Bristol cars in administration...

[tali]

All just look a little bit 'wrong' , like they were designed by YTS students ?

The fighter comes close, but is spoiled by the bug eyed headlamps.

Those ungainly Bristols started from mid 70s -so they have had over 30 years of making those -it is not something recent
If the ugliness was to do Bristol in -it would have been in the early 80s

 

[del320]

Car in the 70s and 80s was more than simply a car magazine, it was a work of literature with a masterclass in car photography every month. It was written by people who could write, understood engineering and in LLK Setright, combined the two with his first rate mind to brilliant effect.

He of course wrote the definitive work on the Bristol Car, available from Palawan books at a mere few hundred quid.

...ehhh... anyone interested in acquiring my complete set from October 1975 to December 1999?
...from which point I considered Car no longer fulfilled Charles' accurate assessment...

 

[Burger]

I can't believe my ignorance. I've been under the belief for years that the only cars Bristol make are the S3 and Series 6 both of which I could never see any appeal in. They both looked to me like one-offs every time I saw one and I couldn't imagine why anyone would pay the asking price for them.

I had absolutely no idea they made a car as sexy as this...

Now I too think it's a great shame they may be on their way out. Let's hope someone bails them out and they can continue.

Regards,

 

[Howard]

The fighter is a quarter of a million pounds

 

[Charles Morgan]

Make them an offer....

 

[Howard]

I'll give them a tenner for it.

 

[BTB 500]

It's a bit more streamlined than the original Bristol Fighter ...

 

[Ade B]

What doesn't come across in the pics is the bulk of the cars - there is a well used example (I'm guessing a series 6) usually parked in South Ken which I used to see regularly. They are big - like a sporty stretched black cab

Passed the showroom every week on the way to the A40 for a couple of years. The stock didn't change much - not altogether surprised they have gone under..

It is a pity though - cars which are built to principles rather than focus groups make the world a little more interesting...

Ade

 

[219]

I have always thought of them as akin to Jensen or Aston Martin in days of old .

 

[Dieselman]

On this topic , I just read somewhere that Sir Richard Branson is a customer , and a fan , of Bristol Cars - so you never know .............?

It would be a novel idea...a Bristol Virgin..

 

[Dieselman]

I can see the Fighter living to fight another battle, it's a well sorted performance car.


A Geely Fighter, maybe?

 

[scumbag]

Shame. I always wanted a Bristol.

oh well. Best look for something else to dream about

 

[219]

I can see the Fighter living to fight another battle, it's a well sorted performance car.


A Geely Fighter, maybe?

Maybe BMW will fancy another acquisition ?

They like to buy up British car companies - at least this time there is a 'family connection' .

 

[MOCAŠ]

Well, wherever all the money went, it wasn't on the company van:

 

[st4]

I'm going to go slightly against the grain here , and say that perhaps if they produced cars that weren't so ugly , they might not be in the situation they are now.

I appreciate that they are all hand built , and are labour of loves , but they don't win any prizes for attractiveness do they ? Most people spending upwards of £100k on a car want it to look 'pretty' surely ?

Cat among pigeons ...... sorry ....

I like them, but in the £100k-£300k car bracket there will be very few that will choose a Bristol over the manditory Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley or Rolls.

Personally, Bristol should have worked on a car to take on the Bentley GT and DB9, and built the cars to their high standards but at a slightly lower price.

I am sure, other than the Chrysler V10, they could have sourced a supplier of decent engines if they did not want to make their own. MB or BMW or VW have a nice supply of decent powerful engines

Shame they are gone.

 

[219]

I like the understated performance , quoted at the very bottom of the small print about the Fighter T

Fighter T

Responding to the needs of some exacting customers, we have created the very special Fighter T variant. The Fighter T delivers the ultimate in performance while still retaining every bit of its street usability, remaining a compact and enjoyable car to drive around town, yet it takes two people and their luggage in great luxury and ease for transcontinental travel. Despite its unrivalled performance, the Fighter T is absolutely suitable to be used as every day transport in addition to recreational or track-day purposes.

The Fighter’s 8 litre V10 all aluminium engine has been twin turbocharged and intercooled to deliver 1012 bhp at 5600 rpm and 1036 lb ft of torque at 4500 rpm. Bristol Cars have more than 30 years of turbocharging experience. While the standard Fighter produces a remarkable 525 lb ft of torque at 3500rpm, the Fighter T delivers a scarcely believable 900 lb ft at the same rpm, and remains above that figure all the way up to the rev limit of 6000rpm.

Exclusive exterior styling changes, a special lightweight sports interior and desirable mechanical alterations to suit the extra performance complete the enhancements on the Fighter T.

With a kerb weight of just 1595 kg (52% on rear wheels) and a drag factor reduced to 0.225 by a new rear wake diffuser, performance is simply breathtaking. 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.

Bristol cars believe that there is still no other car worldwide with such a remarkable range of abilities.

 

[MOCAŠ]

I like them, but in the £100k-£300k car bracket there will be very few that will choose a Bristol over the manditory Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley or Rolls.

Given their production capacity, that was probably just as well.

Personally, if it were a choice between surviving by becoming more homogenous or being allowed to bow out gracefully with their reputation for eccentricity intact, I would, with a heavy heart, choose the latter. However, it is very sad state of affairs for the 22 highly-skilled factory workers who have been made redundant.

 

[Charles Morgan]

VW spend £300million plus to sort the Bugatti Veyron, while Bristol build the Fighter for two shillings and sixpence. Typical Germans, all that over-engineering....

 

[Charles Morgan]

Given their production capacity, that was probably just as well.

Personally, if it were a choice between surviving by becoming more homogenous or being allowed to bow out gracefully with their reputation for eccentricity intact, I would, with a heavy heart, choose the latter. However, it is very sad state of affairs for the 22 highly-skilled factory workers who have been made redundant.

With luck they'll set up a Bristol servicing/restoration independent. Most of the money was coming from that anyway I believe. The production director, Syd Lovesy, is 92, so possibly one or two others might take late retirement.

 

[st4]

With a kerb weight of just 1595 kg (52% on rear wheels) and a drag factor reduced to 0.225 by a new rear wake diffuser, performance is simply breathtaking. 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.

Bristol cars believe that there is still no other car worldwide with such a remarkable range of abilities.

There are, but they cost 4x as much. By that bracket its a mere snip