Bristol Cars

[DeletedUser006]

Tis a very sad day indeed

I saw the local news and it was very very sad to see the factory close it's doors for the last time, all the iconic cars they have produced , especially the early ones.

 

[highlandsflyer]

No doubt VAG will buy them and build the next Bristol on a Phaeton platform. :roll:

A sad day, but it should be borne in mind that Aston Martin (the proper company, not the footballers conveyance providers they have become) went bankrupt on a regular basis. What Bristol needs is a David Brown esque character who will buy the compnay and run it as a hobby.

Bristols and VAG.

Sounds like a winning combination.

 

[REKIBorter]

Just checked out their website and can honestly say they have not produced a good looking car since the 1950's

 

[Stick Legs]

Just checked out their website and can honestly say they have not produced a good looking car since the 1950's

The whole ethos of Bristol, which I liked, was that fashion, image and styling were not important. The ability to travel a great distance and very high speed with little stress to the mechanics or the driver were the sole goals of the company. The cars were always designed to be practical & comfortable. I love the way in the old brochures fuel economy is never mentioned, only range @ 90 mph.

If you want pretty buy Italian, if you want fast and brutal buy Aston Martin, if you want value get a Jag. If you want the motoring equivelant of hand lasted brogues then get a Bristol.

I would still like a Blenheim, even with the Vauxhall Senator rear lights.

 

[Elev12k]

The chap (for he his a chap) who owned Bristol legendarily used to decide whether or not to sell a customer a car based on whether he liked the cut of their jib....

A sad loss to the car world

I would say that is the right direction. When you have built something really nice, it is nice to have people lined up waiting and that you do them a favour by selling to them. You can be sure the will be fully appreciating it. What do they have to offer? Money. Having money to offer is not same as having crafted something really cherished.

 

[highlandsflyer]

The Series 6 is a genuinely beautiful car, and with your penchant for square Al I am surprised you find nothing of merit post 1960...

In the flesh they are a lot prettier.

Only been in one, in the late 80s hammering along the M4 at a very unreasonable speed with my ex's father. It was a Beaufighter. Looks ugly in the pics perhaps, but it had presence in the flesh and was headturningly sharp looking.

I was impressed.

 

[Stick Legs]

The Series 6 is a genuinely beautiful car, and with your penchant for square Al I am surprised you find nothing of merit post 1960...

In the flesh they are a lot prettier.

Only been in one, in the late 80s hammering along the M4 at a very unreasonable speed with my ex's father. It was a Beaufighter. Looks ugly in the pics perhaps, but it had presence in the flesh and was headturningly sharp looking.

I was impressed.

I drove a Brigand Turbo about 10 years ago, stunned and will never forget the feeling of doing about 100 mph* at 2400 rpm with torque to spare.

LOVELY cars.

*100MPH was the reg number of the press cars in the good old days.

 

[Tazio]

I fell in love with them based on the writing of the great motoring journalist LJK Setright. He loved them due to the fact that they handled as opposed to gripped.

 

[al]

Everyone seems to be ignoring highlandflyers breast and lady garden referances!! nice work with double funny name match up fella.

I am a real fan of offbeat cars, just 'modern' Bristols leave me cold.

al.

 

[Neil]

I don't think it was inevitable

Well I console you on your shock and upset then.

But whilst I may feel sorrow, one thing I'm not, is surprised.

look at Morgan.

On paper, may seem a similar demographic - maybe it is. However, I find Morgan cars less obscure.

In today's - and the foreseable - economic climate, small, independent car marques will need to be resilient and attractive to stay afloat. Some much bigger marques struggled, failed or may still fail.

Dualit are mainly made in China these days, assembled in UK.

Ho hum.

Where did it all go wrong?

...shrug... business learnt to use the most cost-effective resources and workforce, because the market place became more competitive - consumer demand for choice and lowest price, rules. And shareholders always want their pound of flesh.

That, and there's no point in just treading water anymore. Once upon a time, there was probably nothing wrong with a company being content with stasis and stability. The 80s were a big change, growth, or be hunted / replaced became the way.