Success! The 1952 Monte Carlo Rally

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There's probably no better way to commemorate Sydney Allard's win in the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally than by posting a firsthand account of their ordeal. The author is unknown, but it's assumed to be either Sydney or Tom Lush. We've also included photos of the rally that we doubt you've ever seen. Enjoy!

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The crew for this Rally consisted of Sydney Allard, Guy Warburton and Tom Lush, and the crew arrangements were that Sydney and Guy should share the driving and Tom to be responsible for navigating and time keeping. The same crew had done the Rally previously and this arrangement had proved satisfactory.

We selected Glasgow as our starting point; the alternative starting places in Europe meant too long a time away from the office desk, and when the starting list was published we found we were the last but one to leave, there being 72 people; in front of us. Mrs. Allard and her sisters, who wore also driving in an Allard, were 15 numbers ahead of us and this order was of course kept until their unfortunate retirement some 300 miles from Monte Carlo.

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The Monte Carlo Rally, 60 years later

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Over the next few days, we'll be celebrating the 60th anniversary of Sydney Allard, Guy Warburton, and Tom Lush winning the Monte Carlo Rally in an Allard P1. The event started on Tuesday January 22, ending on Sunday the 27th. For those of you unfamilar with the classic Monte Carlo Rally, the event was a long distance road rally which emphasized navigation and timing on open roads as opposed to the special stage rally format we have today. In 1952, competitors started the rally on Tuesday January 22 from select cities all over Europe. Start cities included Glasgow, Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Palermo, Lisbon, and Monte Carlo. The Allard team chose to start from Glasgow because they felt it would provide the most favorable weather conditions en route to Monte Carlo. In 1952, the weather would play an important factor, with the Alps blanketed in thick snow the route would be treacherous. 328 teams started the rally...only 167 finished.

In over 100 years, only 5 Britons have won the "Monte" and only one driver has won in a car bearing his own name. The driver and car were both named Allard.

RM Scottsdale Auction Preview

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This year, RM will auction two Allards at their Scottsdale auction on Friday January 20. The first car is K3 3261, which was formerly owned by our late Historian, Bob Lylte. This K3 was originally sold through Noel Kirk Motors in LA to an engineer working on the Nike guided missle project. The car retains its original specification, including powder blue paint, Cadillac engine, and Hydramatic transmission. The car, Lot 244, is offered at no reserve and is estimated to sell for $85,000 to 125,000. Click here or the photo above to learn more about the car. AR Analysis: A very nice, powerful touring car that is perfect for vintage rallying.

The second car is K2 3019 which is ready for the track. The car features a DeDion rear suspenion (rare option for a K2), two fender mounted spare tires (another rarity), and a race prepared 600-HP Chrysler Hemi V8. The car carries FIA Historic Vehicle identity paper (#94/1571) and was invited to race in the Goodwood Revival. This car, Lot 220 is offered at no reserve and is estimated to sell for $175,000 to $215,000. Click here or the photo below to learn more about the car. AR Analysis: Great buy for anyone looking for a very competative car that can get into virtually any vintage race meeting.

 

Mystery J2

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Daniel Rapley is seeking help in finding the true identity of his Allard J2. Here's what is known:

  1. LHD
  2. Steel Wheels
  3. Looks to have been originally painted Red
  4. Later painted in a medium Green
  5. There are remnants of an old SCCA sticker on an interior panel
  6. The car was found in the Northeast in the mid 1970's
  7. It is believed that the body was lost in a fire. The old steering wheel is burnt.

If you known anything about this car, please click here to email Daniel. Click here to view the extensive photo gallery.

Ouch!

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Killed Myself When I Was Young from The Jalopy Journal on Vimeo.

Pay close attention at the 1:24 mark, you'll see a few Allards where one unfortunate driver hits a tree on the drivers side. In the next shot you see a close up of the car and then it cuts to what appears to be the driver walking away. Does anyone know who the driver is? He appears to be wearing a scandinavian (backwards) flag on his coveralls...perhaps the shot was reversed?

Deck The Halls!

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I must admit that when I saw this ornament on Ebay a month ago, I thought it looked a bit cheesy. Then a friend of the Register sent gave one to us as a Christmas gift; and I must admit that it’s actually pretty cool! The 3 ¾” round wood ornament is cut and etched on both sides with a laser to give it some depth. The detail is pretty crisp and the ornament is finished nicely. You can buy one now on Ebay for $5.75 which includes shipping. Click here or search Ebay for item 200671533242 to buy one now. Merry Christmas!

Chart: Allard Production by Year

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Click here or the chart above to download the full size pdf 

We thought you might it interesting to see a year by year chart of Allard production. This chart data is based on our chassis database, which was first created by Tom Lush for his definitive Allard book and then updated by the late Tom Turner and Bob Lytle. Over the past few years I have worked to clean up the database to improve the searchability and clean up bad references. The database continues to be a work in progress as we discover new (old) information. In the coming weeks, we'll post additional data from the database that we hope you'll find interesting.

Cheers, Colin Warnes

Who builds a better sports car? 1950

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In response to Erwin Goldschmidts letter and the feedback received, Motor Sport magazine Editor Bill Boddy put together a detailed analysis of US racing results from 1950 to determine the best sports car. Allard (Cadillac) vs. Allard (Ford) vs. Jaguar vs. Ferrari vs. Frazer-Nash. The article is very interesting and informative. However we must take issue with Mr. Boddy. After reviewing the handi-capped results, one could state that the Ferrari and Jaguar are better sports cars. BUT, if you add the Allard Cadillac & Ford results together, Allard is by far the best chassis in both the scratch and handicapped analysis. Click here or the photo above to view the full story.

Counterpoints, Part 2

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In March of '51, the replies to Mr. Goldschmidts letter got a little more interesting. Click on the photo below to view the readable version. A few observations are at the end...

  • The second letter by Mr. Holms: The race at Santa Ana was Roy Richters first and only sports car race...not a bad effort for a rookie. And the Pebble Beach race where the XK120's won the race...the J2 (owned by Al Moss) had its hood open at the start of the race while the fan belt was replaced. After being lapped, Michael Graham drove the J2 into 3rd place and would have won if there was another lap.
  • The last letter by Mr. Clark: Richter's J2 was not supercharged. More importantly, Mr. Clark makes a few disparaging and unfounded remarks about Sydney's design. Yes, the J2 could be considered a fluke, but how many cars before and since have used power plants from other suppliers? And how many 'lesser minds' (like Jaguar) have used the de Dion suspension after Sydney reintroduced it to the world?

In the next post, we'll share an editorial by Mr. Boddy that attempts to objectively compare the racing success of the Allard vs the other builders such as Jaguar, Frazer-Nash, and Ferrari.