer Adlard Motors Ltd.

1946 observed the creation of the Allard Motor Company who'd eventually assemble over 1900 vehicles all evolving from 12 prewar specials.

Sydney had assembled an array of buddies and collegues that will supply valuable marketing in the shape of competition successes and form the backbone of the brand-new business.

The very first production vehicles were the K (later called K1), a two seater sports version, L, a four seater tourer and also the J (later called J1) although not actively marketed it was the contest two seater very much like the K. The four-seater M was supposed to follow soon.

Possibly the most renowned Allard many folks know would be the 1950 J2 contest two seater, within this auto Sydney would be third in the 1950 Le Mans, global recognition and success followed particularly in the US where in fact the utilization of Cadillac and Chrysler engines made a Ferrari and Jaguar conquering machine.

Contest success secured the subsequent couple of years of company for Allard in the largest market of earth, america, in these years cars exported meant a return in metal in the British authorities to produce more cars, the export market was critical.

Other versions from the Allard stable contained the P1 saloon of 1950, K2 two seater sports of 1952, K3 two seater sports of 1953, P2 saloon 1952, Palm Beach two seater 1953, Palm Beach MkII GT 1956, M2X four seater tourer 1952 and the P2 Safari estate 1952.

Possibly the best accomplishment for Sydney was his success in the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally in an exceedingly tough ice ridden year, the very first British win for 21 years since Donald Healey and also the sole guy to win in a vehicle of his own name, the young Stirling Moss in his first rally was second.

This would have been a fantastic marketing possibility but on February 6th five days following that of the country changed within an immediate and the conclusion intelligibly all press and the King died attentions.

Beyond 1952 the motor business for little fish was becoming tougher, nevertheless counting on exports, the UNITED STATES industry was keeping the business, other British makes like Jowett were already winding-up. The market for large muscle cars was decreasing and new versions for example the smaller Palm Beach and also the disastrous threewheeled Clipper did little to assist, by 1957 cars were only built to order together with the Palm Beach MKII GT the sole version, the writing was on the wall.

Adlard Motors were still the conventional Ford dealership being among the largest in London, Allard Motor Company were into functionality gear after winding up auto production in 1959. Sydney's son Alan was following within the trade having competed in his first Monte Carlo Rally in 1962 conquering Sydney. Before he was old enough to generate he trained in motor engineering and had followed Sydney on several prerally reccies.

Superchargers, rally and race gear were Allards mainstay, Sydney kept his contest interests throughout his life having competed in 14 Monte Carlo rallies between 1949 and 1965. In 1960 he introduced Pull racing into UK with the building of the very first British dragster, this is adopted in 1964 by the blown 1500cc four-cylinder Ford engined 'Dragon', the second large Allard dragster was built by his son in late 1966.

After organising his second haul festival in 1965 which was washed-out because of rain Sydney fell ill and was not to recover, he died in April 1966, a celebrated figure in British motorsport and also the motor business had gone.

In the past few years ahead Alan became the leading knowledge in UK on supercharging and after turbocharging as Allards purchased both the Wade and Shorrock supercharging companies, he continued rallying until 1973 with the arrival of his own second son Lloyd.

Alan continues with turbocharging and intercooling even today in Monmouth, South Wales. He stays the President of the Allard Owners Club because his fathers death in 1966 and attends events frequently.

His son Lloyd began an apprenticeship with him in 1994 with a special interest in aluminium welding and manufacturing, this was further developed below a colleague who was creating intercoolers for the Subaru World Rally Team, Lloyd has been taught to create a World Class end to his goods. With motorsport in his own veins Lloyd along with a team partner built and entered a VW Scirocco in a nearby saloon auto championship in 2000, it won the 'Best presented auto' on its debut.

The very first period was a learning experience with several disapointments and teething difficulties, 2001 found Lloyd top the tournament with successive class wins, his goods having been examined in the proving ground.

Lloyd intends to reunite a number of the glory back to the Allard Motor Company using the finest quality products potential in the firm backbone of the tradition unrivalled by some other.