BjoernM21
122
With a penchant for off-the-beaten-track life, I loved the square cut Beaufighter with its Zagato body
As a youth I also visited the showroom in London. Despite arriving by bus, I got a warm welcome by Tony Crook. But then I had the advantage that he awaited a potential customer with a doctor title, and he was not quick enough to change his behaviour towards me when I had to disappoint him. My reason to visit the showroom was the Chrysler V10-powered Fighter model with its totally unusal "modern" bodywork. There was a strong attraction of this model for me. Yet, I was rather disappointed when inspecting the car in the showroom. Not only were the panel gaps huge and uneven, but the interior design and trimming looked very amateurish to me in detail.
Notwithstanding that I could in any case not afford the car, I therefore left the showroom soon, even before the real potential customer with the appointment showed up. I reverted to my interest for the older Zagato-bodied Beaufighter, but settled for a Ford-engined Reliant Scimitar GTC as my every-day-car for many years. It reminded me a bit of the body shape of the Bristol, but was much more practical and affordable (and in the end I was convinced that the proportions of the body are also more pleasing).
While I never again aspired to own a Bristol, I kept my interest in them. With it all the collected brochures are still on hand, and all the books ever published on Bristol are in the library, and I keep adding. Right now I await delivery of the latest title... I think sometimes it is better when dreams stay dreams.
Björn
More posts:
Bristol - the obscure and unobtainable car you want but can't afford
Built by an aircraft company, built like an aircraft, styled in an eccentric way, built for gentlemen, owned by eccentric wealthy gentlemen (moi?) - what's not to like? I was fascinated by Bristols for years. But I had never seen one in the flesh (metal, ...
Thank you for the delightful post Mike!
I too had the honour to meet Tony Crook at the showroom and I was just spell bound by his stories of his racing years competing against Stirling Moss. A legend! It is not often that the CEO and owner of the company is also their salesman from their only s...
mesmorizing....
....the dark blue older one that looks so difficult to catagorize. Odd proportions and styling that somehow works. I guess its a "saloon"... ? The dapper dude in the suit looks like he owns at least one of everything... except a pair of scissors! Great st...
The show room in Kensington was quite quirky
I concur with the 5th car, simply majestic 😍
With a penchant for off-the-beaten-track life, I loved the square cut Beaufighter with its Zagato body
As a youth I also visited the showroom in London. Despite arriving by bus, I got a warm welcome by Tony Crook. But then I had the advantage that he awaited a potential customer with a doctor title, and he was not quick enough to change his behaviour towar...
Reminds me of...
Somehow that blue two door reminds me a bit of the very early Saab’s Also aircraft producers by origin and it shows in the aerodynamics. Great Concours you’ve been to. Love the pictures thanks for sharing
Some very nice cars for sure, rather quirky in their design but luxurious and very confortable!
Some dirty shots of the 403 in Bristol Aerospace Museum where they were originally made. One thing I don't understand though, is why keep pushing trying to bring back to life something that died? They were good cars then but the recent ones are not my cup...
Forgot to say that the company origins are interesting too:
copies of BMW (bodywork and engines) with drawings "taken" from Germany following WW2 that then slowly became its own brand with its own identity. Best, É.
