Quarterly Newsletter, Vol. 18, Winter 2017
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Quarterly Newsletter, Vol. 18, Winter 2017 Monterey Zora Arkus-Duntov Comparison: From Montreal to Monterey. Discover the “Allard” conection to J2 - J2X vs J2X Mk II Allard Motor Works trans-continental the Father of the Corvette. by former Allard Motor Company journey to Monterey, California. Chief Engineer From the Editor Eighteen years ago, Allard Motor Works Inc. (AMW) was created following a serendipitous event while searching for my then ‘dream’ classic car, an Austin-Healey 100S. This search led to my discovery, while on holiday in England, of a long Table of forgotten competition roadster, the Allard J2X. This discovery rapidly shifted my focus from the Healey Content to the Allard. But, as a longtime classic British car 04. Life is a Highway enthusiast, I could not understand why the Allard, 6. A West Coast Treat and the J2X in particular, had never been on my radar. It was never ‘top-of-mind’ when I queried 8. The Brickyard sports car clubs and publications. However, a little 10. Monterey Car Week 04 06 more digging revealed the reason. While the total 12. Le Petit Le Mans & Atlanta Concours production of the Austin-Healey 100S was 14,634 platform was a daunting task. But, as current owners between 1953 and 1956, the Allard J2X topped out of our J2X MkII will readily share, Allard Motor 14. Tucking your Car Away at 83 between 1951 and 1954! While both cars were Works met the challenge. With an emphasis on safety, 16. On The Road from the same era, the design was radically different. reliability, comfort and performance, the over sixty year 18. Photo Gallery The Healey was cloaked in a smooth aerodynamic old roadster design now has a new life. The AMW J2X now joins the ranks of rare, exclusive, collectible and 22. J2X vs J2X MKII body while the Allard had adopted a much more functional design developed shortly after the end of hassle-free classics that have put pleasure back into 28. The Bitch WWII. So, it is a fair question to ask - why settle on classic car driving. 29. News the J2X rather than the 100S? In the weeks ahead, we will be introducing the new 30. Zora Arkus-Duntov 08 10 The reason is as simple as it is complex. Leaving aside Allard J2X MkIII, an evolution that will take driver the obvious fact that my family name is the same, convenience and comfort to a whole new level. The the discovery of this brute hotrod coincided with a original classic look will not change but now, the MkIII North American trend in the mid-1990s. What swept will offer all-weather protection, power steering, a into the US marketplace was a neo-retro movement heater, A/C, emission-compliant V8s, the choice of that saw the reintroduction of ‘forgotten’, but iconic manual or automatic transmission and even right-hand cars. The reasons for this trend were simple. Over drive. Our commitment is to enhance our customers’ time, layers of regulatory safety design features on exclusive and unique ownership experience. new cars had turned most vehicles into steel grey Allard J2X MkIII – Rarely seen. Never Forgotten.© boxes that seemed cloned from one manufacturer to the other. For a ‘spirited’ and ‘style conscious’ Roger Allard 12 14 16 buyer, the offerings were often the equivalent of a cold bowl of porridge. Smart marketers recognized the disconnect between what the public wanted and what was offered. In rapid succession, we saw the reintroduction of the VW Beetle, the Datzun 240Z, the Thunderbird, the Charger and the Camaro to name but a few – a trend that continues to this day. So where does the Allard J2X fit into current automobile offerings? The new J2X MkII had a double mission – to meet today’s regulatory 22 28 30 requirements and to carve out for itself a solid position in a niche market. While it might not be obvious to most car buffs, creating a modern and desirable collector classic from a mechanically-challenged 2 www.allardj2x.com • www.instagram.com/allardmotorworks/ • 1-877-J2X-1953 [email protected] • www.facebook.com/allardj2x • twitter.com/allard_j2x 3 Life is a highway om Cochrane’s 1991 song, ‘Life is a Highway’ accurately summarizes Allard Motor Works’ T2016 Road Tour through the USA. From Boston to Sacramento and from Los Angeles to Amelia Island, our 5.9L RAM diesel dually traveled through some 30 states with our 24’ trailer and J2X MkII in tow. Overall, we logged over 135,000 km (84,000 miles) on our show tour and participated in 17 events. 2016 provided us with the opportunity to meet classic car and vintage racing aficionados,J2X MkII owners, as well as introduce ourselves to a significant number The logged mileage was divided into 6 separate ventures departing from Montreal: of potential owners of AMW’s new J2X MkIII. • Amelia Island (FL) in March for the concours, followed by the SVRA Amelia Island vintage To say that it was a ‘learning experience’ race, The Mitty at Road Atlanta and then the Pinehurst Concours (NC) is an understatement! When travelling over • Saratoga Springs, NY, car show & concours such great distances, we were witness to a number of circumstances that were both • Monterey, Valencia, CA, Scottsdale and Cave Creek, AZ; Chicago and Detroit pleasant and less so – from incredible vistas • Indianapolis Brickyard for SVRA vintage racing to road rage and from multiple tire changes • Watkins Glen, NY for SVRA vintage racing (7) to the best bacon ever (I-80 in Iowa). As for the many events that we participated • Boston Cup, the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and the Atlanta Concours. in and in so many geographic regions, the Each event was an opportunity to display our AMW J2X MkII, to drive the race circuits, meet current and weather was on our side. Rarely did we new customers, as well as friends and the media. I also provided us to go into greater detail about our new drive in the rain and each weekend offered J2X MkIII, as the project was moving along at a rapid pace. Its projected official launch is scheduled for this up blue skies and plenty of sunshine. As a matter of fact, we would have enjoyed a slightly lower temperature Spring, following our return from the 2017 Amelia Island Concours. Then of course, AMW will hit the road in the Western states, as the ambient temperatures while driving were consistently in the 106º to 110º range – once more with our new Rosso Corsa J2X MkIII, sporting a full-width windshield, a soft top and a 426 hp a real test to the Cummings diesel’s mettle, particularly in the Rockies and through central California. emission-compliant fuel-injected Corvette LS3. Until then, AMW continues to take orders for the new J2X MkIII on a first come, first served basis. 4 www.allardj2x.com • www.instagram.com/allardmotorworks/ • 1-877-J2X-1953 [email protected] • www.facebook.com/allardj2x • twitter.com/allard_j2x 5 Monterey – Carmel-by-the-Sea - Laguna Seca: A West Coast Treat A Rare Sight ! The four days at the Mazda Laguna Seca track were most rewarding as I met a number of Allard owners participating in the race event. Six Allards were on the track at Laguna including two K2s, two J2s, a J2X and a Palm Beach GT coupe. This is a rare sight, as most competition Allards are retired and are dormant in private Allards at the Iconic collections. Occasionally, a vintage car show, a concours or an Allard Owners Club reunion will coax a few out of hibernation for a weekend. Mechanically challenged and requiring a lot of TLC, a number of hobbyists and Laguna Seca 2016 collectors have undertaken various levels of restoration to make them roadworthy and to capitalize on significantly # 73 K2 Buick-powered - Joe Mote increased values obtained at auction. Depending on the quality of their restoration, their provenance and their racing pedigree, competition Allards (K and J-series) will fetch from a low $200K to $400K – a solid investment # 47 K2 Cadillac-powered – Jon LeCarner if the initial purchase was prior to the 1990s and the restorations costs were reasonable. Andy Picariello, owner # 77 GT Coupé – Jaguar-powered – Alan Patterson of two award-winning original Allards (J2 and K2) and V-P of the Allard Owners Club cautions new owners that a full restoration will set them back at least $100K. So, to see six competition Allards winding through the iconic # 4 J2 – Cadillac-powered – Steve Schuler ‘Cork Screw’ at the Laguna Seca raceway was a real treat. # 1 J2 Cadillac-powered - Bernard Dervieux # 9 J2X – Cadillac-powered – Vince Vento 6 www.allardj2x.com • www.instagram.com/allardmotorworks/ • 1-877-J2X-1953 [email protected] • www.facebook.com/allardj2x • twitter.com/allard_j2x 7 Our J2X MkII following the Jaguar pace car down the straightaway at the Indy The Brickyard Raceway. The iconic Indianapolis Speedway is nothing less than awesome. Its pagoda-style tower, its spectator seating capacity (235,000 permanent seating, 400,000 when infield is included!) and its museum make Indy a ‘go-to’ destination. On Father’s Day Weekend, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) staged its vintage race event at the Brickyard. The excitement and action on the track for the SVRA event was palpable for everyone attending. A novel mix of track events included some 500 vintage race cars that took center stage on both the historic oval and the road course, as well as the Indy Legends ProAm Charity race. The 45-minute race in the IMS road course paired 33 veteran Indy 500 drivers with amateur racing partners driving Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs.