The Allard V8 was an open sports car built by the British Allard Motor Company from 1937, and the first model to carry the name. It was not a series-production car: each one was made to a customer’s order, from a stripped trials special to an elegant four-seat sports tourer.
Allard V8 at a glance
| Maker | Allard, London |
|---|---|
| Production | 1937–1939 |
| Built | 12 cars including the V12 sister model, 9 with the V8 |
| Body | open two-seater special to four-seat sports tourer |
| Engine | Ford V8 model 01A/02A sidevalve, 3,622 cc |
| Bore × stroke | 77.79 mm × 95.26 mm |
| Power | 85 bhp (62.5 kW) at 3,800 rpm |
| Compression | 6.1:1 |
| Top speed | 152 km/h (94 mph) |
| Wheelbase | 2,540 mm |
| Track | 1,422 mm front and rear |
| Coachbuilders | Whittingham & Mitchel, Coachcraft, Ranalah |
This page is based on one source, the German Wikipedia article on the Allard V8; there is no English Wikipedia article for this model.
History of the Allard V8
Before the Second World War Allard was known for trials specials built around Ford running gear. The V8 was the first car to be sold under the Allard name, and it was offered from 1937 as an open sports car that could also be raced. It was assembled only when a customer ordered one, so the cars differed considerably from each other.
Power came from the sidevalve Ford V8 of model 01A/02A, which was also built in Britain. With 3,622 cc from a bore and stroke of 77.79 by 95.26 mm, a 6.1:1 compression ratio and 85 bhp at 3,800 rpm, it gave the car a top speed of 152 km/h. The front wheels were independently suspended on a transverse leaf spring and the driven rear axle also hung on a transverse leaf spring, in a chassis with a 2,540 mm wheelbase and a 1,422 mm track.
A more powerful V12 sister model joined the range in 1938. Together the two versions accounted for twelve cars by 1939, nine of them with the V8. Bodies came from the outside coachbuilders Whittingham & Mitchel, Coachcraft and Ranalah, and the choice ran from a lightened Special for trials and off-road competition to a comfortable four-seat sports tourer.
Production stopped in 1939 because of the war. When Allard returned to car making in 1946 it was with the J1, a series-built successor to the pre-war V8.
Design and features
- First Allard: the model that put the Allard name on a car rather than on a trials special.
- Ford V8: the British-built 3,622 cc sidevalve engine of 85 bhp, simple and easy to tune.
- Built to order: not a series model, so every car was specified by its buyer.
- Coachbuilt bodies: three outside coachbuilders supplied the bodywork in styles from trials special to four-seat tourer.
- Racing use: the car could be entered in competition, which was why many were built in light Special form.
Allard V8 versions
- V8 Special: the lightened version for trials and off-road sport.
- V8 four-seat sports tourer: the comfortable road car with a coachbuilt body.
- V12 (1938–1939): the more powerful sister model, three of the twelve cars.
The V8 was followed after the war by the series-built J1, and its touring side led to the Allard M. More cars are in the Allard collection.
Sources
- Allard V8, German Wikipedia: engine, dimensions, production numbers, coachbuilders
