Highlights

• Exceedingly rare as one of a handful of survivors
• Imported to the US in 1997
• Powered by Ford Flathead V8-60 engine
• Restored in the late 90s by American vintage auto restoration specialist
• Completed 2013 California Mille 1,000-mile rally
• A wonderfully styled and capable Vintage Event car

Technical Specs

• 2,200cc French or English ’35 or ’36 Ford L-Head V8-60 Engine
• Twin Stromberg 2-barrel carburetors
• Estimated 60 HP
• 4-Speed manual gearbox
• 4-Wheel Perrot-style drum brakes
• Front solid axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and Hartford lever shock absorbers
• Rear underslung live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and Hartford lever shock absorbers

Listing Details

• Chassis: 662K
• Total mileage: Unknown
• 2.2-Liter Ford V8-60
• Dual Stromberg Carburetors
• Scintilla Magneto
• Four-Speed Manual Transmission
• Bugatti Rear End
• Black-Painted 19" Wire Wheels
• Finned Four-Wheel Drum Brakes
• Custom Water Pump
• Custom Exhaust Headers
• Four-Row Radiator Core
• Quick-Release Steering Wheel
• Spare wheel and five spare tires
• Tool kit
• Collection of Spare Parts and documentation

This 1927 Rally ABC (Chassis 662K) started its racing career with its second owner, a Parisian garagisti. As a result of its use in competitive events, the car was temporarily relegated to storage due to engine failure of its original SCAP engine in the late 1930s.  Its owner decided to install the more powerful and reliable 1935 or 1936 European-built “baby” 2.2-liter Ford flathead V8 together with a stronger Bugatti rear axle.  The diminutive Ford V8-60 is distinctive with its 17-stud valve covers (unlike the larger 21- or 24-stud models more commonly seen in the U.S.). Installation of the Ford engine required lengthening the hood panels by approximately 25 cm (and the seams between the metal sections are visible on the underside of the hood segments).  No modification was made to the original frame dimensions, while the radiator was moved forward from the original position to accommodate the longer engine. According to records and correspondence aggregated by the former U.S. owner (which accompanies the vehicle), the Ford engine and Bugatti rear axle were installed to this vehicle in France sometime between the late 1930s to the late 40s and are grandfathered to the chassis. The car is finished in French racing blue and is equipped with a four-speed manual transmission, mechanically actuated finned four-wheel drum brakes, Hartford friction shock absorbers, a driveshaft-driven generator.  Exterior features include a Brooklands-style driver-side windscreen, a fixed passenger-side screen, leather hood straps, Marchal headlights, a radiator-mounted Calormeter, a faired cowl-mounted rear-view mirror, dual side mirrors, and black-painted 19” wire wheels secured by two-eared knockoffs with Michelin Confort Bibendum front tires measuring 4.75/5.00-19 and 5.00/6.00-19 Michelin Comfort Cord SS tires at the rear.  The cockpit has side-by-side seating upholstered in black, lap belts, and a quick-release steering wheel. 

After passing through several European owners, this car was imported to the U.S. by its former owner (a well-known U.S.-based European vintage vehicle restoration specialist) in 1997, and is now believed to be the only Rally in the U.S.  The former owner made some additional changes, adding two Stromberg carburetors, the 4-speed transmission, an intake manifold, a custom exhaust manifold, a Scintilla magneto, a custom water pump, a 4-row radiator core, the quick-release steering hub, and seat belts.  The current owner replaced the 1950s Marchal headlamps with period correct Marchal headlamps and also installed ceramic exhaust wrap to improve driving comfort by reducing heat in the cockpit.

This car has been Track-tested in Vintage racing events at both Infineon Raceway and Laguna Seca racetracks.  The Rally has proven to be a good performer with adequate power and brakes, competing handily with the Bugatti Type 37 as currently configured.  This Rally ABC is offered with a spare wheel, five spare Michelin Confort tires, two Jaeger keys for the lighting controls, a period tool kit, a collection of spare parts and three large binders containing ownership history, historical and technical documentation (including original sales literature for the ABC and NCP models), contemporaneous restoration documentation and the restorer's notebook.

This Rally also participated in the 2013 California Mille, sporting Rondell #1 (assigned to the oldest car in the event) and completed the entire 1,000-mile course.

This beautiful French race car draws considerable attention due to its rarity and style.

Note on Model Year

Though this car has been registered by several previous owners as a 1927 Rally ABC since at least the 1960s, extensive research by the current owner — including review of factory documentation and surviving chassis records — indicates the car is most likely a 1930 model. This does not affect its eligibility for historic events, including Mille Miglia, and all documentation supporting this conclusion is included in the sale.

About Automobiles Rally

Rally, founded in 1921, was one of many small car companies formed in the early 20th century in the Colombes suburb of Paris.  Rally made typical light sports cars like the Amilcar or Salmson, which were sometimes referred to as "the working man's Bugatti".   Many of these small manufacturers, even some with significantly more resources than Rally, like Bugatti, Salmson, Amilcar, and BNC, struggled through the 1930s only to disappear during the Second World War. 

Rally followed the same path as numerous other small automobile builders in the region, starting with Harley-Davidson 1,000cc twin cylinder-engined cycle cars and progressing to small automobiles using proprietary small-displacement four-cylinder engines from Ruby, Chapuis-Dorner, C.I.M.E., and SCAP before expanding its line to include larger touring models and a few all-out racing cars just before the company shut its doors in the summer of 1933.

At the 1926 Paris Salon, Rally showed some ambitious developments like the Type R4 competition model with a 1,100 cc engine, fitted with double overhead camshafts and a Roots supercharger. Later in the year, a mysterious model appeared with a slanted horseshoe-shaped radiator shell resembling that of BNC, a competing manufacturer. This model later proved to be the prototype of the manufacturer’s type “ABC”.

The Rally Type ABC was introduced in October 1927. It replaced the Type S and found much acclaim for its elegant low-slung lines. ABC was actually an acronym for "abaissée" (i.e. lowered), indicating a frame that was dropped below the axles. The model ABC was a distinctly sporting car with an advanced “underslung” chassis, dramatically lowering the ABC’s center of gravity and, combined with Perrot-style brakes made for a fast and agile car. Produced in “Grand Prix” bodywork, in both open and closed versions, the ABC quickly became a favorite of the sporting class, and Rally was soon posting successful results in numerous racing events.  A Rally ABC competed in the 1930 Mille Miglia, making the model eligible for the Mille Miglia and similar historical events worldwide.  Fewer than a dozen Rally ABCs are believed to still survive