British-Ford Roadster: 1953 Allard Palm Beach
Sydney Allard was born in London in 1910, part of a family that owned a successful Ford dealership. Sydney made a name for himself in the mid-1930s, making one-off specials from cast-off bodies and Ford engines. His first was CLK5, with the mechanicals of a Ford Model 40 and the body of a Bugatti. His cars were competitive in trials and hillclimbs and of the twelve made, the histories of at least nine are known. During the war, Allard serviced Ford trucks and thus sailed into the post-war period with a hefty inventory of Ford parts. Allard parlayed his expertise in building specials and this pile of parts into a company of his own, Allard Motor. A series of competition cars benchmarked early production, until 1952 when the Palm Beach was produced. A two-seat road-going car with a stubby aluminum body, the Palm Beach was minimally attractive to customers, selling only 84 copies through 1959. Here on eBay is one of these, a 1953 Allard Palm Beach Mk I 21Z, bid to $7801, reserve not met. This Allard is located in Gay, Georgia.
This car is a collection of parts loosely assembled on the frame, and it has not run in many years. Aside from what’s shown in the photos, the top frame, rear bumper, trim, turn signals, and other items are packed away in boxes. The motor is a Ford Zephyr in-line six-cylinder displacing 2.3 liters and good for about 68 hp. This is a rare triple carb version; ordinarily, these were supplied with a single Zenith. The transmission is a three-speed manual; reportedly, some were supplied with overdrive. Cars were also supplied with a four-cylinder Consul motor. The sixes were called 21Z’s, while the fours were 21C’s.
At some point in the continuum of Allard construction, Leslie Balamy – a British inventor – suggested a split axle front suspension might make Allards more competitive over rough ground. This gave rise to the famous swing axle/coil spring front end that afflicted Allards until just a few years before the company went bankrupt. This photo doesn’t show much, but one component has a couple of kinks.
The interior exhibits a medley of gauges – at least one is a Smith’s – in a non-original dash. Here’s a photo of a factory dash, showing the gauge set that Allard supplied and the graceful form that reflected the curve of the cowl. The Palm Beach was supplied with a broad bench seat, accommodating three across – an odd arrangement that the company eventually quit touting. There’s plenty of work here unless a buyer can be happy just fixing the mechanicals, fastening up the aluminum panels, and rolling down the road. More ambition than that, and valuation rears its ugly head. The last Palm Beach sale I can find was around the $100k mark in 2019, in the UK. Where do you think this Palm Beach should change hands?
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Comments
Very very interesting project. You’d need a skilled team of 3 on it six months spanning over a year, farming out what can’t be done in house. The key people have to be skilled at chassis, suspension and metal body work.
It could be very valuable properly done, but almost as much will go into it. Historically it should be brought back. For the model name alone someone will appreciate it with the budget to do it right. I read the $100k last auction known, but we don’t know if it was just a slapped together driver or real restoration. Would bet it was a complete car working but needing disassembly. Hard to muster if it’s running. That gives this a chance to get properly done. A few years ago I bet Leno would take a poke, but I think he’s wanting to host visitors’ with special cars like this on his channel. This car completed I bet would get on Jay Leno’s garage.
Thanks for the comment. Here is the auction result I referred to, and this car has three advantages over the subject car: it is a prototype, it has had a thorough restoration, and it is a Mk II with better front suspension. If anything, the eBay car should sell for less when completed. I also think it’s a $250k restoration. That’s basically what an aluminum-body, rare car resto costs these days.
https://glenmarch.com/auction-cars/show-backup-image/61997/results
Michelle,
As I recall, the other car was not just a Palm Beach, but a MK2, a far more attractive car, and not only was it the prototype [car #1 of only 6], it was also the Earls Court Motor Show car at the Allard stand. The car was professionally restored by the top Allard people in the UK. Yet it only brought 78,750 Pounds, or around $98,000 USD
This car has the “famous” [but not in a good way] split front suspension. I had the opportunity to drive one in 1987 down a few English country roads, and I was fighting the steering even at low speeds. It was like an unseen big hand was constantly lifting the car up and setting it down again in a slightly different direction.
There are 2 ways I see this car being upside-down;
1. Physically — driving it down a country road at high rates of speed.
2. Financially — paying a shop to do a quality restoration on the car.
I will be surprised if the car is bid over $10k, and amazed if it is bid over $15k.
MK II was a thing of beauty, and restored by Allard’s son and grandson is special.
Thanks for the writeup and the link-
There are plenty of talented green card bodymen around but if you’re having a shop do the restoration, yes, $250k to do it right is possible. In the metal art and green card communities are many highly skilled people hungry for work. But you’d need the key people knowing what each task requires. It could be done for $100k with the buyer being one of those key people. That’s the challenge. Finding that guy with coins with a passion to preserve history.
The pictures on the ebay post show that the key bits are there. Instruments panel, manufacturer badge. I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t get $20k+. I bet the guy who paid $100k for his wants this one too. I bet he wouldn’t sell his any less than $170k.
I had a 1957 Ford Zephyr Six, same engine, walking stick exhaust, so I changed it to 3 carb setup and 6 branch manifold. Went like hell but after two replacement differentials in one month I went back to the single Zenith carb. and 6 branch which worked much better than the Ford exhaust manifold.
Yours was a Mk.2 Zephyr. Would have had the 2.6 litre motor.
They were very good cars
Back in 1962 my dad brought home a 1954 Allard Palm Beach. It had a fiberglass body. I am not too sure why it disappeared a few days later. I was told there was a part on the car that he was unable to repair. That was unlike my dad who could fix anything. I thought it was my mother who told him that it was not the right car for an eighteen year old kid. That was in Akron, Ohio.