5424cc Cadillac V8 Engine
4 speed Automatic Transmission with Overdrive
Front Engined Rear Wheel Drive
Hydraulic Drum Brakes
210 bhp 330 lb-ft
Exterior Red Interior Tan
Allard was one of the first Anglo-American hybrid manufacturers, with British built cars, utilizing American drivetrains. They began building primarily racing cars, like the J2, based on American engines, but the K3 was built primarily as a touring car and was available with four options for engines: British Ford V8, Mercury V8, Chrysler, or Cadillac. Of the options, the Cadillac is generally considered to be the best. The car was also very wide for an imported car and the bench seat was designed specifically to be able to sit three people abreast. The weight distribution of the design is excellent, with a perfect 50/50 front and rear, but steering is limited as the turning radius is quite large in comparison with its contemporaries. This 1953 Allard K3 was bought from a friend who purchased it on an online auction. It was a largely restored car at that point but had not been completely sorted to be a reliable driver. After investing a lot of time and work
to sort out the car, he decided it wasn’t really the classic car he was looking for and sold it on to me, replacing it with a TVR Griffith. The last thing to sort on it is the overdrive which doesn’t operate consistently. Otherwise, it drives very well for what it is. The Allard K3 was intended to be a regularly usable car, but on driving it, it becomes clear that especially for the high price it was when new, it never really met that goal, largely due to undercapitalization of Allard, meaning they didn’t have the funds to sort out some details and had to settle for “good enough”. That said, it is a very light car for its size, with a wide width but a shorter wheelbase than would typical for a car of that width. The engine is more than capable of very quick acceleration and the chassis is reasonably stiff, with reasonable suspension for a car of its age. It really is a GT car but one with more power and torque than you really need, making it a fun car to drive.
