To Be OFFERED AT AUCTIONEstimate:
$300,000 - $350,000
- Restored and prepared for vintage racing or road events
- Cadillac 390 cu. in. V-8; four-speed Muncie gearbox
- Period correct Borrani wire wheels
- Well-documented race history
- Ran at Bonneville in the 1950s
Please note that this lot is titled as a 1952.
Sydney Allard began his storied career in motorsports supplying
purpose-built trials and hill climb cars. However, his greatest
achievements came with the arrival of the J2 sports car in 1949.
The road-going J2 shared aspects of its design with trials-oriented
J1 but was considerably lower, lighter, and more streamlined for
road racing. Designed to take advantage of cheap and plentiful
Detroit V-8s, the robust chassis featured a de Dion rear axle,
large Alfin drum brakes, and a revised version of Allard's
signature split front axle, designed by Les Bellamy. Allard shipped
the cars less engine and transmission, providing "kits" to prepare
them for the customer's choice of V8. Despite Sydney's long-running
relationship with Ford, it was Cadillac's revolutionary 331
cubic-inch overhead-valve V-8 that cemented the J2's reputation as
the race car to have in the early 1950s. With 160 horsepower in
stock form and plenty more on tap, the Cad-Allards were regular
winners in America and Europe, battling with Jaguars, Cunninghams,
and Ferraris at the sharp end of the field. During the formative
years of groups like the SCCA, the J2 was the dominant force in
sports car racing.
This 1951 Allard J2 roadster, chassis number 99J 2123, is a
marvelous example with fascinating and well-documented history.
Through factory records, we know the order for 99J 2123 came
through on 7 June 1951. The invoice specified knock-off wire
wheels, left-hand drive, left-hand spare wheel, twin fuel pumps,
headlamp stone guards, and fittings to receive a Cadillac engine.
The buyer requested a red interior and supplied a sample of
metallic blue paint for the body. In August, 1951, it was delivered
to Mr. Del Lee of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, via Wood Motors of
Detroit. Mr. Lee immediately handed his new Allard over to Cal
Connell of the legendary Detroit Racing Equipment speed shop, for
installation of a race-prepped Cadillac 331 cu. in. V-8 engine.
Marvelous period color photographs show the car finished in dark
metallic blue with a red interior, a single side-mount spare, and
with distinctive polished alloy Borrani wire wheels.
Del Lee participated in numerous events at such legendary tracks as
Thompson Speedway, Bridgehampton, and Watkins Glen. Multiple period
photos show the Allard at the Detroit Region SCCA ice-racing event
on Lake Orion, Michigan, providing a superb record of the car's
original specification. At the Lake Orion event, reports say Lee
thrilled the crowd near the front of the pack, only to throw it
away when he spun while avoiding a bale late in the race. He
experienced mixed results in competition, with his best moment
coming at the Giant's Despair Hillclimb in Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania. Having scored a fourth in class in 1951, he returned
in 1953 with 99J 2123 to take first in Class B and the Hollenback
Trophy for Fast Time of the Day.
Around the time of the 1954 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, Del Lee sold
99J 2123 to Fred Lavel of Birmingham, Michigan. Lavel asked Lee to
drive the car in the Glen race before taking it back home. The
following year, Lavel took the Allard to Bonneville, running it up
to 127.47 miles per hour. During his ownership, Mr. Lavel replaced
the Cadillac engine with a DeSoto Adventurer Hemi supplied by his
friend and well-known Chrysler man, Virgil Exner. The first trip to
Bonneville must have triggered "salt fever", with Lavel going to
extreme measures in the quest for speed the following year. For the
1956 event, he removed the standard Allard alloy bodywork and set
it aside with the idea of polishing it. He fitted slick and
aerodynamic fiberglass body made by Sorrell, along with a Halibrand
quick-change rear end, and a Powerflight automatic transmission
mated to the Hemi. He even brought along a second, hotter DeSoto
engine as a spare. With better aero, the car ran a respectable
150.75 miles per hour, but mechanical woes prevented additional
runs.
After Bonneville, 99J 2123 led a relatively quiet life. Around
1958, Fred Lavel removed the Sorrell body, loosely refitted the
original alloy bodywork which he had in storage, and sold the car
to John Whitlock. It seems Mr. Whitlock did little with the car,
selling it on 17 August 1968 to Robert Vandepaer of Jersey City,
New Jersey. Lavel likely removed his Desoto engine before selling
the car, and one of the subsequent owners fitted a 1956 Corvette
small-block V-8 mated to a Jaguar Moss four-speed manual gearbox.
It is in this configuration that the most recent owner discovered
the car in 1993 sitting in Vandepaer's Jersey City garage.
According to the previous owner, the body spent 35 years carefully
stored away and preserved. Since most J2s were raced hard very few
have survived with their original bodywork intact. In the new
owner's care, it underwent complete restoration, returning the car
to period-correct specs, including the fitment of a 1959 Cadillac
390 cu. in. V-8 engine. At the time of the restoration, the owner
only knew the car had been blue, but did not have the color photos.
He chose this striking bright blue (a 1970 AMC color) over red
leather upholstery. Details such as the Borrani wheels remain in
place, and the owner sourced a very rare factory soft top and
full-width windscreen. Updates include a robust M21 Muncie
four-speed gearbox, triple Stromberg carburetors on an aluminum
Weiand manifold, and polished Offenhauser valve covers.
Following its restoration, 99J 2123 was enjoyed as Sydney Allard
intended. The owner participated in numerous VSCCA events on the
East Coast, including the Fairmount Vintage Grand Prix, Pocono
Vintage Grand Prix, Lime Rock Fall Festival, and two Allard reunion
events at Pocono and Watkins Glen in the late 1990s. Along with the
extensive history file, the sale includes numerous spares
(including a Halibrand quick-change rear) and a VSCCA Log Book. The
Cadillac engine is in a mild state of tune, making this a superb
choice for pre-1957 road events and rallies, thanks to its torque,
reliability, and driver-friendly nature. The presentation is made
all the more impressive considering this J2 was raced for so many
years. It is in beautiful condition, with fine finish quality,
supple red leather, and superb detailing all around.
Boasting fascinating and well-documented history, this Allard J2 is
a wonderful example of the Anglo-American hybrid that lit up the
tracks and ignited the passion for so many budding sports car
enthusiasts in the 1950s. To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo20.
