Reply With QuoteWhat a shame. The older cars were really beautiful. People with £250,000 to spend on a car seem to go for the visually dramatic Ferrari, Lamborghini etc.
73 years old. A good innings, but still sad to see her go.
What a shame. The older cars were really beautiful. People with £250,000 to spend on a car seem to go for the visually dramatic Ferrari, Lamborghini etc.
The Fighter was an incredible looking car, but Bristol were always a niche within a niche maker.
It is a shame they have gone, but then it is not that suprising.
The one I still think should have been viable was TVR - but that Russian kid really screwed them up.
So clever my foot fell off.
Must admit, I though Bristol had gone-under some years ago. Damn shame, tremendous heritage, and the Bullet looked extremely promising at one point...
As a former owner I think the Russian was the nail in the coffin rather than the cause, but I agree there should have been a space for TVR.Originally Posted by TheFlyingBanana
Same with Bristol. When the most expensive Aston Martin is £300k for what is still a mass produced regular looking car, you would think that there would at least be a small market for the something more individual at the top end.
Aston Martin are struggling financially though (again).
So clever my foot fell off.
Slightly surprised by this given Morgan are claiming to be thriving.
When was the last time you saw a Bristol? Exclusivity is all very well but you have to remind your would be customers that you exist every now and then, let alone that you have a product worthy of their attention.
I always thought they had made a mistake when they refused to sell one to Jeremy Clarkson.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
With increased regulation on emissions and safety and less large manufactures will to sell crate engines (and other parts) its going to be tough for a few of the smaller firms.
That's a shame. Another one gone.
Years ago I used to pass their showroom in Kensington High Street and always had a look in.
Cheers,
Neil.
I think the killer for the small manufacturers are development costs - especially meeting ever-more-stringent safety and emissions targets.
Morgan have woken-up and smelled the coffee with its work on electric propulsion in its cars at least.
I always thought they had made a mistake when they did sell one to Noel Gallagher...
______
Jim.
Can say I liked their designs much, but their old school ethos I admired.
Liam apparently owned too, is that better or worse!
Seems Will Young had one too, jesus.
Not sure if it shows better or worse judgement by I think it was Liam.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I remember doing the same. It was a bit of a landmark.
A good few years ago I used to regularly walk a route that passed near Holland Park in London and there was a stunning Bristol 603 (in blue) parked along the Avenue.
Really sticks in my mind as a stunning car.
I always thought they looked like a bad boys car. Would be great with a lifestyle that regularly includes leather and walnut lined club rooms with butlers bringing you whisky, Christine Keeler in the back of the 603 and the odd scandal involving a few MPs.
Great stuff.
It is still there - although has looked almost abandoned for years !
As far as I can remember I've only seen 2 Bristols: one blue one in a town SE of Amsterdam (in the sort of village where they only drive Chelsea tractors) and a white one with a UK plate in a parking in Amsterdam.
Sad to see them go. Any chance they'll be saved by a rich person?
M
Assuming first word should be ‘Can’t’ then I feel the same. They made some fugly cars IMHO but shame to hear of a British car manufacturer going under.
Indeed, don't know what happened to my spelling there!
Around £7m of debts incl. a load inter-group which is always a big alarm bell to something that's been sinking for a while.
Anyway, anyone putting the spare wheel in the wing behind the front axle deserved a nod of respect
I have to have my say before thread goes dead.Was in Bristol Owners Club for @ 35 years but time never seemed right to actually buy one .Was in London for 2 years in mid '90 s and actually met Mr Crook in Kensington showrooms,a very courteous man but then moved back to N.I and needed money to buy house ,then kids etc ,etc .Had a drive in a 405 which was fun but noisy.Eventuallly gave up and got Volvo 850 T5R then post classic car boom they got to be silly money.
Time is against them now,gas guzzlers are out of fashion,young people not interested.Sad to see gone bust but not entirely surprising.Cant hold back the future!!
As Bristol dies, other companies progress. McLaren, Ariel, Noble for example.
Also the Williams/Singer JV are expected to build 500 cars in the next few years.
Sign of the times sadly.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
When I was at school one of my fellow pupil's father (an airline pilot) had a Bristol (403, I think...), but it always seemed a rather odd thing even then.
As time passed they seemed an even more eccentric choice until you had to wonder if Tony Crook was just making them for his own amusement and doubted they actually sold any.
I did come across the Viper based car once, at a Brooklands event, but I don't recall ever seeing a modern Bristol 'in passing' and I saw modern Marcoses now and then out and about (not just at club meets) and they were made in tiny numbers.
To be honest, I thought Bristol Cars went bust years ago... Was this the service department or were they supposedly still making cars?
M
Last edited by snowman; 7th March 2020 at 18:16.
Always wanted to like Bristol cars, after all whats not to like about a European chassis with a Chrysler V8 in it. I always felt though that they lacked a designer who could come up with the bodywork to match. Shame really.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I thought the new motors were bmw ?
I’m sure Stephen fry drove round in one in a programme he was in
If you're thinking of 'Kingdom', the car was an Alvis I think.
Your right my mistake must be 10 years since I last watched it
Alvis, beautiful cars.
Like Armstrong Siddeley, older Jensens etc the only place you see these now are in Agatha Christie programmes on TV.
Cheers,
Neil.
And Unclealec, I believe.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
I thought he was a Riley man?
Cheers,
Neil.
Sorry, you are of course correct.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
And in one other important place as well :)
Don’t forget Allard, Lanchester, Lagonda and Jowett. So many.
RIP.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Such is the word of business, but a shame none the less. When I loved in Bristol the guy who owned the flat below me had among other cars, a Bristol. It sounded as good as it looked. I was very much green with envy. Guess the prices are about to go through the roof.
Great comments!
It’s a shame to see them go but not a surprise
I grew up around the corner from the show room
I loved the gull-winged Fighter, I sat in the metallic powder blue version that had on display.
It was like jumping in to a WW2 fighter plane
All the switches were steel toggles, that flipped up or down and they were scattered everywhere (with no apparent logic to placing) even on the roof.
The Bristol Bullet was also a great car, they had one in dark metallic blue for a while. It had a tiny flyscreen as the only glazing on the car. It looked the sort of car Superman would drive.
I always though I would own one eventually. Maybe one day but is sadly it will not be a new one now.
For all you Bristol Fans
https://www.classicandsportscar.com/...s-finned-flyer
Had a back side like JLo and a face that only it’s mother could love
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
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