There is an interesting article in the June 2020 edition of The Automobile. To quote: Long before the first Bristol production car was constructed, the Filton aviation company considered plans to build the Alfa Romeo 6C under licence in the UK. Ultimately, this fascinating project came to nothing, as Sir George White explains.
Category: Cars
Bristol 400 by Jonathan Wood
Jonathan Wood looks at the first of the distinguished Bristol line, the 400. This was a pre-war BMW in all but name, with its 326 chassis, 328 engine and 327-derived body. Top: A 400 is dwarfed by the Bristol Brabazon at Filton in 1947. The transatlantic airliner first flew in 1949 but was cancelled in… Continue reading Bristol 400 by Jonathan Wood
Bristol Owners Heritage Trust lecture day at the Create Centre and City of Bristol Archives on April 6 2019
Survivors of the day’s HMRC tax year deadline were able to attend our annual-ish lecture day on 6 April 2019. The day started with stylish riverside parking of nearly a dozen Bristols by kind courtesy of Bristol City Council, who graciously assented not to tow us away. Guest of honour was a BMW 326 parked,… Continue reading Bristol Owners Heritage Trust lecture day at the Create Centre and City of Bristol Archives on April 6 2019
Article by Gary Axon about Bristol cars in the Hagerty newsletter
There is a very good article by Gary Axon in the Hagerty newsletter entitled "Exclusive, Expensive, Eccentric and Expired – A Potted History of Bristol Cars"Click on the link to read it. https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/exclusive-expensive-eccentric-and-expired-a-potted-history-of-bristol-cars/
AFN Ltd and the Aldingtons
Part 1: 1930 to 1939 To understand how the Bristol Aeroplane Company introduced a new range of sporting saloon cars in late 1946 one needs to know the history of AFN Ltd from the mid-1930s to the late-1950s, and its senior management, HJ, DA & WH Aldington. This firm became an integral part of discussions,… Continue reading AFN Ltd and the Aldingtons
Baffled by your V8? Troubled by your Torqueflite? Mystified by that misfire? – The Chrysler Master Technician Conference
As a hardcore 2 Litre owner I must confess whenever I open the bonnet of a V8 my heart sinks. Just slightly. No polished aluminium components or gleaming rocker boxes greet one's eye. A mass of random pipeage, and a monstrous bucket sized carburettor replace the 2 Litre’s finely sculpted, Filton/Bavarian designed row of tuneable triple Solex or SUs.… Continue reading Baffled by your V8? Troubled by your Torqueflite? Mystified by that misfire? – The Chrysler Master Technician Conference
Some photos from a photo-shoot on the Filton runway
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter – and some Bristol cars
The Type170 Bristol Freighter was a post-war work horse. Designed at the end of the war but produced in the Brabazon era, it was built in two configurations , firstly with a passenger carrying capacity of 32 , (exceeded in very special circumstances) and secondly with its bluff nose hinged to open like a clamshell,… Continue reading The Bristol Type 170 Freighter – and some Bristol cars
US Star of stage and screen Yolande Donlan visits Filton in 1952 in her Type 401.
Yolande was an American - British actress, voted the most promising female newcomer to the stage in 1950. The arrival of this celebrity at Filton in her Type 401 was worthy of attention from Ted Ashman the Works photographer, for the in-house Bristol Review. This picture also reflects the Bristol car’s potential female market –… Continue reading US Star of stage and screen Yolande Donlan visits Filton in 1952 in her Type 401.
What is the Origin of the Bristol “Scroll”?
The Bristol Scroll… (off a Bristol bus!) We were sent a query - what is the origin of the Bristol "Scroll" that emblazons our beloved cars (and local buses too)?This wasn’t easy to track down, but we consulted our President…. Here is Sir George's advice: What your correspondent needs is a copy of Martin S.… Continue reading What is the Origin of the Bristol “Scroll”?
Bristol Owners Heritage Trust 