1957 Allard Palm Beach 2.6-Litre Mark I Convertible
Registration no. 764 XUR
Chassis no. 21Z-5169

Racing driver Sydney Allard's post-war cars combined the same virtues of light weight, independent front suspension and an abundance of American V8 power, which had been features of his first trials special of the mid-1930s. These favourable characteristics enabled Allard cars to establish a formidable competition record in the immediate post-war years; Allard himself finishing 3rd at Le Mans in a J2 two-seater and winning the Monte Carlo Rally outright in a P2 saloon.

Introduced in 1952, the pretty, alloy-bodied Palm Beach was Sydney Allard's final sports car design, employing a K3-type tubular chassis and his trademark independently suspended swing axles at the front with a coil-sprung live axle at the rear. Four- and six-cylinder engines were sourced from Ford, while the restyled 1956-onwards Mark II could be had with Jaguar XK power. Approximately 80 of all types were built up to 1958.

Believed used by Allard as a demonstrator, the six-cylinder example offered here - chassis number '21Z-5169' - is the last Palm Beach to leave the factory. The car was exported to South Africa and then to Portugal before returning to the UK where it was fully rebuilt between 2016 and 2018, retaining its original features. These include a special Ford-supplied pre-production engine and four-speed gearbox; triple SU carburettors on a period-correct manifold; free-flow exhaust system; long-range fuel tank; and a built-in navigator's light and stopwatch. The engine - number '21P2498X', with 'P' standing for pre-production and 'X' for experimental - was originally supplied to Sydney Allard for use in his Ford Zephyr in the Monte Carlo Rally, and has been fitted to this Palm Beach from new. A pair of competition bucket seats is the only notified deviation from factory specification.

Referenced in Thoroughbred & Classic Cars magazine (April 1983 edition) and featured on page 170 of the Allard Gold Portfolio, this beautiful Palm Beach was the hero of the Portugal/UK Run in 2016 and was featured in the Allard Owners' Cub's magazine's November 2016 edition. Finished in red with black leather interior, this unique Allard sports car comes with sundry restoration invoices and a V5C Registration Certificate.