Rare Car Archive

Makes › Allard United Kingdom › JR · Factory competition · 1953 Ultra Rare

Allard
JR

Final Allard sports racer; two works Le Mans entries 1953

Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

Allard JR (Wikimedia Commons search)
Allard JR (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Thomas's Pics · CC BY 2.0
7BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
7 Built
Years
1953
Engine
Cadillac overhead-valve V-8, dual four-barrel carburettors · 5,980 cc / 6.0 LFactory: 365 cu in · converted
Power
261 kW / 355 PSFactory: 350 hp · converted
Top speed
Not yet verified
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The JR was Allard's final sports-racing car, a streamlined envelope-bodied design with Cadillac V-8 power built for 1953. Only seven were made, two of which ran as factory entries at Le Mans, one driven by Zora Arkus-Duntov before his Corvette career.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityUltra Rare 7 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionJRs built 71 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Introduced for 1953, the JR used a 100-inch wheelbase chassis with split-axle front suspension and a de Dion rear axle on coil springs. Two works cars ran at the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours: Sydney Allard led the opening lap in NLN 652 before retiring with a cracked brake drum, while Arkus-Duntov and Ray Merrick retired NLN 650 with engine trouble during the night after being timed at 145.35 mph on the Mulsanne Straight.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard JR.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutCadillac overhead-valve V-8, dual four-barrel carburettors2 Independently researched
Displacement 5,980 cc / 6.0 LFactory: 365 cu in · converted2 Independently researched
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Fuel systemNot yet verified
Power 261 kW / 355 PSFactory: 350 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource states bhp (brake horsepower, mechanical).
Power atNot yet verified
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxFour-speed manual2 Independently researched
GearsNot yet verified
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
Wheelbase 2,540 mmFactory: 100 in · converted2 Independently researched
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speedNot yet verified
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

JR chassis numbers carry a JR prefix (the ex-works car NLN 650 is JR 3403). The specification includes a 100-inch wheelbase, de Dion rear axle with coil springs, split-axle front and Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
  2. 2
    1953 Allard JR Le Mans – Lot 115, Arizona 2013 Level B RM Sotheby's
    • 365 cu. in. Cadillac overhead valve V-8 engine
    • 365 cu. in. Cadillac
    • Est. 350 bhp
    • four-speed manual transmission
    • 100 in. wheelbase
    Accessed 2026-11-11

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