Racing driver Sydney Allard's post-war cars combined the same virtues of light weight, independent front suspension and an abundance of American V8 power, which had been features of his first trials special of the mid-1930s.

These favourable characteristics enabled Allard cars to establish a formidable competition record in the immediate post-war years; Allard himself finishing 3rd at Le Mans in a J2 two-seater and winning the Monte Carlo Rally outright in a P2 saloon.

Introduced in 1947, the M-type (retrospectively M1) was a more civilised version of the contemporary L model and employed Allard's trademark independently suspended 'split' front axle and transverse-leaf rear end in a chassis 6" longer than that of the K-type, the extra length being used to accommodate two rear passenger seats.

Like the vast majority of production Allards, the M used Ford components, which were readily obtainable from Ford in the UK, its engine being the Blue Oval's famous 3,622cc 'flat head' V8.

App...