Allard K2 Touring of 1950/1951.
I've been looking to add original photos of a post-war Allard car to the site for some time, so when this pair, both featuring a blazer-wearing chap and his Allard K2 Touring turned up, they were quickly bought. The first shows him sat behind the wheel of his K2 on a bright sunny day, the second with him stood alongside. This model, the successor to the K1, was only produced for two years (1950 & 1951), during which time a modest 119 examples were built.
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Sidney Allard competed in speed events in cars of his own making, both prior to, and after WW2, although production cars bearing his name would only go on sale in 1946, and even then only in very limited numbers (a letter issued by Sydney Allard's garage in 1943, sent to a gent in the USA, can be found on the Adlards Motors Ltd page). The J1 was basically a car that he'd planned to put into production in the late 1930's but the war put paid to that plan, so the cars eventually went on sale in 1946. In 1949 the J2, perhaps the most famous of the competition-bred Allards, made its debut, followed by the J2X in 1952. Alongside these "hot rods" were the K-series cars, designed with road rather than track use in mind.
The K2 of 1950.
The Allard K2, as shown above, was identifiable from its predecessor by the redesigned aluminium bodywork. Gone was the waterfall grille, to be replaced by a more modest pentagonal affair, while the three "port holes" fitted to the bonnet sides were very much a touch designed to appeal to Stateside buyers. Two engine choices were offered, one a 3.6, the other a 3.9.
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Return to Page 11 of the vintage motoring gallery. Free ads for classic Allards & parts can be found here, and intriguing photos dating to 1939 of a prototype Allard, with retractable metal roof, can be seen here. A drophead coupe from 1949 can be found on the Allard M-Type page.
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