The ban on the already restricted access to pool petrol from 30 November 1947 brought a virtual end to recreational motoring, and made larger engined “thirsty” cars undesirable. The new breed of fleeter-footed Cottons and Dellows and other Ford 10 based specials were also proving more successful as well as cheaper.
A comment in the account of the 1950 Gloucester trial summarised it thus: “Allards and the big engined trials cars seem to have had their day – after all, petrol does cost 3s11⁄4d a gallon” and a following account of the RAC Cotswolds trial referred to “Rumfitt’s white Allard, one of the declining heavy brigade”. So it seems that the pre-war Allard Specials, designed in and for a different era of motorsport, lost their appeal and most of them disappeared from around 1950.
To build as good an account as possible I have gone through the major motoring journals and books of the period and have spoken to as many people as possible who have information about these cars. Some of this information is inconsistent or contradictory, and it is obviously partial as cars and drivers were only mentioned when the writer at the time’s attention was drawn to them.
Tom Lush’s account seems better than most though as he did not have a direct involvement with Adlards pre-war his knowledge of the details of this period is sometimes uncertain.
An apparently authoritative review of the history of the cars by Bill Boddy in 1952 contained a number of inaccuracies which have been repeated over the years leading to much confusion. There are still gaps in the record and in the chapters that follow I have outlined briefly what appears to me to be the most likely story for each car. I have an extensive database of references I have found to each car and the main drivers and would be pleased to provide more information about any of these to anyone who wishes to explore the history of a particular car more deeply. I would be equally pleased to receive any information or anecdotes that occur to you.
Ken Hutchison observed of the pre-war Allard Specials that “all Allard chassis are virtually identical, the bodies varying considerably”
To track the development of the cars, as experience in motorsport or the wish to establish a production range of cars led to changes, I have maintained a consistent shape to each chapter.
There may well be inaccuracies or important omissions and I would be delighted if these are pointed out so that we can continue to build this record of the history of these mighty Allard Specials.
DES SOWERBY London, April 2020