Makes › Ballot › 2 LS · Rare production
Ballot
2 LS
Road car derived from the 2-litre twin-cam 16-valve Ballot racer
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- Four-cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder · 2,000 cc / 2 LFactory: 2 L
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- 145 km/hFactory: 90 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Ernest Henry (engine)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 50 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Ballot 2LS was a road car derived from Ballot's 2-litre Grand Prix racer and, according to Bonhams, the first car to enter production with a DOHC engine. At its 1922 introduction it was called the fastest and most expensive sports car in the world; fewer than 50 were built and only five survive.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionfewer than 50 built; five (or six) survive | 501 | Surviving examples | 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
Ballot was founded in Paris by Ernest Ballot in 1910, and its racing cars used twin-cam, multi-valve engines designed by the Swiss engineer Ernest Henry. Those cars ran in the French, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix, the Targa Florio and the Indianapolis 500, with the 2-litre car finishing third in the French Grand Prix. The 2LS road car, offered from 1921 and introduced in 1922, kept the racer's four-cylinder twin-cam engine with four valves per cylinder and could exceed 90 mph.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 2 LS.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Four-cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 2,000 cc / 2 LFactory: 2 L2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 145 km/hFactory: 90 mph · converted2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not 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.
The 2LS has a twin-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder with four valves per cylinder; the later 2LT and 2LTS used single-cam engines, so a DOHC engine separates a 2LS from them.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Bonhams lot 159 – 1922 Ballot 2LS Three-seater Skiff Tourer chassis 43 Level B
- 50 fewer than 50 built; five (or six) survive
-
2
1922 Ballot 2LS Three-Seater Skiff Tourer, chassis no. 43 Level B Bonhams
- twin overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder
- 2.0-litre four-cylinder
- a top speed of over 90mph
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