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The Allard Clipper — £267. 15s.

Sidney Allard [Correct spelling: Sydney Allard], famous for his sports cars and for winning the Monte Carlo Rally for Britain in the difficult year of 1952, announces that his “years of automotive engineering, racing and track experience are blended in the Allard Clipper,”

This new model, which we believe was, intended to appear last Easter but is now going into production, is rather startling to those who recall the V8 and V12-engined Allards of J2, K3 and Monte Carlo conception.

The Allard Clipper is a three-wheeler economy car, with single wheel leading, powered by a 346-c.c. Villiers 28B two-stroke engine at the back. Transmission is by belts to a three-speed and reverse Burman gearbox and by chain to the back axle. The engine possesses an electric self-starter, is cooled by a cowled fan, and is claimed to give 60-70 mp.g., pulling a top-gear ratio of 3.78 to 1.

Interesting features are 7-in. Lockheed brakes on all wheels, a 48-in.-wide bench-seat and a cruciform, channel-section frame. Revolutionary is an all-plastic coupé body by Hordern-Richmond which is self-coloured, in maroon, blue or ivory, and consequently will never require painting. It seats three adults and two children in the dickey — a jolly load for 346 c.c. to pull! The unladen weight is given as 6 cwt. so the reverse gear is in the nature of a luxury. Suspension is by swing-arms and the wheels use Goodyear 4.00 by 8 tyres.

This new Allard Clipper is priced competitively at £267 18s. inclusive of p.t.

It is stated that the Clipper answers the challenge put out by the Duke of Edinburgh when, opening the 1953 Motor Show, he called for a “Comet” of the motoring world. As to that, can we be blamed for preferring to wait and see … ?