Bristol Cars in Administration

[Rich606]

From Autocar

"British sports car brand Bristol Cars has been placed into administration, it has been announced.Tom MacLennan and Trevor Binyon from RSM Tenon have been appointed administrators for the firm, which was formed from the aircraft industry in 1946 and has maintained a constant, eclectic presence through a single showroom on Kensington High Street in west London.

Mr MacLennan told BBC Bristol, "While there have been a number of immediate redundancies due to the financial position of the company, we are maintaining the sales and service operations so customers will continue to be supported.

"We would urge any interested parties to make contact with us as quickly as possible and are confident that we can secure the future of this iconic British brand."

Bristol's current model line-up comprises the Fighter, Blenheim, Blenheim Speedster and Series 6. Its flagship is the Fighter T, which features a twin-turbocharged, Dodge-derived V10 motor producing a claimed 1012bhp and 1036lb ft.

The firm has rarely issued any production figures, though, and has consistently declined to offer any vehicles to the media for evaluation."

I think "eclectic" is a good word. Unique, perhaps. I can't think of any other car company that has lasted so long by producing so few vehicles; I honestly don't think I've ever seen one on the road.

I've always thought they were retro in concept and in their way of doing things - a British luxury sporting saloon powered by a large American engine, in the vein of Jensen, Gordon Keeble et al.
And one of their current line up is still based on the Type 603 of 1976:


'76 Bristol 603.


'06 Bristol Blenheim.

I've always found them kind of intriguing too. They're the kind of car that gets described as "handsome", which in some cases I think hits the mark:


Bristol 410


Bristol 402


Bristol 405 (lovely proportions although the front end is a little awkward)

...And then there are cars like the afforementioned 603, or the 411:


...Or the 412/Beaufighter/Beaufort:


...whose looks are a bit more "challenging". (Let's be honest, the 412 looks like a mix of Mk1 Granada, Reliant Scimitar SS1 and Vauxhall Victor, and not a happy mix...)

But regardless of their styling or appeal, here's hoping that a buyer can be found soon so a part of British automotive history can continue to plough its own weird furrough
Not to mention to save any more redundancies...




(Interestingly I saw this story on the front page of the marvellous amd endlessly fascinating Austin Rover Online. While one automotive name is in danger of bowing out, have a look here for their report on a great automotive name possibly making a comeback...)

[cairyhunt]

Such a shame

I saw I fighter in London once, and always strained a look into the showroom whenever I was driving past.

A quintisensal() English car maker.

[Ratdat]

Aye, 'tis a shame. What happened about their stolen tooling a few years back? I wonder if that incident led to this point?

[ChasR]

'Tis a shame to see one of the last few British car firms to be on the brink of going down under.

[eternaloptimist]

Dreadful news

[retrowagen1234]

It is a shame. I hate to see any british enginnering firms go down. We don't realy have much left in the way of car building.


That said. They didnt realy do anything to help themselves / push the limits for quite a few years.... Just been the same old plod. And no advertising.

[Lawsy]

got overtook and so followed one of these down the M4 the other week, it was just burbling along at well over the speed limits, looked like a cross between effortless luxury and made in someones shed..

shame to see them go

[Graham]

hope it gets saved

[dbizzle]

Oh, this is sad news. I quite often stroll by the Kensington showroom in my lunch hour (and, more often than not, wistfully press my face up against the glass...).

[e21meister]

LJk Setright is quietly weeping from above right now. As am I.

[alolympic]

Very sad.
I pass the showroom most weeks and it always makes me smile.
Such an eccentric company.
Oh, and I would hardly say that they have been plodding along, the Fighter T was quite a leap - 1000bhp and gullwing doors are hardly old fashioned.
Oh, and half the beauty is that they didn't advertise. To market these cars would be vulgar

[popuptoaster]

Theres a family lives down a local lane that has at least two, house is very sheltered so you cant see in there, but I have been occasionally seeing at least two different ones go in and out of the driveway for as long as i have been allowed out by myself on a bike, so at least 35 years.

Used to drive past the showroom once a week on a job, always fancied a Bristol but they never get cheap despite age and condition.

[retrowagen1234]

Mar 4, 2011 9:42:00 GMT alolympic said:

Very sad.
I pass the showroom most weeks and it always makes me smile.
Such an eccentric company.
Oh, and I would hardly say that they have been plodding along, the Fighter T was quite a leap - 1000bhp and gullwing doors are hardly old fashioned.
Oh, and half the beauty is that they didn't advertise. To market these cars would be vulgar

meh... Kinda signed their own death certificate then realy.
As I said its a shame. But only in the fact that its another british firm to go down the crapper. We used to be a nation of engineers. We invented the modern world. Yet now we are just a nation of consumers obsessed with the latest import.

The difference between Bristol and the likes of rolls and bentley Is that everyone, Even the up and come'ers in the buisness world (the guys with money) Have heard of the latter two..

Bristol have been relying on word of mouth and the old guys that have been buying them since the early years.
And most of the 70's / 80's cars they built look like sheds with headlights.

Senator rear lights But they'll cost ya £56,000 preowned

[e21meister]

Mar 4, 2011 9:42:00 GMT alolympic said:

To market these cars would be vulgar

True, but a little more exposure wouldn't hurt. And a more modern-looking saloon. Morgan are a similar business model but are far better known.

[BenzBoy]

Sad news. I just had a look at their website as I wasn't really familiar with their model range. That Fighter T is astounding!

I really hope they get saved, and preferably not gobbled up by a major manufacturer - I fear Bristol would lose most of what makes the company unique if VW or Ford bought it.

[e21meister]

As part of Retro Rides Supercar Week, let's pay homage to a Supercar that deserves more exposure and sales, via a repost from the Bristol thread.

The Fighter; Viper engined, Chrysler modify the lump to Bristol's own specs:
www.bristolcars.co.uk/fighter.html

[stealthstylz]

It's a shame that its happened, but imo they're bloody ugly. I wonder how many English people actually have bought one recently, they seem more like something a rich American or Japanese businessman would buy.

Matt

[dbizzle]

Mar 4, 2011 10:01:10 GMT @e21meister said:

As part of Retro Rides Supercar Week, let's pay homage to a Supercar that deserves more exposure and sales, via a repost from the Bristol thread:
The Fighter.

Awesome, just what I was thinking. ;D

[retrolegends]

It will be a sad day for Britain when there is no place for true eccentrics like the Bristol boys,I read in Octane Mag once that they all have pipes and pipe holders on there desks regardless of weather they smoke or not! Lets hope we don't loose another british car maker.

[luckygti]

Yep, sad news. I've always thought they looked like overgrown kit cars to be honest, and sadly nowadays most of them are well past their seel by date. The fighter on the other hand! Wow, that is some machine! And the fighter T
Quote
The Fighter T has a potential maximum speed of more than 270 mph, although this has been electronically limited to a more than sufficient 225 mph at only 4500rpm. 0 to 60 mph takes less than 3.5 seconds.



Always liked the fact that the spare wheel is mounted in the front wing!!