Whaddyacallit #508 - Hal Brown Citroën powered Allied Swallow coupe

[Ray B.]

Ever seen this ?
What is it, and what car was supposed to sit on this chassis?

If you did, please respond below and please share your knowledge. A detailed answer will be appreciated.

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Thanks!

[Ray B.]

An expert is needed!

[Tom_I]

I really don't know what this is yet, but from what we can see, it's obviously front-wheel-drive, and I don't see any springs, so I'd guess that the front suspension is by torsion bars. The chassis looks like it's a fairly low-slung two-seater. It looks like a four-cylinder engine, with the belt driving the water pump and dynamo from a big pulley on the end of the camshaft. With that, and the exhaust manifold with its exit at the front, would I be right in thinking that the mechanical bits of this car are from a Citroën Traction Avant?

[Ray B.]

You'd be perfectly right, Tom.
Locked for you 72 hours for final identification.

[Tom_I]

Well, this is a surprise. I assumed that this would be European, but it isn't.

It's a special built in the early 1950s by a guy called Hal Brown of San Mateo, California. The tubular chassis was custom made to accept the running gear from a Citroën 11CV Traction Avant, which was kept mostly standard, though the suspension and driveshafts were modified to narrow the track by four inches front and back. This was topped off with an Allied Swallow Coupé body from Allied Fiber-Glass Inc. of Los Angeles. And a very nice job it looks too.

Nobody seems to know what happened to the car, which has not been seen or heard of since Hal Brown sold it in about 1955. At least it has been well documented and photographed, so it would be easy to identify if it ever reappeared.

[Ray B.]

Tom _I says it all.

[sixtee5cuda]

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