Allard Clipper

Allard, better known for light sports cars, produced a pilot run of around twenty fibreglass-bodied three-wheeled Clipper microcars in 1953–54. The rear-mounted Villiers 24B 346 cc (21.1 cu in) single-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle engine drives the rear left wheel via a Burman gearbox and chain.[1]

Allard Clipper
Overview
ManufacturerAllard
Production1953–54
AssemblyClapham, SW London
DesignerDavid Gottlieb
Body and chassis
ClassMicrocar
Body style2-door 3-wheel saloon
Powertrain
Engine8 bhp Villiers two-cylinder 346 cc

The car was designed by David Gottlieb and advertised as having an "indestructible" plastic body, made by Hordern-Richmond Ltd; the Clipper was the first car to have a colour-impregnated fibreglass body.[2] It seats three adults on a bench seat and two children in optional dickey seats revealed when the rear boot is opened.[3] The Clipper's lightweight body and small engine contributed to its weight of just 6 long cwt (300 kg). It was priced at £268 (equivalent to £7400 in 2019[lower-alpha 1]), although it never reached the production stage.[4]

Project cancellation

The Clipper was intended to be sold in volume through motorcycle dealerships, to compete with the Bond Minicar.[4] But cooling difficulties and driveshaft weakness made the Clipper very unreliable, and the project was discontinued in 1954. Motoring writer Giles Chapman rated the car at No. 1 in his list of the top ten most unreliable cars in The Worst Cars Ever Sold. As of 2001 there were three survivors, only one of which was in relatively good condition.[3]

See also
  • List of microcars by country of origin

References

Notes
  1. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", MeasuringWorth, retrieved 2 February 2020

Citations
  1. "Allard Clipper", Rumcars.org, retrieved 5 November 2011
  2. "Allard Clipper", 3wheelers.com, archived from the original on 25 September 2014, retrieved 5 November 2011
  3. Chapman (2008), pp. 12–13
  4. Kinsella (1977), p. 141

Bibliography
  • Chapman, Giles (2008) [2001], The Worst Cars Ever Sold, The History Press, ISBN 978-0-7509-4714-5
  • Kinsella, David (1977), Allard, The Haynes Publishing Group, ISBN 978-0-85429-173-1
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