Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) BRISTOL CARS

Interesting that in the upcoming Bankruptcy sale of Bristol cars there are 8 Morgan V8 rolling chassis units complete with N62 engines (underpinnings for the Bullet).

Maybe MMC will bid and get them back and make 8 Specials ...wouldn't that be good ?!!!

Lots of discussion about this already going on here:

One for Serious Bristol Fans

Interesting gallery of the last days of Bristol:

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/gallery/behind-scenes-last-days-bristol-cars

Thanks for posting.

Picture #28 has several Morgan Aero chassis assemblies.

Isn't it a great shame that we have lost another of our classy cars. The pictures reminded me of the last days of TVR and Jenson when the "old" Top Gear visited the respective factories. Still, the good news is that we still have Alvis who are starting small scale production again under the auspices of Red Triangle.

Its here



I recall very many years ago when Jaguar was Jaguar, owners club members with their ears close to the ground intercepting a truckload or two of E type and XK body parts on their way to the scrappers Not sure what happened afterwards or even if it was other than an urban myth.

And offer full refurb on earlier cars.

There is also a 4-page article - "Bristol Requiem" - in the November issue of The Automobile magazine. It reports that the spares went to the Bristol Owners' Club, while the Bristol Owners' Heritage Trust picked up most of the items of historical importance, including styling models, wooden bucks and most of the documentation. As far as I can tell the "Bullet Project", which includes the one complete car and eight Aero 8 chassis, is still for sale.

A sad end.

Very interesting pictures!

I am often fascinated about the britisch craftsmanship that still exists...

It would not surprise me if the cars would be impossible to register now as they could not be made to comply with the current emission standards for new cars.

Such a shame that they were not able to succeed. The body styling looks very nice.

They would probabaly be registered via an IVA process. This requires that the engines meet the emissions requirements relevant to the age of the engine. At least that was the case, I recall there was a proposal that IVA'd cars should meet current emissions requirements but I do not know if that came to fruition.

Edit It looks as if the proposed change did not make it into legislation. from the Gov.uk website "For spark ignition engine vehicles the emissions test is based on the age of the engine."

Spotted these adverts yesterday....

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1290604

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1292456

I emailed the advertiser, and received a reply from Jason Wharton, the owner of the new companies involved.

....

"Thank you for your inquiry today through Car & Classic.

We shall have those details available in Q3 of this year, when our prototype Bristol 411 Series 8 vehicle will be unveiled.

We would be delighted to keep in touch in the meantime, by email, phone or in person, and to know more of your requirements."

.....

"Mr Jason Wharton – Proprietor & Director - Bristol Manufacturing Limited (08164632), Bristol Fighter Limited (12449369), Bristol Buccaneer Limited (11986176) Bristol Electric Vehicles Limited (13021060) Registered Offices: 34 Albany Court, Epping, England, CM16 5ED

TEL: 07753 498881

Bristol Cars™, Bristol Fighter™, Bristol Buccaneer™ & Bristol Speedster™ are trademarks owned by our group, together with other associated intangible and tangible assets, such as our domain www.bristolcars.com. Messrs Gallafents Ltd - http://www.gallafents.co.uk/ in London act for us in relation to our IP."


There were also a couple of documents - an article from Autocar (13th Jan), and some info on their "Atelier Bristol" services:

"BRISTOL MANUFACTURING LIMITED – ATELIER BRISTOL CARS SERVICE OFFERING

As part of our Business Plan to revive the Bristol marque, we intend in 2021 to launch a new service called Atelier Bristol Cars (ABC). The new department will include access to the brand’s historical archives, a vehicle restoration workshop, vehicle certification, and the availability or rebuilding of numerous genuine spare parts for all historical Bristol models. Our mission is to be a reference point for all our customers, and to provide historical information, to preserve and restore vehicles, source original spare parts and certify authenticity of a car and its components.
Atelier Bristol Cars will emphasize the importance of preserving the broad heritage and unique knowledge of both the marque, and the cars. The platform and services which we will launch are listed below:

- Archives Bristol Cars: an historical archive which includes the documentation of historical Bristol car models, technical schemes, body colors, leathers, images and several company publications.

- Restoration and Heritage Services: a unique service that allows the owner to preserve, maintain and restore their vehicle to its original features using exclusively original spare parts and the unique techniques.

- Certification and Certificate of Authenticity for Bristol classic cars: this documentation will help protect the value of Bristol classic cars and provide the market with vehicle authentication.

- Spare Parts: a supply service of genuine spare parts for every model of Bristol classic cars, either coming from the former stocks, or produced by us with original and certified suppliers.

The main activity offered by Atelier Bristol Cars will be the Restoration and Preservation of Bristol Heritage Models, from 400 to Fighter."

[followed by the steps of a "Standard Complete Restoration]



But their website is still not active!

An EV that looks that good. I guess I could sell the house to buy it.

Always liked the mentioned 411 Bristol. Resurrected from the ashes. I wonder how long this will last.

That 411 series 8 looks rather nice

There is a guy in the village with a black 411 and it has a beautiful growl with it, we haven't met yet just passed and waved several times.
I suspect the new one will be well beyond my pocket and like the Morgan GTR in the 200k region....

+1

Mrs F doesn't really need 2 kidneys ........

I like your thoughts.
Mrs J, Daughter and Son J.. that is 3. Might even offer one of mine. That is 4.

Could work...

Time for the premium bonds to deliver

Yes, definitely. Going to take a better win than I had on last Friday's Euromillions - £2.80, 30p profit!!
One day my ship will come in, no doubt when I'm in a different harbour!

When I owned my Jensen CV8 in the early 70's I remember seeing parked at work a Bristol probably a 407 or 408 since I know it had V8 power and the same Chrysler Torqueflight 3 speed auto as mine. I remember noticing the drive selection was not by column change as on mine but by push buttons on dash. Intrigued how that worked, solenoids maybe or just strong fingers

Some interesting news this morning:

Buckle up: the Bristol Fighter is back!

Oh look, it’s a new-old V10-engined Bristol Fighter!





Apparently they will be using 5 unused chassis. "Bristol will work with “a leading British manufacturing partner” to build the things, by hand, to their owner’s exacting specifications. As you’d expect of something low volume."

I can think of several partners who might be involved, but I recall Morgan had previous dealings with Bristol?

Yes Morgan took the remaining Beemer V8 stock off them when they liquidated and fitted them in the (so called) last Aero Plus 8 bespoke models.

Always good to see a Bristol back in production.

According to the literature linked to their showing at Salon Prive, there are three Fighters left to build.

That number seem to have varied over the years, as other people seem to have been involved, and I met with a chap a few years back who claimed to have bought the last of the continuation Fighters… so who knows!

I’ve seen the black car in the metal, alongside the burgundy one, and whilst the finish is fine, it still looks ungainly to my eyes.

I've followed Bristol Cars a bit and from the outside it is not easy to see where it is heading as Paul King (who owns Bristol Cars Group Ltd) is launching these Bristol Fighters, but Jason Wharton who claims to own the Bristol Cars brand trademark (and owns Bristol Aerospace Car Division) is also talking about launching a new range of Bristol cars.

Therefore it seems like there is potential for two different manufacturers to both try and sell "Bristol Cars"

That does sound a trifle confusing and a law suit away from no production at all and that would be a great shame.

The male ego as fragile as oregami and pointless.....

I enjoy meeting up with a fellow villager who owns a rumbling twin headlight black one.

Yep - I suspect the only winners will be the lawyers

I do remember an article many many moons ago about 8(?) Aero chassis being held in Bristols London factory being sold off when the liquidators got rid of the stunning building on the A4. I thought Morgan had bought them back and they became the final Aero GT run?

There was one gent running around for a while trying to wedge a V10 into an Aero chassis but that went quiet. I think he posted on here about it for a while and I remember seeing it listed on eBay, but then broken up for spares?

Then again I have a terrible memory on a good day.

The buy backs, iirc, ended up in the Aero GT, as you mentioned.

And, again, iirc, Yuri was trying to drop a V10 into the Aero, and for those on the site long enough will recall his (often amusing) vodka (I believe) fuelled posts. He also leaves the legacy of teaching us a Russian curse word, which still, to this day, lives on in an automated 'auto word replacement' element of the forum software.

They should launch a “Bristol Bucks Fizz” edition

Overview The legal rights to the name Bucks Fizz belong to Heidi Manton, the wife of original member Bobby G (Robert Gubby), who legally owns the trademark.The DisputeThe Conflict: In 2009, original members Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan, and Jay Aston started touring as "The Original Bucks Fizz".The Trademark: Bobby G's wife, Heidi Manton, had legally registered the "Bucks Fizz" trademark in the UK years prior.The Ruling: In 2011, the UK Intellectual Property Office ruled against the trio, deciding they could not register "The Original Bucks Fizz" trademark and stopping them from using the band's name.The OutcomeBobby G continues to perform live with his own line-up under the name Bucks Fizz.Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan, and Jay Aston (later joined by Shelley Preston) rebranded themselves as The Fizz to continue releasing new music and touring.

Or better still, a "Sugarbabes" edition. Similar story: over time, each of the original 3 members left and was replaced. Then in 2012, the three original girls formed a new trio, "Mutya Keisha Siobhán". A slightly better outcome though, as they were eventually able to reclaim the Sugerbabes name.

Branding is everything. The battle between BMW and VW over the Rolls-Royce name is one of the more fascinating stories in automobile history.

I love a rathole.

BMW MINI was very aggressive towards some longstanding trad Mini parts suppliers in the early days of them thinking they owned every right to the Mini name

They were the interval act a couple of seasons back at a Red Roses game at Twickenham . They were resurrecting their careers and had put on a pound or two, so I called them the Sugarlumps which started to resonate round the crowd !
MM

Some extreme global multiple member examples, but - The Platters typically perform as a quartet or quintet, but over 200 members have passed through the ensemble across its long history.

I know what you mean. Interestingly they got a bump in the charts a while back by working with a brilliant young woman from the Briissol (Bristol in local dialect apparently) to produce a new track. Love it.

Abigail Kate Morgan, more commonly know as "A Little Sound". Maybe little in stature but not in sound. She won Best Vocalist at the Drum&BassArena Awards 2022 and Best Vocalist & Best Female DJ at the Drum & Bass Awards 2024. Apparently they were in the video as well 8)

You do need to play it loud to enjoy it in the manner it was intended.
The video is pretty cool as well.