Michael Palmer - Bristol Cars: Model by Model

BRISTOL CARS

MODEL BY MODEL

BRISTOL CARS

MODEL BY MODEL

MICHAEL PALMER

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2015 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

Michael Palmer 2015

This e-book first published in 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 077 5

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

G EORGE S.M. WHITE, my father, was responsible for the Bristol Aeroplane Companys entry into motor car production. He began work on the project around 1941 and saw it come to fruition in 1945. The Aeroplane Company itself had been founded by his grandfather and managed by his father since 1911. It was by then an industrial giant, with subsidiaries and agents throughout the world.

The Bristol publicity and photographic departments went into overdrive as the first cars were produced, encouraging universal interest from motoring journalists. Knowing that all their products were built to exacting aircraft standards and having complete confidence in their quality and design, there was nothing to hold them back. The companys forays into motor sport, from the Mille Miglia to Le Mans, attracted worldwide attention. The era of the 2-litre cars, built to my fathers exacting standards, was a golden age.

So great was the Bristol Aeroplane Companys size, that when the British Government forced mergers throughout the aircraft industry in the late 1950s, the company was split up. Its airframe business became part of the British Aircraft Corporation and its engine works became part of Bristol Siddeley and later Rolls-Royce. My father bought Bristol Cars in October 1960, bringing into partnership the companys principal agent, Anthony Crook. The support of the aircraft company had gone, but the quality and widespread reputation of the products remained. My father retained management of the company and control over design, and perfection was his obsession. I well remember as a young man walking through the factory with him, watching him sending back cars for refinishing, because he had spotted the merest ripple in their paintwork. Understated, elegance and quality were the watchwords of those years.

My father retired reluctantly in 1973, following a serious motoring accident, and Anthony Crook bought out his controlling interest to become sole proprietor. As a young man and a Bristol agent, Anthony Crook had exploited his remarkable abilities as a showman to court publicity for the marque. He changed tack, however, as the years passed, favouring the creation of a wall of mystery and exclusivity around the company. By this means he built up a coterie of loyal customers for the cars he produced, but the marque itself slipped quietly from the general consciousness.

New ownership from 2011 onwards has, however, brought a new awakening. Kamkorp, through its subsidiary Frazer Nash Research, promises new models and advanced technology. Interest in the company has returned. The prices of classic Bristol care are climbing relentlessly. The forgotten legacy is being rediscovered. The Bristol marque is back.

This book is an extremely welcome part of that rebirth. Packed with technical information and exhaustively researched, it cannot but be a worthy and timely addition to every motoring library.

SIR GEORGE WHITE, Bt

Sir George White (nearside) with his son Philip (offside) with Sir Georges 1947 Bristol 400. SMG 117 was the first 400 to be sold to a member of the public. Car No. 400/A/103, engine No. 1017 was delivered to Colonel Aldington at AFN, to be sold on 16 May 1947.

DEDICATION

FOR MY SONS TOM AND HARRY. WEVE LEARNED LOTS FROM EACH OTHER.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T HANK YOU TO THE Bristol Owners Club and Bristol Owners and Drivers Association for help, advice and information, and to the Bristol Owners Club Heritage Trust for photographs.

My grateful thanks to the following BOC (Bristol Owners Club) and BODA (Bristol Owners and Drivers Association) members and individuals for their contributions, assistance and advice in writing this book:

Anatoly Arutunof

Marc Atkinson

Christopher Balfour

CLH Ball

Michael Barton

David and Philippa Bensley

Mark Berger

Adrian Berry

David Billington

Rodney Bisker

Alan Blackwood

Andrew Blow

Jonathan Bradburn

Clive Burton

Peter Campbell

Dr Stefan Cembrowicz

John Charlton

Gavin Coulthard

Tony Crook

David and Cathy Crownshaw

Dr David Dale

Ian Dalton

Peter Darby

Adrian Davis

Jamie & Susie Doggart

Andrew Dooley

Simon Draper

Andrew Dredge

John Dyson

Guy Ferrington

David Firth

Sam Frost

Charles Gallanaugh

Philip Gozinger

Russell Gournay

Professor Vaughan Grylls

John and Gillie Hamshere

Geoff Hawkins

Jochen Hempel

Philip Herbert

Martin J Hermann

Leigh Hogben

Richard Howell

John Huntingford

Richard Katz

Richard Kemp

Edward Vincent King Jr

Hugh Knox

Lt Col (retd) Spencer Lane-Jones

Dr Richard Levine

John Manley

Justin Marozzi

Brian May

Peter McGough

Adrian Miller

Hugh Miller

Andrew Mitchell

Charles Nelson

Stefano Pasini

Andrew Passer

Richard Phillips

Philip Redfern

Stuart Risebrow

Mike Say

Dr Norman Shirlaw

Toby Silverton

John Sparkes

Hugh Stebbing

Ian Tonkin

Neil Turnbull

Richard Vaughan

Brian Wadsworth

Sarah and Richard Weale

Sir George White

Philip White

Thomas Wiggett

The following publications and publishers generously gave permission to use or reference their material:

Brooklands Books: BristolCars, Brooklands Portfolio

Car magazine

Classic Cars magazine

Classic and Thoroughbred Cars magazine

Evo magazine

Guernsey Press

Haymarket Publishing

Haynes Publishing: BristolCars. A Very British Story by Christopher Balfour

Octane magazine

Osprey Publishing: Bentley.Cricklewood to Crewe by Michael Frostick

Osprey Publishing: Historyof the Bristol Car by GC Oxley-Siddey

Palawan Press: A Private Car by LJK Setright

The following companies kindly supplied material or information:

Albion Classic and Sports Cars

American Car Centre

Bristol Cars

Chrysler Motor Corporation

Classic Automobiles Worldwide

Justin Banks Classic Cars

Mitchell Motors

Spencer Lane-Jones Ltd

Material was also sourced from the following internet sites:

Allpar

Bristol Owners Club

Automobile catalog

Carfolio

Wikipedia