1948 Allard M-Type

This extraordinary Allard left Britain fresh from the factory in 1948 and headed off to Australia, where it remained until, we understand, some time in 2017, when it was repatriated to these shores and registered with the DVLA.

By that time, it had acquired a different flat-head V8 engine from its original 3.6-litre unit, and we believe the current drivetrain configuration to be a 3.9-litre flat-head mated to a 5-speed Toyota gearbox. 

The car was bought at auction by its penultimate owner shortly after its arrival in the UK.

He then set about preparing it to face, endure and survive the multiple challenges of the 4000-mile Indochina Road Classic rally, a gruelling endurance ordeal taking in Myanmar (formerly Burma), China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

In the pursuit of that successfully attained objective he spent in excess of £125,000 with, primarily, Belcher Engineering of Diss, Norfolk, and Hightone Restorations of Oxfordshire.

The result was (and remains) a car that has been ‘built-to-the-hilt’, as our American cousins might say.

Everything that needed strengthening, reinforcing, lightening, adjusting, altering or replacing has been addressed and lavished with the optimal amounts of time, expertise and cash.

Once fully rally-prepped and specced, this fine machine despatched the variously potholed, parched, muddy, cracked, cratered, furrowed or effectively non-existent roads on its South-East Asian odyssey with the utmost capability, reliability and competence. 

In the then owner’s words, “It didn’t miss a beat”.

That would be a huge achievement in a car that was built by robots and lasers last week, let alone one that was put together by chaps called Claude and Godfrey in a collection of sheds somewhere in Clapham in 1948. 

Fast-forward to February 2024 and the Allard finds itself in the ownership of the current vendor, a serial collector of rare and interesting classic cars - and a man whose current mission to rationalise his collection is the reason for its sale today.

The bodywork on this truly unique vehicle is mercifully bereft of any dinks or dents, which must surely be a fitting tribute to the driving skills of its penultimate owner, the man who piloted it to safety and success on its epic Asian rally.

As you might expect of a car retro-engineered to be as bullet-proof as possible, it looks and feels solid, sound and strong.

The doors close with all the weight and certainty of slam doors on an old-school train carriage.

The panel gaps and shut lines are consistent, crisp and even.

The bright-work is untroubled by foxing, pitting, tarnishing or other deviations from what you would want to see.

Even the paintwork is broadly pretty good (remember that this plucky machine has bush-wacked its way around the Orient), but the spattering of stone chips on the forward-facing aspects of the rear wheel-arches testify to its rally service. 

There are a few patches of micro-blistering atop the o/s/f wing and some scuffs and patches of discolouration atop its nearside counterpart. 

There’s a crack to the paint on the bodywork just forward of the driver’s door, some scuffs and paint chips beneath the edge of the bonnet on the offside, and some paint missing from the edge of the driver’s door.

We also noticed some split and cracked paint on the passenger door and a little bubbling and cracked paint around the leather boot strap on the offside.

The wheels are broadly in fine fettle and the chunky Michelin Agius tyres look to have plenty of service left in them. 

The tan-coloured fabric hood looks fine and goes up and down as it should, and the lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings all look to be in good order.

The original period features, such as the wood on the dashboard and door cappings, are in excellent condition. 

So, too, are the door cards, steering wheel, gear lever and other standard controls and instruments.

But it’s probably the non-standard features that will catch your eye.

The black fabric-covered Corbeau bucket seats are surprisingly comfortable and, of course, properly supportive.

Elsewhere, you will notice all manner of rally-related roll bars, GPS speedometers, navigation and timing gizmos, and various portals and interfaces for the many electronic devices of the modern age.

It’s all good, solid, working and functional, as far as we’re aware.

The boot contains a spare wheel, a pair of ‘M’-badged spats to fit the rear wheel-arches and a box of spares that includes a spare clutch plate, gaskets, hoses, rotor arms, distributor, etc, etc, among sundry other items.

The car starts, goes and stops very well and, with its various upgrades, enhancements and improvements, is surprisingly easy, satisfying and rewarding to drive.

The engine bay is very full of flat-head V8 and ancillaries, and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The car’s undersides look to be possessed of plenty of structural integrity and we saw nothing to make us tut or shake our heads.

The car comes with a thick wad of bills, invoices and receipts covering in excess of £125,000 work done by Belcher Engineering to prepare the car for its rally adventure.

It also comes with various letters attesting to the car’s authenticity, a write-up of the car’s Asian adventure in the Allard Owners’ Club magazine, a typed account of the work done on the car in preparation for the rally, a recent, clear HPI report, and the original, stamped chassis plate.

All Allard M1s are rare. 

This one is wholly and utterly unique.

It’s ready to blaze a trail from Timbuktu to Ouagadougou, should you so wish.

Or you could divest it of its rally-spec vestments and return it to ‘normal’ guise.

The choice is yours.

Either way, you’ll be waiting a long time to find another one as good – or as interesting – as this splendid machine.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £25,000 - £35,000. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.