Footnotes

• Racing driver Sydney Allard's post-war cars combined the same virtues of light weight, independent front suspension and an abundance of American V8 power, which had been features of his first trials special of the mid-1930s. These favourable characteristics enabled Allard cars to establish a formidable competition record in the immediate post-war years; Allard himself finishing 3rd at Le Mans in a J2 two-seater and winning the Monte Carlo Rally outright in a P2 saloon.
  Introduced in 1947, the M-type (retrospectively M1) was a more civilised version of the contemporary L model and employed Allard's trademark independently suspended 'split' front axle and transverse-leaf rear end in a chassis 6" longer than that of the K-type, the extra length being used to accommodate two rear passenger seats. Like the vast majority of production Allards, the M used Ford components that were readily obtainable from Ford in the UK, its engine being the Blue Oval's famous 3,622cc 'flat head' V8. Approximately 500 examples were produced between 1947 and 1950.
  The Allard M1 offered here was first owned by a John Davis Leigh of Highgate, North London, to whom it was sold via coachbuilders A E Gould on 10th November 1947. Located in London's Regents Street, Gould specialised in the manufacture of 'woodie' shooting brake coachwork and took delivery of several chassis from Allard. Originally registered 'UMV 5', this car is one of only three surviving M1 fixed-head coupés known to the Allard Owners Club and the sole example in the UK. The Allard was discovered in a field in Sussex in the 1970s by Jim Southon, who owned it into the late 1990s. Apparently, it had been left there at the time of the Suez crisis with the cylinder heads loosely fitted, resulting in a thoroughly rusted engine.
  Jim Southon did not restore the car, which subsequently passed to Roger Ugalde. Mr Ugalde commenced its restoration, which included installing a rebuilt 3.9-litre 'RT' version of the classic 'flat head' V8 engine and a Jaguar XJ6 Series III five-speed gearbox. After complete disassembly and the replacement of timber framing wherever necessary, the car was rebuilt, re-sprayed in Ford Baltic Blue and fitted with a new wiring harness, while the interior was re-trimmed in beige Connolly leather.
  Completed in 2008, this rare Allard coupé is described by the private vendor as in generally good condition and offered with its original logbook, press cutting and assorted correspondence, sundry invoices, current MoT/tax and Swansea V5 registration document.
  

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Category: Motoring / Motor Cars

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