The Weak Link – ‘Gearboxes’
One of the weaknesses of the Allard marque was the use of the venerable Ford 3 speed gearbox. It’s link with the enclosed prop shaft and rear axle torque tube made it difficult to use any of the other commercially available gearbox.
The three-speed transmission was only just about adequate, if treated with care, when used in conjunction with Ford 3662cc and Mercury 3917cc engines. However, when linked to both Cadillac and Chrysler engines this was a seriously weak link. Alternative ratios came via Lincoln Zephyr.
The Company experimented with it’s own version, essentially for Sydney’s own cars. Today it is still possible to get close ratio conversion gears from the US, however the latest (2006/7) batch would appear to have a machining error which has meant that they have now been withdrawn from sale.
It would have been logical for the Company to produce a purpose-built gearbox, however development costs ruled that solution out. Commercially available alternative gearboxes were investigated over the years. Apart from experiments with a Cotal/Clark electric type box, a modified form of the Ford Commercial four speed box and lastly the Hobbs Automatic gearbox, no alternatives were ever available.
Once open prop shafts were used on the P2, K3 and JR chassis it made it easier to the use various US manual and automatic gearboxes. The Mk1, Palm Beach used the standard Ford 204E three-speed gearbox. However, the Bridgehampton was to have been fitted with a four speed Moss gearbox.
A cast aluminium adaptor housing had already been made prior to the cancellation of this project. A commercially made overdrive (H & A?), had been made for the Ford Zephyr and Consuls models and this was retro fitted to a number of Palm Beach’s. The Mk2 Palm Beach used the Moss four speed gearbox and overdrive in conjunction with the 3.4C Type Jaguar engine.
The first gearbox to be investigated was one based on the Cotal electric unit which was a redesigned version by Robert Clark. The Clark gearbox was dimensionally the same size as the Ford box and an experimental unit was fitted and tested in Sydney’s M Type Coupe. The results were not encouraging for a number of reasons.
However, it might have been more successful if today’s alternators and batteries had been available. The only production car to ever be fitted with a Cotal gearbox was, I believe, the Ardun powered Essex Aero magnesium bodied J2X. The Clark designed electric gearbox was tested in Sydney’s Hillclimb Championship winning Steyr ‘Single Seater’, however it’s reliability was questionable and it was never used in anger.
The second gearbox, destined to be used in the 1952 Le Mans Chrysler powered J2X, chassis number 3055, was based on the 4 speed Ford commercial box. Once again, the design was carried out by Robert Clark, it’s close ratio gear train was based on what was felt to be advantageous for use at the Le Mans circuit. A major disadvantage was the gearbox casing weight, together with the need to use very large diameter gears.
A report in ‘Motor Sport’ at the time, noted that Sydney’s J2X running at a Goodwood Race Meeting produced a gear ‘whine’ similar to that produced by racing Bentley’s. A purpose made cast aluminium remote gear change unit was bolted to the top of the gearbox casing, being fitted with a latch to stop reverse gear being inadvertently engaged. Apart from the failure of the rather spindly short gearchange lever both boxes performed well at Le Mans.
However, it was decided that with the lack of synchromesh, the excessive weight and high unit cost it was not a viable solution. At the time there were numerous requests for it’s use in the UK for J2 and J2X’s, but only two Le Mans gearboxes were ever made. I believe the US view was that this gearbox’s best use was as a ‘sea anchor’!
Around 1953 the chance of a purpose-built gearbox with a capacity claimed to be in excess of 300lbs feet torque, came from the Hobbs Gearbox Company with an Australian based design. This box could either be operated as a full automatic but it retained the ability to manually override gear selection. It was claimed to be more efficient than the current Borg Warner of that time and there appeared to be a real possibility of being able to supply an alternative to the venerable and inadequate capacity Ford 3 speed box.
As part of adapting the gearbox case to fit the Allard chassis mountings, the Company agreed to assist in work related to supplying a Hobbs gearbox to fit into a Bristol engine powered car which was to be raced by a handicapped driver. In addition to this, I was involved in producing drawings for mating the Hobbs gearbox to a Ford Zephyr. Hobbs were hopeful of getting Ford Motor Company to use their gearboxes rather than the Borg Warner.
The Ford dealership, Adlards, which was part of the Company, loaned Hobbs a Ford Zephyr for these tests. However Fords opted for the Borg Warner and the hopes for Hobbs to become a major supplier failed. While a ‘dummy’ Hobbs box was fitted to the 1953 Motor Show P2 Monte Carlo Saloon the project was disappointingly never completed. Thanks to some research done recently by Chris Bass, a member of the Allard Owners Club, he discovered that David Hobbs was the son of the founder of the Hobbs Company and there was a link between the 1950’s UK Lanchester Motors and the Hobbs Gearbox Company.