NEVER FORGOTTEN On the border between Connecticut and Massachusetts, we saw an Allard J2X MkII for the first time and learned the story of this long-nosed, curvy roadster and the man who was inspired to create it. No, not Sydney Allard; we mean Roger. words by Linda Zukauskas, photos by Roger Allard
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THE HUB OF NEW ENGLAND’S CAR COMMUNITY
Roger Allard’s J2X MkII in Shanghai. This roadster can stand its ground on a long-distance journey, wow the paparazzi at a gala, and play at will on the track. The J2X MkII accurately mirrors the look of the original Allard J2X but with refinements such as soft leathers, wool carpets, a deep baritone sound, a handcrafted mahogany shifter, an engine-turned dash, and bespoke gauges befitting a luxury rather than racing car. WWW.MESHNEWENGLAND.COM
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THE TURN OF THE 21st century hardly conjures up the romantic images associated with automotive invention at the turn of the 20th, when a man could start a new, life-changing venture with the words, “This car thing seems pretty neat. I think I’ll make one.” But, that’s exactly what Roger Allard did after celebrating his 50th birthday. The milestone was marked by a vacation in England with his wife, Rosemary, attending car shows and entertaining the idea of purchasing an Austin-Healey. At one show, Roger’s hand stopped over a book on Austin-Healey restoration when his eyes read the next title, Allard: The Inside Story. “I didn’t know there was a car with my family name on it so I had to buy the book,” he says, confirming no direct family connection with the manufacturer. Roger was particularly taken with the book’s cover photo featuring the Allard J2X, one of 83 competition roadsters Sydney Allard built in London between 1951 and 1954. The couple quickly changed their travel plans, hoping to find a car at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, in the English county of Hampshire. They were almost thwarted at the entrance, finding no Allards on the list of featured marques. Determined by nature and eager to see one of the cars in person, Roger asked a nearby museum gardener for help. He learned that a red and black Allard J2X had been added to the collection only two weeks earlier and was on display next to, of all things, an Austin-Healey. Roger returned to Montreal with his attention now firmly fixed on his namesake vehicle. “I joined the Allard Owners Club and learned all that I could about Allards and the J2X,” he says. Internet research identified a San Diego builder who was reproducing several iconic cars, including the Allard J2X, at about the same time Roger was asked to share his knowledge in marketing communications as the keynote speaker for an international communications conference in Los Angeles. Roger recalls, “I rented a car after my presentation and headed down the coast. When I arrived, the repro builder said there wasn’t enough light left to get a good look at the car. He insisted I stay at his house and see it in the morning.” Overcome with anticipation, Roger left a sleepless bed and quietly nudged the garage door open to sneak his first look at the machine. Sunlight and a test drive the next 48
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day led him to judge the car a good replica and the trip worthwhile. He was surprised two weeks later when the builder faxed his intention to sell the Allard J2X show car and all related components, including molds and jigs, due to health issues. Roger had earned right of first refusal in the sale because his marketing background had impressed the builder almost as much as something he’d noticed in the California
‘‘ Roger Allard
Roger’s team embarked upon a journey to integrate their knowledge into a neo-retro classic roadster while staying within the original design parameters of a 68-year-old car. He says, “It was never my intention to replicate to spec the Allard J2X. What my clients want is a classic car that starts every time, doesn’t overheat, stops on a dime, is agile, comfortable, and goes like hell.” Roger’s demands of the car and of himself went beyond the expectations of the modern driver and he points out, “My J2X had to be right. That is why I took seven years to listen, to talk to car collectors, and to test the market before I released our first J2X MkII in 2008.” The vision was to offer a genuine roadster that could stand its ground on a longdistance journey, wow the paparazzi at a gala, and play at will on the track. The J2X MkII accurately mirrors the look of the original Allard J2X but with refinements such as soft leathers, wool carpets, a deep baritone sound, a handcrafted mahogany shifter, an engine-turned dash, and bespoke gauges befitting a luxury rather than racing car.
“Rarely Seen. Never Forgotten.” That distinctive quality was underscored when Roger launched his J2X MkII in Shanghai. As the car stopped for lights while cruising the streets of Shanghai, a crowd would gather at the fenders, some taking photos and others giving Roger the thumbs up sign. The police pulled the car over after several intersections and wrote an infraction for disturbing the normal flow of traffic.
My J2X had to be right,” he says. “That is why I took seven years to listen, to talk to car collectors, and to test the market before I released our first J2X MkII in 2008.”
sunshine, “There was a sparkle in your eye when you saw the car.” With 90 days to decide, Roger divided his time between sleepless hours considering the risk of starting a venture with extremely limited capital and waking hours weighing advantages such as his due diligence, market analysis, and access to talented car builders. He decided to take the risky plunge with a caveat. He would not sell a car in a box with assembly instructions. He would engineer his J2X from the ground up. He explains, “Safety, reliability, agility, and comfort were my key redesign targets. What I heard from the marketplace was a strong affinity toward owning and driving classic cars but they didn’t want the hassles.” He established the Allard Motor Works (allardj2x.com) in 1999 in Longueuil, Québec. Backed by engineers that had experience with the strict guidelines required for DOT homologation of passenger cars,
Then again, Roger had hardly spent the first 50 years of life doing things half way. As a marketing communications specialist, he once pitched the idea of a precision skydiver landing on the finish line of a race track to promote a motor oil. The skydiver proposed? Roger, who gave the oil company a rich return on investment when he
The company’s manufacturing facility is in Valencia, California. THE HUB OF NEW ENGLAND’S CAR COMMUNITY
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was forever immortalized in a three-minute spot on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. “I’m not an engineer. I can turn a wrench but I don’t know how to fine tune a car,” Roger says. To overcome his technical shortcomings, he called on valuable sources of information and leveraged the experience of drivers such as Terry ‘Zeke’ Maxwell, member of the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame, and Thierry Ménégoz, a serious rally driver and race driving instructor. The body is a combination of carbon fiber composite and a steel, hand fabricated hood, although a lighter, full carbon fiber option is available. Of course, a car is just a paperweight without an engine. Sydney Allard would ship his competition roadster J2X as a rolling chassis and the owner would install a new engine of choice, usually a Chrysler 331 Hemi or a 331 Cadillac depending on which was faster that week. Roger’s purpose-built vehicle offers the same consideration to owners with several California emission-compliant V8 options: the Chrysler 5.7, 6.1, and 6.4L Hemi
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as well as the GM LS3 and the Cadillac LSA. “Once we hit the sweet spot, we made No. 001, the first car,” Roger says he delivered the vehicle from Montreal to Arizona with a slight detour through Los Angeles. After all, the point of a great car isn’t to get from one place to another without a great story.
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describes how much each person means to him, “I’d go to the end of world for the people who have supported me in what I’m doing.” Massachusetts resident and Allard owner Wilson Rider feels a reciprocal gratitude for Roger because of how the J2X MkII made his lifelong dream come true. While Wilson spent his life as an aviator, Chinese translator for the Navy, husband, and father, his wallet protected the symbol of his fervent wish to own the car that had captured his imagination: a worn photograph of one of Sydney Allard’s machines. Hope was losing a battle to rising prices for these rare race cars. Many had been lost to track accidents and the ones that survived were fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars. “One day, I found an advertisement for Roger’s car and wrote to him,” Wilson says. Could the new Allard J2X MkII live up to years of imagining the ultimate dream ride? Wilson made a trip to Montreal to learn more and get behind the wheel. He was very happy with the result. “The car is powerful and deserves respect but it has
What my clients want is a classic car that starts every time, doesn’t overheat, stops on a dime, is agile, comfortable, and goes like hell.”
Roger offers his purpose-built vehicle with a choice of several California-emission-compliant V-8 engines: the Chrysler 5.7, 6.1 or 6.4L Hemi; the GM LS3; or the Cadillac LSA. The MkII’s wheelbase is 106 inches long to provide more high-speed stability, and the original bench seat has been replaced with adjustable bucket seats. “I owe a debt to the artisans who assemble each car, and I hope to share their skills with the world through a series of videos,” says Roger.
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“Friends and colleagues kept insisting that Jay Leno had to see this car. With no contact, I took a chance and called his office in Burbank. The woman who answered asked, ‘TV or car?’ I quickly replied, ‘Car.’ She gave me directions and a clear directive to be there no later than 9:30 the next morning. I was there at 7:30!” Taking one look at the car, Jay assembled a film crew in under 15 minutes to shoot an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, featuring the J2X MkII and including a drive around more than just the block. In the video, Jay returns from the road to tease a waiting Roger, “Look at the worried look on his face. He’s pacing. I’ve been gone for an hour.” He adds, “Hey, new owner, if you decide you don’t like this thing, can’t make the payments… give me a call, I’ll take it off your hands. Fantastic car. Roger, nice job!” To date, only a few more than 20 of Roger’s cars have been sold and shipped to four continents with the tagline, “Rarely Seen. Never Forgotten.” That distinctive quality was underscored when Roger launched his J2X MkII in Shanghai. As the car stopped for
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Wilson Rider, saddled up and ready to go.
lights while cruising the streets of Shanghai, a crowd would gather at the fenders, some taking photos and others giving Roger the thumbs up sign. The police pulled the car over after several intersections and wrote an infraction for disturbing the normal flow of traffic. Allard owners are more than clients. Roger
an unbelievable feel.” Because each car is built to order, Wilson waited anxiously for the day when he could take his prize on the road and to the track. He is perhaps one of Roger’s best salesmen and loves to talk about how his Allard was built as he unbuckles the leather hood straps to show off the engine. With a generous heart, he will even let an admirer from Mesh New England slide into the driver’s seat and take in that view down the enormous hood. Roger is already busy shipping the next generation of his car, the J2X MkIII, from his current manufacturing location in Valencia, California. The American made car will answer customer requests for features such as right-hand drive, a full windscreen, soft top, and more luxury options. Nostalgia for the early days of the automobile is definitely attractive but there is no reason to think adventure and innovation belong to the past. Just ask Roger. WINTER 2019
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