Allard J2.
Firstly my thanks to Justin who ok'd it for me to share this photo, which he originally posted on Facebook, on OCC. His father worked for the Connaught car firm during the 1950s, they produced a myriad of sports and single-seat racing cars during the period. Connaught Engineering's workshop located in Send, Surrey, is the location of this great scene (period photographs of Connaught A-Type racing cars, and one taken inside the workshop, may be found on the Connaught page).
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The car shown here is an Allard J2, registration NCV 942. Perhaps it was a customer's car on a visit? Whatever the story behind this photo, it's a very interesting picture. Just visible in the distance is a small shooting brake, or "woodie".
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Typically, the 1950/1951 J2 was powered by Ford's 3.6 litre sidevalve ("flathead") V8, more commonly found beneath the bonnet of the Dagenham company's V8 Pilot saloon cars. This
delivered in the region of 85bhp, although those requiring more "go" from their new Allard could instead choose a 4.4 litre Mercury engine, which offered a useful
110bhp at the flywheel. Unusually, J2s that went stateside were shipped minus engines, leaving their buyers to instead source and fit their
own choice of powerplant. The company's founder, Sydney Allard, was an active competition driver at the time, winning rallies and hillclimbs, before
venturing into the world of drag racing in the 1960s.
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More Allards on OCC.
Other references to Allard in older photos on OCC include two of an Allard K2 in period, a 1954 street scene that features an M-Type Allard in it, and also a trio of images that appear to show an experimental car. A report of a restored J2 that featured at Pebble Beach a few years ago, can also be found here.
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