Vehicle Description
Sydney Allard created his mighty J2 sports car with the specific
goal of breaking the burgeoning American sports racing car market
wide open. Road-racing on public streets exploded in popularity the
USA in the late 1940s, and Allard arrived on the scene at the ideal
moment, with the lightweight J2 roadster ready to accept any number
of mighty and plentiful Yank V8 engines. The car quickly became a
dominant force in motorsport, especially when paired with
Cadillac's superb new OHV V8. 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 on the narrow, undulating, and dangerous racecourses of
the day. Allard's reputation came from his successful,
purpose-built trials and hill climb cars. The J2 shared some of the
basic design principles of the more trials-oriented J1 but was
considerably lower, lighter, and more streamlined for road racing.
Designed to take advantage of heavy-hitting Detroit V8s, 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. Sydney Allard had a long-running relationship with
Ford, and many cars utilized tuned Ford and Lincoln flathead
engines. But it was Cadillac's revolutionary 331 cubic-inch
overhead-valve V8 that cemented the J2's reputation astherace car
to have in the early 1950s. With 160 horsepower in stock form and
plenty more available, the Cad-Allards were regular winners in
America and Europe. During the formative years of the SCCA, Allard
J2s battled with Jaguars, Cunninghams, and Ferraris at the sharp
end of the field. In that brief period before the professional
European teams made their way to our shores, the J2 was the
dominant force in sports car racing, earning its rightful place as
an icon of American motorsports. It is with pleasure that we offer
this outstanding 1951 Allard J2 roadster, chassis number 99J 2123.
This highly-desirable J2 is a superb well-equipped example with a
fascinating, well-documented history from new. Original factory
invoice and build sheets show the order for this car came through
on the 7th of June, 1951, specified with 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
records also show the buyer requested a red interior and supplied a
sample of metallic blue paint for the body. Delivery took place on
the 31st of August, 1951, 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 shop Detroit
Racing Equipment where it received its race-prepped Cadillac
engine. Marvelous period color photographs show the car finished in
dark metallic blue with a red interior, a single side-mount spare,
and distinct polished alloy Borrani wire wheels. Del Lee ran the
car in numerous regional events at such legendary tracks as
Thompson Speedway, Bridgehampton, and Watkins Glen. Multiple period
photos show the car 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 seems
to have experienced mixed results in competition, with his best
moment coming at the Giant's Despair Hillclimb in Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania. Having scored a 4th in class in 1951, he returned in
1953 with 99J-2123 to take 1st in Class B and the Hollenback Trophy
for Fast Time of the Day. Sometime around the 1954 Watkins Glen
Grand Prix, Del Lee sold 99J 2123 to Fred Lavel of Birmingham,
Michigan. It appears Lavel had Lee 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. At
some point, Mr. Lavel replaced the Cadillac engine with a DeSoto
Adventurer Hemi supplied by his friend and Chrysler man, Virgil
Exner. The first trip to Bonneville clearly triggered the salt
addiction, and he went to extreme measures in the quest for speed
for the following year. For the 1956 event, Lavel removed the alloy
Allard 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 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
further 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 the 17th of August, 1968 to Robert
Vandepaer or Jersey City, New Jersey. Lavel likely removed his
Desoto engine before selling the car, and at some point, one of the
owners fitted a 56 Corvette small-block V8 mated to a Jaguar Moss
four-speed manual transmission. It is in this configuration that
the most recent owner discovered the car in 1993 sitting in
Vandepaer's Jersey City garage. Photos in the file show the
original Allard aluminum coachwork separate from the chassis when
it was discovered. According to the previous owner, the body spent
the last 35 years carefully stored away and preserved. Since most
J2s were raced hard and their tricky handling made for frequent
off-course excursions, very few have survived with their original
bodywork intact. The new owner embarked on a complete restoration,
returning the car to period-correct specification, including the
fitment of a 1959-specification Cadillac 390 V8. 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 stunning 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 Muncie
M21 gearbox, triple Strombergs on an aluminum Weiand manifold, and
polished Offenhauser valve covers. The original tachometer runs
electric internals for the sake of reliability, and the brakes
reverted to original-style Jaguar drums. With the restoration
completed, the owner used this beautiful Allard J2 as Sydney Allard
intended. He participated in numerous VSCCA events on the East
Coast, including the Fairmount Vintage Grand Prix, Pocono Vintage
GP, 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) and a VSCCA Log Book. The mildly-tuned
Cadillac engine makes it a superb choice for pre-1957 road events
and rallies, thanks to its torque, reliability, and driver-friendly
nature. The high-quality restoration is all the more impressive
considering this J2 spent so many years as a racing car. It is in
beautiful condition, with excellent blue paint, supple red leather,
and superb detailing all around. With well documented, fascinating
history and an outstanding restoration, Allard J2 2123 is an
exceptional example of the Anglo-American hybrid that set the race
track alight during the dawn of American sports car racing. If
you're a collector and wish to sel...for more information please
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