NEC Classic Motor Show 2014 – TIGOSE Member Allard Sports Cars welcomes Sir Stirling on its stand

Allard Sports Cars at the NEC Classic Motor Show: same family name, historic cars and future models

• British manufacturer Allard Sports Cars shows off its latest projects
• Rolling chassis of the Palm Beach MkIII to be manufactured by same family business who manufactured the first Allard
• Completed Palm Beach MkII now ready for sale
• Sir Stirling Moss on the Allard Sports Cars stand talks about Le Mans 1953

A display not seen in almost six decades: Allard Sports Cars’ stand at the NEC Classic Motor Show (14-16 November) almost exactly replicated the manufacturer’s presence at the 1956 London Motor Show. That was the last time Allard participated in a major industry event as a manufacturer, before this year’s show.

The same prototype 1956 Palm Beach MkII (one of only six ever made) which debuted 58 years ago, joined Allard’s latest project, the new Palm Beach MkIII rolling chassis, at the NEC.

Sir Stirling Moss, who famously raced against Sydney Allard at the 1953 Le Mans and was behind Allard for a few laps, visited the stand during the show to wish Sydney’s son, Alan, all the best for Allard’s Revival plans.

As a long-standing British manufacturer still operating under the same name carried by the company’s founder, Sydney Allard since 1946, Allard Sports Cars has completed the immaculate restoration of the Palm Beach MkII which it launched as a new car back in 1956.

The Palm Beach MkIII rolling chassis, however, is equally original, as it literally follows, in chassis number terms, spirit and manufacturer’s originality, the last Palm Beach MkII ever built (in 1958).

The MkIII chassis has been strengthened to increase torsional rigidity and houses a period-accurate Jaguar XK140 3.4 litre 6 cylinder engine with Moss gearbox/overdrive and multi-link Salisbury rear axle; it boasts twin wishbone front suspension, with coil over shock absorbers and anti-roll bar. The steering has been updated with a rack and pinion design replacing the Marles box.

Allard is planning to give the new MkIII a curved windscreen, and a similar body design to the MkII. There will be hints reminiscent of the Allard JR in the front end body nose section which lifts up at the rear.

This chassis shown is a RHD example, which can easily be converted into LHD for other markets. A V8 engine option is available and a GT Coupe model is planned.

The completed Palm Beach MkII is powered by a fully-rebuilt Ford Zodiac six cylinder in-line engine and gearbox, whilst the aluminium body panels are painted in period carmine red inspired by the 1961/64 Jaguar E-type colour range. At the Classic Motor Show, Alan and Lloyd Allard announced that the car is available for sale, on a POA basis.