I modified the origin asdf.lisp file, and it( (quicklisp-quickstart:install) ) works for me on these implementations(win7 x64) now:

Allegro CL 8.1

Allegro CL 8.2

ABCL 1.0.1

Clozure CL 1.8(x86, x64)

CLISP 2.49

SBCL 1.0.55.1(with threads support)(x86, x64)

ECL 11.1.1(MinGW, gcc 4.5.0, lisp->c compiler)

Here's the patch:
$ git diff
diff --git a/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp b/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp
index 283ad86..18e13a2 100644
--- a/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp
+++ b/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp
@@ -3909,13 +3909,16 @@ effectively disabling the output translation facility."
(defun* compile-file-pathname* (input-file &rest keys &key output-file &allow-other-keys)
   (if (absolute-pathname-p output-file)
       ;; what cfp should be doing, w/ mp* instead of mp
-      (let* ((type (pathname-type (apply 'compile-file-pathname "x.lisp" keys)))
-            (defaults (make-pathname
-                       :type type :defaults (merge-pathnames* input-file))))
-       (merge-pathnames* output-file defaults))
+      (let* ((type (pathname-type (apply 'compile-file-pathname "x.lisp"
+                                         (remove-keys '(#+(and allegro (not (version>= 8 2))) :external-format)
+                                                      keys))))
+             (defaults (make-pathname
+                        :type type :defaults (merge-pathnames* input-file))))
+        (merge-pathnames* output-file defaults))
       (apply-output-translations
-       (apply 'compile-file-pathname input-file
-             (if output-file keys (remove-keyword :output-file keys))))))
+        (apply 'compile-file-pathname input-file
+                      (remove-keys `(#+(and allegro (not (version>= 8 2))) :external-format
+                                       ,@(unless output-file '(:output-file))) keys)))))

(defun* tmpize-pathname (x)
   (make-pathname

And here's the diff (compared with ignoring whitespaces) for easier reading:
$ git diff -w
diff --git a/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp b/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp
index 283ad86..18e13a2 100644
--- a/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp
+++ b/8.1/quicklisp-client-2012112500/asdf.lisp
@@ -3909,13 +3909,16 @@ effectively disabling the output translation facility."
(defun* compile-file-pathname* (input-file &rest keys &key output-file &allow-other-keys)
   (if (absolute-pathname-p output-file)
       ;; what cfp should be doing, w/ mp* instead of mp
-      (let* ((type (pathname-type (apply 'compile-file-pathname "x.lisp" keys)))
+      (let* ((type (pathname-type (apply 'compile-file-pathname "x.lisp"
+                                         (remove-keys '(#+(and allegro (not (version>= 8 2))) :external-format)
+                                                      keys))))
             (defaults (make-pathname
                        :type type :defaults (merge-pathnames* input-file))))
        (merge-pathnames* output-file defaults))
       (apply-output-translations
        (apply 'compile-file-pathname input-file
-             (if output-file keys (remove-keyword :output-file keys))))))
+                      (remove-keys `(#+(and allegro (not (version>= 8 2))) :external-format
+                                       ,@(unless output-file '(:output-file))) keys)))))

(defun* tmpize-pathname (x)
   (make-pathname

Best regards,
Xiaofeng Yang

2013/1/12 Faré <fahree@gmail.com>

Dear Xiaofeng,

assuming it's indeed a bug in allegro 8.1's compile-file-pathname,
can you try to edit the call to compile-file-pathname this way,
in defun compile-file-pathname* ?

(apply 'compile-file-pathname input-file
(remove-keys `(#+(and allegro (not (version>= 8
2))) :external-format
,@(unless output-file
'(:output-file))) keys))

—♯ƒ • François-René ÐVB Rideau •Reflection&Cybernethics• http://fare.tunes.org

Philosophy is questions that may never be answered.
Religion is answers that may never be questioned.

On Sat, Jan 12, 2013 at 12:48 AM, Raymond Toy <toy.raymond@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> "Fare" == Far <Far> writes:
>
> Fare> Dear Xf,
> Fare> thanks for the patch. On allegro 8.1, is it only compile-file-pathname
> Fare> that refuses the :external-format argument, or compile-file as well?
> Fare> In the latter case, how does allegro 8.1 control encoding for input
> Fare> files? Does it rely on a special variable?
>
> Is this not a bug in Allegro's compile-file-pathname. The CLHS says
> compile-file-pathname should accept all keywords accepted by
> compile-file.
>
> The docs for Allegro 8.1[1] says compile-file accepts :external-format.
>
> Ray
> [1] http://www.franz.com/support/documentation/8.1/ansicl/dictentr/compile-.htm
>
>
>
>
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