Est. 600 bhp, 396 cu. in. (bored 392 cu. in.) 1957 Chrysler “Hemi” V-8 engine, dual Holley 750 cfm four-barrel carburetors, manual gearbox, split-axle front suspension, de Dion rear suspension with coil springs and Halibrand “Quick-Change” center section, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 106"

• Allard’s 1952 New York Automobile Show display car

• Factory special, uniquely equipped when new with competition J2X underpinnings

• Completely restored 1993-1994 to race-ready and show-quality standards

• Accompanied by many original Allard factory documents, 1994 FIA papers, invoices and more

Long before Carroll Shelby’s Cobra, Sydney Allard’s prewar trials machines and postwar sports roadsters pioneered the marriage of powerful American V-8 engines with lightweight English chassis. Allard built an impressive record driving his own cars, including third overall in 1950 at Le Mans and first in the 1952 Monte Carlo Rally. Allards were particularly successful in America, where J2s won many important early sports-car races, including a 1-2 finish at Sebring in 1950.

While the firm was rooted in competition, Allard developed the K1 road car into the new K2 for 1950. A longer-wheelbase car with full envelope bodywork, the K2 was a dual-purpose road/track terror produced through 1952, with just 119 made. This exceptional K2 carries a complete provenance from new and is accompanied by original factory documents confirming it was a top-priority, “special production” unit, built specifically for display at the 1952 New York Auto Show.

Among the many special features was a pair of spare wheels mounted within special front-fender wheel wells, J2X-specification Borrani wire wheels, whitewall tires, J2X “Alfin” aluminum drum brakes front and rear, and the sophisticated J2X de Dion rear suspension. The car’s original order forms were supplemented by a letter dated February 4, 1952, which details the additional features.

The car was delivered on March 6, 1952 to R.P. Imported Motor Co. of New York and was sold in 1953 to J. Dany, also of New York. In Mr. Dany’s ownership, the originally installed Cadillac V-8 was replaced by a 392-cubic inch Chrysler “Hemi” circa 1957.

In 1960, D.W. Ememon of Missouri became the next owner, prior to selling it to J. Kimneint of Freemantle, Australia in 1966. Mr. Kimneint retained ownership of

the car until 1989, when it was acquired by Californian Kerry Horan, with the car complete and showing just 19,000 miles but requiring total restoration. Accordingly, a concours-level restoration was performed by UK specialists during 1993, including Ron Jenkins of RaceSport International, with the body restored by the respected UK coachbuilder Rod Jolley, who also fabricated the special removable caps for the spare-tire wells. All of the original alloy body panels were retained except for the rear deck lid, and a new steel floor was fabricated to replace the corroded original piece. Kevin O’Rourke, the well-known UK Ferrari restorer of Moto Technique Ltd. applied the new exterior finish.

The 600-plus horsepower output of the rebuilt Chrysler Hemi V-8 and the rigors of highly competitive FIA-legal vintage racing necessitated numerous prudent modifications and upgrades. Since the original Allard suspension uprights were vulnerable to cracking under heavy use, new uprights were fabricated from billet material for superior strength. New axle shafts from Spicer were fabricated and installed, along with modified and machined Jaguar rear-axle hubs, and much larger Buick drum brakes were added for improved stopping power.

Once completed, the K2 was granted FIA Historic Vehicle Identity papers (no. 94/1571) on July 26, 1994, and it has been a popular fixture in historic racing almost continuously thereafter. Numerous victories were achieved in the USA, Europe and the UK, and recently, the K2 was invited to participate in the Goodwood Revival Meeting. In testament to its high-quality restoration, the K2 has also proven very successful on the show field, garnering the VSCC Concours d’Etat Trophy, Best Race Car at Lime Rock and Best Vintage Sports Car at Mid-Ohio. In 2007, the current owner acquired the Allard, setting a new public record sale price for a K2. But as we’ve outlined above, this is no ordinary K2…

Fully armed for competition, the K2 is complete with four spare original Halibrand “kidney bean” wheels, spare brake shoes and other items. Its document file is comprehensive and includes such original items as the purchase order and amendments thereto on Allard stationery, original Allard Assembly and Engineer’s Instructions cards, correspondence with the Allard Owners’ Club, restoration invoices and correspondence, ownership history, the aforementioned FIA papers and documentation of the exhaustive list of mechanical upgrades.

Uniquely equipped when first built as a ‘special production’ K2, this example is blessed with virtually universal event eligibility, and it is an impressive track and road rally machine with unique and important provenance.