Details
THE EX TOM CARSTENS/BILL POLLACK 1951 ALLARD J2 ROADSTER
Chassis No. 1850
Engine No. 99J1850
Black with red leather interior.
Engine: Cadillac V8, 5,899cc, 275bhp at 6,300rpm; Gearbox: three-speed La Salle; Brakes: hydraulic drums all round; Suspension: front, solid axle, split in center, radius rods, coil springs, rear, DeDion axle with quick change differential, coil springs. Left hand drive.
Sydney Herbert Allard's name has been synonymous with various forms of motor sport since the mid-1930s, when he dominated trials and hillclimbs with his Ford V8 specials. Allard drove his own creations to win the British R.A.C. hillclimb championship in 1949 and the Monte Carlo Rally in 1952. The basis of these specials were to form the new range of Allards that were introduced in 1946 with their box section rigid frame chassis and Ford V8 engines. The export market to America was Allard's future aim and various tuned V8 powered engine options were available, ranging from the 3.6 liter Ford or 3.9 Mercury to the fearsome and legendary Cadillac engines. Many cars were exported without engines and transmission, enabling the owners to install their own tuned engines.
Sydney Allard was a great believer in "competition improves the breed" and his cars were entered for all major Sports Car and International Rallies. Their great success in the early 1950s earned them world recognition, and the Allard offered here is one of the most famous and successful of Allards to ever race.
The model that would make the marque immortal was the J2 series, introduced in 1949 with a production run of approximately 90. The Allard J2 became a dominant force in the American road-race revival of the early Fifties. Postwar U.S. road racing began in the East at Watkins Glen, New York in 1949, but by the early Fities, the West Coast was also a hotbed of sports car competition.
This Allard was originally sold to Tom Carstens a resident of Tacoma, Washington. After seeing a J2 race, Tom decided that it had great potential, he purchased number 1850 and proceeded to make a racing machine. Carstens was active in Class A outboard Hydroplane racing, and had run a Ford V8 60 Kurtis midget from 1946 to 48. The car was shipped to the States without an engine, and Carstens had speed-equipment manufacturer Vic Edelbrock install a specially modified Cadillac V8 in the car. The Carstens Allard was prepared like no other race car from the period. Upon first glance, it looked more like a show car than a true racer--Carstens had it finished in a gleaming black lacquer with bright red wheels, a fitted chrome trunk rack, and white walls, which Carstens used on all of his company cars.
In 1952 Cadillac introduced heads with larger valves, and one of these new engines was installed in the Carstens/Pollack car. As with Edelbrock's first engine, the bore was taken to 4.0 inches and the compression ratio was raised dramatically from 7.5 to 10.0 to 1. A Chet Herbert cam with roller tappets was also installed. Special heavy duty 15 inch wire wheels were especially made by Pico Wheel Service. These could withstand the cornering loads imposed by racing, unlike the standard wire wheels ordered from Allard, which proved too weak.
Tom ran the car in some local events near Tacoma, before entrusting the Allard to aspiring racing driver, Bill Pollack. Pollack had several races under his belt, including some in John Edgar's highly modified MG TC, a top under-1,500cc contender. In 1951 on his first time out in the Allard, at the West Coast's most prestigious event, Pebble Beach, Pollack won the main event. In 1951 and 1952, the car, wearing number 14, won eight main events in a row, including races at Golden Gate, Reno and Madera. A 1990 Road and Track article described the car in its heyday as absoloutly stunning, gleaming black paint was offset by red wire wheels mounted with wide white side walls on both road wheels and side-mounted spares. Highly chromed engine accessories reflected off a bright red lacquer engine compartment. A chrome badge bar on the front and a luggage rack on the back completed the impression.
By 1953 European competitors, such as Ferrari and Jaguar, had developed superior braking and cornering power. Pollack devised a driving strategy to offset this. He entered the corners slowly, using nearly all of the road in a spectacular fashion. This slowed down the other cars and negated their braking and cornering advantages. Then the Allard's incredible engine would win the drag race to the next corner. The spectators loved the whole package, and the 14 car became the best known road racer in the West.
During its ninth, and last race, at Pebble Beach in 1953 the brakes failed after leading for 28 of the 30 laps. After the race Pollack gave a demonstration ride to an Allard mechanic who thought he knew what was wrong with the brakes. The rear stub axle broke and the car went into a tree. Tom immediately obtained a new frame from the factory. The Allard was bought by an enthusiast in San Francisco who had it rebuilt.
The Allard's current owner unearthed it in a tired, but nearly complete, condition, and has restored it back to its 1953 race specification. The car was completed in June, 1989, two days before the Palto Alto Concours, in which it won its class. Later the same year the J2 raced at Pebble Beach, reunited with Bill Pollack, in the Monterey Historic Automobile race, and was invited to be shown at the Pebble Beach Concours. The car ran in the same race in 1990, where it was the featured car. The Allard has raced at the Monterey Historics and appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours every year since then to much appreciation. Time after time, at both events, people from the crowd came to tell the owner and crew a special memory they had of the car back in the fifties. The crowd-pleaser spanning nearly four decades is most definitely back in its element!
This is one of the most important Allards of all time and has been featured in many magazine articles. 1850 comes complete with rollbar and other racing extras. It offers a prime opportunity to purchase a true piece of American racing history.
Chassis No. 1850
Engine No. 99J1850
Black with red leather interior.
Engine: Cadillac V8, 5,899cc, 275bhp at 6,300rpm; Gearbox: three-speed La Salle; Brakes: hydraulic drums all round; Suspension: front, solid axle, split in center, radius rods, coil springs, rear, DeDion axle with quick change differential, coil springs. Left hand drive.
Sydney Herbert Allard's name has been synonymous with various forms of motor sport since the mid-1930s, when he dominated trials and hillclimbs with his Ford V8 specials. Allard drove his own creations to win the British R.A.C. hillclimb championship in 1949 and the Monte Carlo Rally in 1952. The basis of these specials were to form the new range of Allards that were introduced in 1946 with their box section rigid frame chassis and Ford V8 engines. The export market to America was Allard's future aim and various tuned V8 powered engine options were available, ranging from the 3.6 liter Ford or 3.9 Mercury to the fearsome and legendary Cadillac engines. Many cars were exported without engines and transmission, enabling the owners to install their own tuned engines.
Sydney Allard was a great believer in "competition improves the breed" and his cars were entered for all major Sports Car and International Rallies. Their great success in the early 1950s earned them world recognition, and the Allard offered here is one of the most famous and successful of Allards to ever race.
The model that would make the marque immortal was the J2 series, introduced in 1949 with a production run of approximately 90. The Allard J2 became a dominant force in the American road-race revival of the early Fifties. Postwar U.S. road racing began in the East at Watkins Glen, New York in 1949, but by the early Fities, the West Coast was also a hotbed of sports car competition.
This Allard was originally sold to Tom Carstens a resident of Tacoma, Washington. After seeing a J2 race, Tom decided that it had great potential, he purchased number 1850 and proceeded to make a racing machine. Carstens was active in Class A outboard Hydroplane racing, and had run a Ford V8 60 Kurtis midget from 1946 to 48. The car was shipped to the States without an engine, and Carstens had speed-equipment manufacturer Vic Edelbrock install a specially modified Cadillac V8 in the car. The Carstens Allard was prepared like no other race car from the period. Upon first glance, it looked more like a show car than a true racer--Carstens had it finished in a gleaming black lacquer with bright red wheels, a fitted chrome trunk rack, and white walls, which Carstens used on all of his company cars.
In 1952 Cadillac introduced heads with larger valves, and one of these new engines was installed in the Carstens/Pollack car. As with Edelbrock's first engine, the bore was taken to 4.0 inches and the compression ratio was raised dramatically from 7.5 to 10.0 to 1. A Chet Herbert cam with roller tappets was also installed. Special heavy duty 15 inch wire wheels were especially made by Pico Wheel Service. These could withstand the cornering loads imposed by racing, unlike the standard wire wheels ordered from Allard, which proved too weak.
Tom ran the car in some local events near Tacoma, before entrusting the Allard to aspiring racing driver, Bill Pollack. Pollack had several races under his belt, including some in John Edgar's highly modified MG TC, a top under-1,500cc contender. In 1951 on his first time out in the Allard, at the West Coast's most prestigious event, Pebble Beach, Pollack won the main event. In 1951 and 1952, the car, wearing number 14, won eight main events in a row, including races at Golden Gate, Reno and Madera. A 1990 Road and Track article described the car in its heyday as absoloutly stunning, gleaming black paint was offset by red wire wheels mounted with wide white side walls on both road wheels and side-mounted spares. Highly chromed engine accessories reflected off a bright red lacquer engine compartment. A chrome badge bar on the front and a luggage rack on the back completed the impression.
By 1953 European competitors, such as Ferrari and Jaguar, had developed superior braking and cornering power. Pollack devised a driving strategy to offset this. He entered the corners slowly, using nearly all of the road in a spectacular fashion. This slowed down the other cars and negated their braking and cornering advantages. Then the Allard's incredible engine would win the drag race to the next corner. The spectators loved the whole package, and the 14 car became the best known road racer in the West.
During its ninth, and last race, at Pebble Beach in 1953 the brakes failed after leading for 28 of the 30 laps. After the race Pollack gave a demonstration ride to an Allard mechanic who thought he knew what was wrong with the brakes. The rear stub axle broke and the car went into a tree. Tom immediately obtained a new frame from the factory. The Allard was bought by an enthusiast in San Francisco who had it rebuilt.
The Allard's current owner unearthed it in a tired, but nearly complete, condition, and has restored it back to its 1953 race specification. The car was completed in June, 1989, two days before the Palto Alto Concours, in which it won its class. Later the same year the J2 raced at Pebble Beach, reunited with Bill Pollack, in the Monterey Historic Automobile race, and was invited to be shown at the Pebble Beach Concours. The car ran in the same race in 1990, where it was the featured car. The Allard has raced at the Monterey Historics and appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours every year since then to much appreciation. Time after time, at both events, people from the crowd came to tell the owner and crew a special memory they had of the car back in the fifties. The crowd-pleaser spanning nearly four decades is most definitely back in its element!
This is one of the most important Allards of all time and has been featured in many magazine articles. 1850 comes complete with rollbar and other racing extras. It offers a prime opportunity to purchase a true piece of American racing history.