Vehicle Description
Sydney Allard's brawny J2 was one of the first British sports cars
of the post-war era, explicitly targeting the burgeoning American
sports car market. The open-road-racing scene exploded in the USA
in the late 1940s, and the Allard J2 quickly rose to prominence as
a dominant competitor, particularly when paired with Cadillac's
fabulous new overhead-valve V8 engine. While the J2 was undoubtedly
fast, it also had a reputation for wild handling, and it often took
a caliber of a driver like John Fitch, Carroll Shelby, or Phil Hill
to tame it. In 1952, Allard introduced an improved version known as
the J2X. Outwardly similar in appearance, the J2X had a few
significant alterations aimed at improving stability and driver
comfort. Allard moved the engine forward in the chassis by 7.5
inches, which improved the handling balance. To make room, the
front suspension and steering required significant modifications,
necessitating a six-inch extension of the forward frame. The DeDion
rear axle remained the same as before, with proven Jaguar/Lockheed
drum brakes at all four corners. Drivetrain choice was up to the
buyer, and most customers chose OHV V8 engines from Cadillac or
Chrysler, making light work of the 2,300-pound J2X. Despite being
less successful in competition than the J2 it replaced, the J2X is
universally lauded by today's enthusiasts as the most desirable
all-round Allard sports car, and one of the best to come from
Sydney Allard's South London workshops. Just 83 J2Xs were ever
built. Proudly offered here is J2X 3144, a superb and unique Allard
with a fascinating and continuous history from new. The story
begins on November 19th, 1953, when Noel Kirk Motors of Hollywood,
California, delivered chassis 3144 to Mr. Albert Zugsmith. The car
was finished in attractive Olde English white over a black interior
and equipped with the top dog Cadillac 331 under the bonnet.
Albert's son Mike Zugsmith later recalled that his father wasn't
much into cars, but his mother was, and she was the primary driver
of the mighty J2X. Mr. Zugsmith was quite a colorful character,
having made millions in his sales business before turning to
filmmaking in the 1950s. Much of his early work fell squarely in
the B-movie category, but he found widespread success with 1956's
Written on the Wind,starring Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Lauren
Bacall, and Dorothy Malone - who won an Oscar for best-supporting
actress for her performance. Zugsmith's Allard J2X featured
prominently in the picture, painted a lurid shade of yellow for the
role of Robert Stack's "hot rod." The Zugsmiths sold the Allard to
Jack Barbour, who continued to enjoy the car in and around
Hollywood through the late 1960s. Sometime around then, the trail
went cold. That all changed in 2008 when J2X 3144 reappeared in the
estate of Ronald Van Kregten. It came to light that Van Kregten
purchased the Allard from his friend Jack Barbour and squirreled it
away in his private collection until his passing in 2002. It wasn't
until his wife passed in 2008 that the astonishing collection was
made public- which included a 250 SWB California Spyder, the Steve
McQueen Cobra, Clark Gable's 300 SL, and rare aircraft Van Kregten
acquired from his other good friend, Howard Hughes. During its
40-plus years in the Van Kregten collection, J2X 3144 never
appeared in public, and only a select few family members knew of
its existence. The collection was dispersed in January 2009, and
J2X 3144 found a home with the most recent owner of 11 years. An
experienced restorer, vintage racer and well-known automotive
historian, he had looked for a J2X for years, none making the cut
until he discovered 3144. Although impressively well-preserved
thanks to its low mileage and decades long slumber, its new
custodian soon began a characteristically meticulous renovation of
3144. Finished in maroon upon his purchase in 2009, bits of yellow
paint were found on the wheels and body, leading the owner to
contact Allard historians Chuck and Colin Warnes of The Allard
Register, suspecting this was the long-lost movie car. Identifying
points as theWritten on the Windcar included its rare steel disc
wheels - one of only about 15 J2Xs originally equipped. Also, it
has the very rare dual fuel fillers, clearly seen in movie stills.
Upon tracing the ownership chain, the car's identity was confirmed.
Original build records provided by the Allard family show the car
was ordered for Imported Motor Car Co. of New York, prepared for
Cadillac power, but re-allocated for Noel Kirk Motors, with a clear
order to ship the car on disc wheels if no wires were available.
Further investigation by the most recent owner revealed 3144
retains its original Cadillac engine fitted by Noel Kirk Motors in
1953, helped by the fact that it sat in Van Kregten's collection
for at least 35 years, and never saw abuse on a race track. The
famous Allard showed just over 10,000 miles from new, and its
return to health focused on preserving this originality but with
thoughtful upgrades for use on rallies and tours. The owner
stripped and repainted its all-original and uncut aluminum body in
its as-delivered shade of Old English White. The resulting finish
quality is exceptional, with beautiful detailing throughout. The
interior features black leather upholstery that has taken on a
lovely character from light use, augmented by its original Bluemels
Brooklands steering wheel and original Smiths instrumentation in
the engine-turned alloy dash. Incredibly, the original Noel Kirk
Motors water transfer dealer decal remains under the dash on the
firewall. Considering most J2Xs were raced hard in their day, the
vast majority have had engine changes as owners sought out the
latest technology or suffered mechanical failure in the heat of
battle. A J2X with its original drivetrain is an exceptionally rare
find, and experts at GM Heritage verify this car's 331 cubic-inch
Cadillac V8 as a genuine "customer unit" sold to Noel Kirk Motors.
Steve Johnson of AMS Racing Engines rebuilt the engine, which is
balanced, blueprinted, and now topped with a 1955-dated Weiand
dual-quad intake with proper vintage Carter AFB carburetors, while
the original Cadillac 4-bbl manifold and Rochester carburetor
accompany the sale. The engine is also still fitted with its
original Noel Kirk installed porcelain coated tubular headers. Mike
Miles rebuilt the original Ford 3-speed gearbox, with new bearings,
synchronizers and REM-treated gears for durability and smooth
operation. A 3.25:1 final drive in the original differential
improves high-speed cruising ability, and a custom, mandrel-bent,
ceramic coated exhaust system delivers the perfect balance of
comfort and aggression. For the chassis, custom-made Delrin
bushings tighten up the handling and give the car a more precise
feel on the road. The brakes feature an upgraded dual-circuit
master cylinder bespoke carbon-metallic linings for exceptional
stopping power in all conditions. For the final touches and
sorting, the owner handed 3144 over to Allard experts John Harden
and Chris Campbell of The Vintage Connection. Chris declared it one
of the best driving J2X he'd ever experienced, and they performed
the final prep work to dial the car in for rallies and tours. Work
included Magnaflux-testing all suspension components, fitting
custom coil springs, and adding a custom radiator fan shroud. Since
its restoration, J2X 3144 appeared in numerous concours events,
including the Road & Track Magazine Concours at Elkhart Lake,
Wisconsin, where it won Best Sports Car and Best In Show. It also
featured in a special class of Allards at the 2010 Amelia Island
Concours d'Elegance, earning an Amelia award and completing the
Eight Flags road tour with ease. While this marvelous Allard is
...for more information please contact the seller.