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Most Le Mans re-creations start with a set of drawings and plenty of optimism. This one started with a plywood buck. The 1952 Allard J2X Le Mans re-creation now live on Bring a Trailer wears hand-formed alloy bodywork, rides on a modified P-series Allard chassis, and is powered by a 331ci Chrysler FirePower Hemi V8 fed by four Rochester carburetors. It was built over several years in the UK, it has an FIA Historic Technical Passport, and it has already been back to the Le Mans Classic.
The auction is open now with bidding at $20,000 at the time of writing, and it ends Friday, October 23, at about 1:25 p.m. ET, which leaves roughly four days on the clock. Everything below comes from the Bring a Trailer listing, and we have not inspected the car.
The Car It Re-Creates
Sydney Allard built his business on a simple idea: put a big American V8 in a light British sports car. At Le Mans in 1950, Allard and co-driver Tom Cole finished third overall in a Cadillac-powered car, a remarkable result for a small British firm. For 1952 the company returned with the J2X Le Mans, a barchetta-style roadster with bodywork that fully enclosed the wheels, a forward-tilting front clamshell, covered headlights and a mesh screen over the carburetor scoops. Sydney Allard and Jack Fairman drove a Chrysler Hemi-powered example that retired in the early hours of the morning, while Zora Arkus-Duntov, later of Corvette fame, drove a sister car. The shape remains one of the most distinctive of the period.
A Build That Took Years, Not Weeks
Commissioned by the current seller in 2016, this re-creation was assembled over several years by marque specialist Dr. Jonathan Rose. The alloy panels were formed by hand over a plywood buck and mounted to tubular steel supports on a modified P-series chassis, alongside suspension parts Rose had collected over many years. After the initial assembly, the car went to Project Heaven near Peterborough, England, where it was prepared for vintage racing using components from Hot Heads Research in the US.
The chassis details are period-correct: a split front axle, a de Dion rear end located by a Panhard rod, an Allard quick-change differential, hydraulic drum brakes and Turrino wire wheels with two-eared spinners wrapped in Dunlop Racing tires. The one concession to modern racing is a set of LEDA adjustable dampers at all four corners. If you want a clean photo of what hand-built looks like, the gallery includes pictures from various stages of the build.
331 Cubic Inches of Hemi
The engine is a blueprinted and balanced 331ci Chrysler FirePower Hemi, the first-generation Hemi that Allard used in period. According to the listing it has forged pistons and connecting rods, ported-and-polished heads, four Rochester 2G carburetors and wrapped headers. A four-speed manual with a hydraulic clutch sends power to the rear wheels through the quick-change differential. The seller reports more than 400 horsepower and says the engine has been raced fewer than 10 hours since its most recent rebuild. That output figure is the seller's claim and no dyno sheet is cited, so treat it as an estimate until you see paper.
Race-Ready Details
Inside the right-hand-drive cockpit are green leather seats, a wood-rimmed steering wheel and a 150-mph speedometer with a tachometer and auxiliary gauges. The car has been fitted for competition with a fire-suppression system, HANS-compatible harnesses, a roll hoop, a VBOX camera and a Racelogic lap timer. The paint is green with #29 roundels applied for its run at the Le Mans Classic, and the odometer shows about 20k miles. The listing notes wear on the upholstery, which you can see in the photos.
What's Documented and What Isn't
The strongest piece of provenance is the FIA Historic Technical Passport, which is valid through 2031. The listing says the current transmission and shock absorbers do not conform to the passport, so buyers planning to race in FIA-sanctioned historic events will want to ask what it takes to bring those parts into line. The car is offered on its UK V5C registration, which serves as the ownership document there. The registration lists it as an Allard with VIN 91P1876 and a first registration date of 1984, a reminder that this is a re-creation built on a modified chassis and not a surviving works car. Because the car is in the UK, bidders outside Britain should also budget for shipping, import paperwork and duties.
Why It Stands Out
Plenty of cars on auction sites carry big power claims. What sets this one apart is the craftsmanship and the story: a historically important shape, rebuilt by hand from a plywood form, with a Hemi like the one in the original works car and a racing record at one of the great vintage events. It sits comfortably alongside the kind of period-inspired builds we have covered before, such as this Jaguar C-Type recreation with American V8 power and the race-ready Austin-Healey 100M. For another approach to Hemi swaps, check out the Hemiceptor, a Jensen Interceptor with modern Hemi power. If you like cars with long build stories, the Frua-bodied Rolls-Royce Phantom VI that took 22 years to finish ends the same day, and the one-off Cannibal-Chevrolet IMSA prototype is another builder's special that has crossed the block.
You can view photos, the full description and the bidding history on the Bring a Trailer listing.
