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EUROPE’S FIRST DRAGSTER (Based on information gathered during the research for Crazy Horses
By late 1960, hot rodding (with the idea of going drag racing) was beginning to get small footholds in the UK, with local clubs making contact with each other under the umbrella of the newly formed British Hot Rod Association. The cars were mainly street rods, with just a few starting to plan rudimentary dragsters based on cars they had seen in Hot Rod Magazine. However, in September of that year European drag racing was taken to a much higher plane by Sydney Allard who came from the traditional UK sprinting fraternity. His first four-wheeled competition car had been a Ford TT built in the mid 1930s when he would strip off the body panels before racing it at events like the Brighton Speed Trials. After that his interest spread across all types of motor sport - trials, circuit racing, hill-climbs, sprints and rallies. He even raced at Brooklands, but his particular interest was in speed events. Success in these events led to him building ‘specials’ for other competitors, the cars being assembled at his Putney garage called Adlards. 1939 was to see the development of a V8 Lincoln powered special, and one did appear on the Lincoln stand at the British Motor Show in 1939. But World War II put a stop to any further development for a while. After the war the Allard Motor Company was formed to build and sell Ford V8-based cars and performance equipment. The company was based in Fulham but Adlards at Putney continued to trade as a Ford dealer. Unfortunately the speed equipment for the Ford V8s that was available in the USA at this time was not readily available to Allards. Strict post-war import restrictions prevented them from including these in their range or using them on their production cars. Sydney received a few ‘personal gifts’ from suppliers like Edelbrock and Ardun that he was able to use as patterns for UK manufacturers to reproduce as Allard components. As interest from foreign buyers grew Allards opened a company based in the USA. Sydney was then able to incorporate self-supplied Cadillac and Chrysler engines into models destined for American customers, with American speed-equipped engines being installed when the car chassis arrived in the USA.
By this time Sydney was racing with people like Ascari, Moss, Collins, Parnell and Flockhart. His customers and motor racing friends began to include the rich and famous from all over Europe and America. He won the British Hillclimb Championship in 1949 in a Steyr-engined Allard sprint car. He was placed third overall at the 1950 Le Mans race driving a Cadillac powered Allard sports car. In 1952 he drove an Allard sedan to victory in the Monte Carlo Rally. But the days of the V8 Allard sports cars became numbered as the cost of petrol became more of an issue, and 1957 was the last year that saw the Allard Motor Company exhibit at the British Motor Show as a car manufacturer in its own right. However, they took over the world rights to sell the Ford-based Shorrocks blowers in 1959 and Sydney kept on racing. By this time he had become interested in the American sport of drag racing and was an avid reader of Hot Rod Magazine. He became most impressed with some of the multi-engined dragsters. This interest originally sparked the idea for a double-engined four-wheel-drive sprint car using some German Steyr engines already in stock. Sydney drew a sketch and left in-house designer David Hooper, and former Cooper cars Chief Mechanic John Hume, to turn it into reality. However, after a couple of test sessions the concept was soon dumped in favour of the first Allard Chrysler dragster, the chassis of which was based on a picture Sydney saw of Chris Karamesines’ 1960 Chizler rail. Legend has it that he stormed into the office, slammed a copy of Hot Rod Magazine featuring this car onto the table and announced,
He commissioned his team to design it in the autumn and placed an order with the Moon Equipment Company for a GMC 6-71 blower, complete with Hilborn fuel injection. At the same time he started to prepare a 354 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi V8 engine. Existing RAC building regulations for cars used for sprinting and hill-climbing had to be pretty general to cover a range of competitive disciplines. Click here to see blueprints of the car. These regulations would become a real barrier to early drag racers and severely limit the potential of Sydney’s first attempt. The new Allard Chrysler dragster had to have front brakes, covered moving parts plus front and rear-suspension. The rear suspension requirement was dropped after meetings between Allard and the RAC. He decided on a front-mounted blower rather than top-mounted as on the Chizler because with covered moving parts it enabled better streamlining. And in truth, at this time the car was still seen as a way of putting a bit of ‘jazz’ into sprinting (which was suffering a bit of a decline at the time) rather than bringing the American sport of drag racing to the UK.
By late Spring 1961 the car was ready for testing. But Sydney soon broadened his original concept to just use the car to publicise the sport of sprinting. He began to see its role as helping to establish the sport of drag racing in the UK and generate a market for speed equipment. The car was first shown as a static display at a Brands Hatch Shorrocks blower demonstration. It was without its bodywork and the engine was fired up although the car was not run on the track. Britain heard its first American styled dragster. The sound of its blown and injected 354 Chrysler V8 engine, along with its strange sleek looks after the body had been fitted, became the UK siren for the sport of drag racing and it was the inspirational car for many British and European enthusiasts during the next couple of years who set about building their own machines for standing start quarter mile racing. He held a ‘live’ demonstration of the car on the Club Straight at Silverstone when the car achieved an unofficial 160 mph and a 9.5 second elapsed time. A rolling start was required because the clutch had been damaged at an earlier closed test and a temporary Ford clutch had been fitted for Silverstone. At this time the dragster ran with a radiator to assist in keeping the car cool while the team members familiarised themselves with its behaviour. Philip Turner writing for Motor reported, Motor Sport was also at the Silverstone demonstration. Its scribe looked forward to the car’s appearance at the forthcoming Brighton Speed Trials. A fact only recently discovered is that the first parachute brake fitted to the car was a drogue chute used on ‘big bombs’ carried by Avro Vulcan bombers’ - something then on the official secrets list. Only Sydney Allard could have got past that barrier!!!
So the first appearance of the dragster in front of the public rather than just the press was at the Brighton Speed Trials in 1961. Alan Allard remembers the dress code in the early 1960s as being a bit quaint. His father sometimes drove the car in a sports jacket, shirt and tie. Working on the car in the pits was also formal by today’s standards. Alan, John Hume and David Hooper often wore ties and shirts under their overalls. But although looking the part with its streamline body now in place, the car did not run well. A feed pipe from the blower blew off and the resultant explosion deranged the magneto that the team were unable to fix. The Allard Chrysler did create a stir however by setting fire to some straw bales. And Autosport reported, Motor Sport was not so kind. The reporter appears to be really pleased about its failure and it shows what Allard was up against in launching drag racing in to the established hill climb and sprinting fraternity. He also reported, However, later in the year the Allard Chrysler dragster ran a 10.8 at an National Sprint Association (NSA) records day demonstration. It also behaved itself at a test carried out at Wellesbourne where it put down a 10.48 second run and an estimated terminal of 170 mph - probably off a rolling start again. It put on a good show at a special drag sprint organised by the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC) Yorks Centre at Riccall near Selby. This meeting was promoted as a new event to give enthusiasts a chance to compare their own acceleration performances with others - despite a pretty bumpy surface. The cars ran as singles over various distances with elapsed times being the measure rather than average speeds. Hence a drag sprint rather than a drag race. Autosport’s reporter Peter Craven recorded, In March 1962 the Allard Chrysler was featured in Hot Rod Magazine - an honour given to few British-built quarter mile machines both then and since. The car was first mentioned in the December issue of the magazine but this second time it was given a big spread. Written by British journalist John Blunsden, it covered four pages and was headed ‘England Gets A Rail’. The opening photo showed Sydney testing the car in the rain. John wrote, Autumn 1960 he made a decision to build an American-styled dragster. The fact that there was no drag racing in Britain concerned him little. There is nothing revolutionary about the Allard slingshot, and sensibly it has based on American machines, Allard’s view being:- The Allard Chrysler dragster appeared at the April 1962 National Speed Trials held at RAF Debden organised by the West Essex Car Club. At the 1962 Brighton Speed Trials the organisers introduced a dragster class. But apart from Sydney Allard there was only one other entry in that class - Chris Summers in an obsolete F1 Cooper fitted with a Chevrolet Corvette engine. Allard was in fourth place for the standing start kilo sprint class at 22.04 seconds - still a disappointing performance on the day. However, by the end of 1962 Sydney had become the Autosport National Sprint Champion. But others were now building dragsters. Allan Herridge ran his straight-8 Buick at the West Essex Car Club Sprint at Debden on March 31st 1963 and produced a best elapsed time of 16.68 seconds. And as far as four wheels are concerned, the Allard Chrysler and the straight-8 Buick became the sport’s flag bearers due to their American engines, with Herridge and Allard both running at the occasional locally arranged sprint meeting. And in truth Sydney had not planned any big events for 1963. But in July he received a telephone call that really changed everything. It was from a speed shop operator and keen hot rodder in Las Vegas called Dante Duce. In fact his full name was Dante Van Dusen, and almost completely unheard of in the USA as a drag racer. Duce, as he preferred to be called, first got the idea to challenge Allard to a drag race early in 1963. He had bought a British automotive magazine from a news stand in Los Angeles and there was a short story about Sydney’s drag racing activities and a picture of the Allard Chrysler. Duce thought the chassis looked like a copy of the Chassis Research frame used on his own alcohol burning blown Chevrolet rail that he raced locally. He contacted Sydney and issued a challenge that he could beat him, initially suggesting he should use his own dragster and run it with a dose of nitro. However, after some thought it was felt by both Duce and Allard that the severe weight penalties forced on Sydney Allard’s car by RAC ‘sprint car’ regulations would make for an unequal contest; so they discarded the nitro idea and made plans. Duce mentioned the project to one of his suppliers Dean Moon who was also a close friend. Moon already knew of Sydney because he had supplied the blower and injection for the Allard Chrysler, and he asked Duce if he would mind if he provided his 600 bhp 350 cubic inch Chevrolet V8-engined Mooneyes gas dragster for the trip, with Duce driving. Dean had to persuade model kit manufacturer Revell to loan it back to him, as by this time it was being used by them to promote a plastic model kit of the car.
Moon mentioned the deal at a meeting of the recently formed Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) and Wally Parks of the NHRA suggested they put up a trophy for the winner - the SEMA Trophy. Mickey Thompson was at the SEMA meeting and he immediately made plans to join the party as an uninvited guest. He didn’t want to let one of his speed equipment competitors, Dean Moon, get all the glory from the resulting publicity. So what started out as an idea for a closed challenge between Duce and Sydney Allard became viewed as an open challenge in the USA. Not so in the UK where it was still seen as a series of match races between the Allard Chrysler and Mooneyes. In fact they knew nothing about Thompson’s plans at this time. Sponsorship was put up by Mobil and Revell Model Kits and Sydney covered the costs of transport, hotels and workshop facilities. The RAC limited the challenge to demonstration runs as Mooneyes did not have front brakes. Hence the match race idea was rather diluted.
The first event was held on the Club Straight at Silverstone on September 10th of that year. It was more of a practice and press day than a demonstration. Dean Moon was one of the first American team owners to cover his car and team with promotional colours and advertising and Gerry Belton recalls that as well as ogling the Mooneyes dragster itself, the British press attending were equally impressed with the bright yellow team jackets boasting the Mooneyes logo. Not the sort of thing seen at UK sprint meetings in 1963 don’t you know! As these were considered demonstrations rather than races, this didn’t conflict with the strict RAC regulations about advertising on cars that prevented such ‘bad taste’. One tyre-smoking run by Mooneyes saw a 9.48 elapsed time at 166 mph - the quickest quarter mile run outside the USA at that time. The Allard Chrysler put down a best of 150 mph but transmission problems prevented it ‘storming’ off the line. At the 58th Brighton Speed Trials of 1963, the second event of the Challenge, Sydney Allard and Dante Duce were joined by Mickey Thompson. His blown V8 Ford-powered nitro burner, the Harvey Aluminum Special, had been flown in by the United States Airforce at the last minute. The arrival of the car was a real surprise to everyone, Thompson telephoning the organisers the Tuesday before the meeting. The dragster demonstrations were saved until the end of the day and run over the standing start quarter mile. Despite the RAC requesting only ‘mild’ demonstrations runs, Thompson and Duce put in some ‘wild’ wheelie-pulling, tyre-smoking 200 yard solo passes with Duce putting down more than one launch during each pass so that crowds down the full quarter mile could get a good view. Estimated terminal speeds were put at around 160 mph. On one run Thompson is reported as having all four wheels about three feet in the air. Another time the headers on Thompson’s car set fire to the hay bales used for safety barriers - a trick Sydney Allard had performed in earlier years. The 30,000 crowd was shocked into disbelief and the hay bales at Brighton were not the only thing the Americans set alight. They fired the imagination of hundreds of budding UK hot rodders and drag racers. Unfortunately the Allard Chrysler still had problems. But with the help of the Mooneyes team they were able to get it fixed for the next venue. This was a little-published affair held at Church Lawford. Up to 3,000 invited members and guests attended to watch the spectacle. Conditions were not too good so they all took it fairly easy with Allard running quicker than Duce. The last challenge event took place at RAF Debden the following day. Even though it was not promoted as a spectator event, word had got out. It is reported that around 5,000 spectators blagged their way past astonished RAF Police and lined the strip. Duce ran a best of 9.99 while Allard ran a 12.85 (trouble with a sheared blower drive this time). Although Thompson’s best official run was 9.21 seconds he put down a first practice run of 8.84 at 179 mph. The final side-by-side run between Mooneyes and the Harvey Aluminum Special turned out to be one of the most important in British drag racing’s history. Dean Moon did the flag start himself. Both machines burned rubber out of the hole, the smoke from Thompson’s slicks being so thick that Duce couldn’t see where he was going and had to ease back at the half way point. Thompson won of course turning 178 mph, because nitro against gas is just plain unfair. But the spectacle was amazing. Allard and Duce called their challenge a draw and the SEMA Trophy was left with Sydney Allard’s name on it. The National press covered the series extensively and the events became embedded in the minds of all those attending. Duce and Dean Moon returned to the USA very enthusiastic about the UK trip. Moon offered to be a spokesman for the idea of getting a team of American racers across the following year and within a month Sydney Allard and Wally Parks were in contact about a project for 1964. The 1964 International Drag Festival series of six meetings was held over three consecutive weekends in different parts of the country. The Americans raced each other in a series of match races whereas the British contingent raced in a full elimination structure. There were also organised match races between selected American and British cars and bikes. In the USA, even today this trip is looked upon as one of the most ground-breaking ever made in promoting the sport to the rest of the world. Sponsorship was secured from the People newspaper. Goodyear, Mobil, Valvoline, Wynns, Ford, Peps-Cola, Autosport, Allard Motor Company and STP were amongst the other sponsors - many secured by Duce working with the NHRA in America. Drag Racing Festivals Limited (a new company created by Sydney Allard) underwrote the transportation and accommodation costs. The American team, coordinated by Duce, was selected in match-race pairs of the most popular drag racing classes at that time.
The first event of the UK Drag Festival took place at Blackbushe on Saturday, September 19th. It drew a crowd of 20,000. From the UK side the organisers had invited who they considered to be the leading drag racing exponents of the day. The list of out-and-out drag racers wasn’t long. Alan Allard only managed 17.46 in his father’s Chrysler dragster before he shattered the rear axle. Next day, Sunday, the festival moved on to RAF Chelveston near Northampton. Alan had even worse luck when driving the Allard Chrysler. It blew up this time. After a week’s respite, Round 3 was at RAF Woodvale on the Saturday. Things improved with the Allard Chrysler when Alan Allard took the over 3000 cc class with an 12.15 second run at 141 mph. Still some way off the American times of course and nowhere near its best. On to RAF Church Fenton for Round 4 the next day but still not much joy for the Allard Chrysler. On to the final weekend. Saturday and it was RAF Kemble near Cheltenham and the Allard Chrysler was still off form. But the final round at Blackbushe was different. Alan Allard took the Allard Chrysler to a 10.28 second/150 mph win over Duce in the Moonbeam Chevrolet-powered sports car.
And so ended the most important event to date in British drag racing’s history. Some would argue the most important event in its entire history. The energy created in UK competitors and spectators was a key driver of developments in the future. It certainly cemented the American drag racing culture as the foundation of the sport’s development in the UK. But it had become clear that the 1961 version of the Allard Chrysler dragster was now well past it’s sell-by date. It had become obsolete with no chance of development to modern standards. So they commenced building a new dragster, this time one designed solely for drag racing rather than a highbred for sprinting. The slingshot chassis was built out of stainless steel tube, but it was still far from sophisticated by American standards. The engine from the original Allard Chrysler was used, with the same front-mounted GMC blower rather than a top mounted blower that would have improved things by moving the weight further back on to the rear wheels. And in the interests of protecting the engine it was set to run on 100 percent alcohol. Sydney Allard died in 1966. The old 1961 Allard Chrysler was kept in his barn for many years before his son Alan handed it over to Allard Owners Club member Brian Golder in the 1980s. He carried out a part restoration of the rolling chassis and body, and after his death the car was bequeathed to the National Motor Museum Trust, Beaulieu. There it has remained on display for many years. Things moved on again in 2008. During research for his book for Haynes Publishing called Crazy Horses - the history of British drag racing, motoring writer and past UK drag racing commentator/chairman of the British Drag Racing and Hot Rod Association, British Drag Racing Hall of Fame Selector, Brian Taylor, became very aware of the excellent condition of the car and its importance in the sport’s history as Europe’s first dragster.
With the worldwide interest in getting some of these historic drag racing cars into ‘cacklefest’ mode (the ability to be fired-up and paraded), Brian initially sounded out a few people regarding getting the Allard Chrysler into such a condition. After a positive response he then contacted Lord Montagu of Beaulieu who is a fellow member of the Guild of Motoring Writers. He was most enthusiastic and set up a meeting between Brian and Doug Hill, the National Motor Museum’s Manager and Chief Engineer. Doug too was keen and prepared an outline paper for the Museum Trustees’ Advisory Council proposing that they seriously look at what would be required to develop the car into a working exhibit. The reaction was a careful ‘yes’ so Brian decided to form a group of enthusiasts who could start raising the funds and provide the expertise to take the project forward – hence the Allard Chrysler Action Group (ACAG). Brian acted as Chairman of the ACAG liaising with Doug Hill at Beaulieu. The first job was to thoroughly inspect the car to see what was needed and establish some kind of budget. Fortunately one of the group was David Hooper who designed the car for Sydney in 1960 so his input was invaluable; as was advice from parts suppliers US Automotive and race car builders Andy Robinson and Norm Wheeldon.
A budget was prepared and a more detailed plan presented to the Advisory Council that the Trustees agreed. The Allard Chrysler Action Group was authorised to lead the project and immediately set about raising funds and increase awareness in the project. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason agreed to be the group’s patron. He is a collector of classic sports cars and races them whenever he can. He is also Chairman of the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Trustees Advisory Council and a Trustee. Furthermore, he is President of the Guild of Motoring Writers so his links with the media are strong. Chicane Marketing was appointed to handle press relations.
The band of supporters gradually grew and along with donations, the sales of items like special ACAG T-shirts, Polo shirts and limited edition prints helped swell the funds. The ACAG recently won (2009) the Performance Direct Insurance Non Standard Award that in effect doubles the value of funds gathered during the next few months.
The ACAG now has its own website (which of course you know!) and the dragster has its own Facebook page. By the end of 2009 the group should have raised enough money to place an order for a replacement 354 Chrysler V8. Once this has been installed the rest of the restoration will be completed. 2011 will be the car’s 50th birthday and plans are being made for the car to visit the USA and attend Bakersfield as well as be on display at the NHRA museum. The Project 1320 team in the USA is working with the ACAG Team to achieve this with the possibility that the Mooneyes dragster will appear in the UK at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu during the same period. At the beginning and end of the swap period there will be opportunities for these two iconic cars to appear side-by-side for the first time since 1963. Watch this space.
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