1951 Allard J2 Roadster
Sydney Allard was
a experienced English racing driver who raced cars at LeMans and the
Mille Miglia bearing his own name. Of all the cars he built, the J2 of
1950 received the most attention and reflected his racing background.
J2 was a limited production racing car, and since Allard didn't manufacture their own engines, many were fitted with American V-8s. The standard unit was the Mercury V8, which was bored and stroked to produce 140 bhp. However, many cars came to US with out engines to take any combination of engine and transmission. When combined with the 331 cu. in. Cadillac or Chrysler 331 Hemi Firepower the J2 was a particularly potent contender.
These powerful American engines combined with a rigid chassis and a small, cycle wing body to give an exceptional power to weight ratio. Contributing to good handling was a chassis constructed using small diameter tubes, a de-Dion rear axle to help keep the rear wheels connected to the road and the large aluminum Alfin drum brakes.
The J2s best moment came at LeMans, when a 5.4 liter, Cadillac-engined car placed third at the 1950 Lemans behind the winning Talbots
Altogether, around 200 J2s were made, and a later J2X version featured an all-enveloping body for LeMans.
J2 was a limited production racing car, and since Allard didn't manufacture their own engines, many were fitted with American V-8s. The standard unit was the Mercury V8, which was bored and stroked to produce 140 bhp. However, many cars came to US with out engines to take any combination of engine and transmission. When combined with the 331 cu. in. Cadillac or Chrysler 331 Hemi Firepower the J2 was a particularly potent contender.
These powerful American engines combined with a rigid chassis and a small, cycle wing body to give an exceptional power to weight ratio. Contributing to good handling was a chassis constructed using small diameter tubes, a de-Dion rear axle to help keep the rear wheels connected to the road and the large aluminum Alfin drum brakes.
The J2s best moment came at LeMans, when a 5.4 liter, Cadillac-engined car placed third at the 1950 Lemans behind the winning Talbots
Altogether, around 200 J2s were made, and a later J2X version featured an all-enveloping body for LeMans.
Story by Richard Owen for Supercars.net
0 comments: