Description
H&H Classic Auction @Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
29th November, 2023 13:00
1948 Allard L-Type Roadster
Estimate £25, 000 - £30, 000
Registration No: JUC 301
Chassis No: L509
MOT: Exempt
Offered with a collection of restoration photos
Allard Owner's Club Heritage Certificate plus copies of factory records accompany the car
Subject to c.£4, 000 of recent expenditure by the vendor to get it running reliably
The L-Type is a four-seat Tourer that went into production just after the war. It utilises Sidney Allard?s own chassis together with a 3622cc Ford Flathead V8 engine, three-speed Ford manual gearbox and drivetrain with Allard's own independent front suspension designed by Leslie Ballamy and a handcrafted aluminium and steel body. The marriage of a lightweight British handbuilt car and an American V8 set the precedent for the AC Cobra and planted the seed for Carroll Shelby who campaigned a J2 around California in the 1950's.
This L-Type, chassis 509, was manufactured on 2nd February 1948 and distributed by Allard's London sales office, Adlard's Motors of Clapham. Originally supplied to a Mr Thompson in Black with Brown leather and carpets and a Beige hood, it was supplied with the standard Ford V8. An Allard Owner's Club Heritage Certificate, together with copies of factory records, accompanies the car.
The ownership history recorded on the V5 is stated as being 5 previous keepers prior to the vendor, who is a member of the Allard Owner?s Club (AOC) and has owned the car since April of this year. The vendor has spent c.£4, 000 to get it running reliably. Since that time, the vendor has then used it extensively this summer, attending the Allard Owner's Club?s annual summer gathering in Northampton (a 240-mile round trip), a VSCC event at Curbourough where it completed several laps of the course and a VSCC Cheshire tour (175-mile round trip). It also won its class at the Manchester Historic Vehicle Club?s annual concours event.
Prior to current ownership it was in the hands of an octogenarian member of the AOC. Prior to him, a racing company in St lves owned the car from 2012 and before that it was owned by James Cole, from September of 2008. It is understood, but cannot be confirmed, that prior to Mr Cole purchasing the car, it had been in long-term ownership with its previous two keepers.
The car wore a two-tone Blue colour scheme in 2008, when purchased by Mr Cole, but was subsequently restored, painted Red and fitted with the correct grille. There are some restoration photos on file. The wood frame and metal bodywork are described by the vendor as being in ?excellent condition?, along with the Red leather interior and dashboard. There is a tonneau and hood frame but no hood at present, as the owner always uses the car with the tonneau only. Wheels are new this year and wearing Michelin tyres in ?good condition?. Rebuilt in the last two years, the brakes work effectively. According to the vendor, the engine runs well and quietly and the clutch and gearbox function as they should. The single Stromberg carburetor is recent and the engine does not overheat, even on long runs, starting first time and running reliably, as evidenced by much summer use.
Work carried out this year includes the following: Engine oil change, Coolant change, New water pumps and engine mounting, New drive belts, Front suspension refresh with new tie rod ends, steering joints, new bushes, tracking, New wheels - fully balanced, New Stromberg, New coil, New electric fuel pump and Malpassi fuel pressure regulator and filters.
