Evaluation: Delivered new to California with the rarer round (as opposed to oval) heat extractor holes near the hood. Raced to podium finishes at Pebble Beach and Palm Springs in the early ‘50s, reportedly once beating Phil Hill. Light general age to an old paint, along with a web crack on the nose. There is also a small dent on the tail and a few paint cracks there as well. The dash and gauges look original, and the seats look old enough to be from the ‘50s. Maintained underneath with newer-looking suspension. Carefully owned but never fully restored. A likely terrifying, but certainly exciting tour and event car.
Bottom Line: As with many old competition-oriented cars, Allard values can vary based on provenance, authenticity, and originality. This one’s driver-quality condition matters less than its running in the seminal years of West Coast sports car racing, and the Cadillac 331 engine is more desirable than the Ford, Mercury or Olds V-8s that also got shoehorned into J2s. $313,000 is a strong but deserved price for it.
