Terrific news!! At long last after years of negotiation, false starts and legal complexities re IP, on Monday 6 January 2025 the Bristol Owners Heritage Trust bought the entire Archives of Bristol Cars Ltd comprising 12 A0 plan chests of blueprints, 15 filing cabinets of correspondence dating back to the mid-1940s plus sundry miscellaneous automobilia. When we have… Continue reading Big News from the Bristol Owners Heritage Trust!
Category: Treasures
Organisation Chart Map of National Type Approval for Bristol Cars Ltd 1981
Whilst trawling (trolling?) through the archives, the following yellowing, rather crumpled organisational map came to light. This was back in the day when Bristol Cars Ltd was still at the Filton site. But times were changing, and no longer would the BAC barrier glide upwards and a uniformed commissionaire salute smartly when I swept up… Continue reading Organisation Chart Map of National Type Approval for Bristol Cars Ltd 1981
News Flash! BOHT Lecture Day
The BOHT Lecture Day is on Friday 19 April but don't worry if won't be there! You can see the talks anyway as we will be providing a live stream of the lecture on the BOHT YouTube channel. The transmission will be starting at about 12:00 BST. Don't worry if you can't make it at… Continue reading News Flash! BOHT Lecture Day
Bristol Sports Engine Line Builder
Today I turned up Ray Williams’ own record of the engines he built personally on the sports engine line at Filton 1953 onwards. Incidentally he was told “ if Tony Crook comes in and you speak to him you are fired". Presumably TADC was seen as a rival on the hunt for hot tuning tips…… Continue reading Bristol Sports Engine Line Builder
The 401/2/3 buck in light restoration
The Heritage Trust has in its custody the front end of the buck on which your own 401 and 403 were coach built. It is made of sculpted hardwood and high quality ply. The nose section was obviously detachable to enable fine detail panel work. Tinsmiths would cut and shape aluminium panels to fit using… Continue reading The 401/2/3 buck in light restoration
Perhaps a 405 prototype!
In this iteration, Bristol have contemplated their first, four door model, presumably the precursor of the 405. Its vertical rear window flanked by spectacular fins shows how they addressed the rear end, perhaps consistent with current streamlining principles and a compromise with Kamms cut-off tails. And at the front, that tall long stroke engine is… Continue reading Perhaps a 405 prototype!
Bristol 401 streamliner model
This hand made prototype streamliner (we presume from the early 1950s) has a same or similar roofline as the 401 - but the droop nose recalls Porsche’s 356 , Panhard’s Dyna, or the Citroen DS. The model is 11” long x 4 1/2 “ wide x 4” high (28 x 11.5 x 10.2). The second… Continue reading Bristol 401 streamliner model
Bristol model – What might have been…
The Bristol owners Heritage Trust, with the aid of some very generous sponsors, raised a splendid sum of funds to enable us to rescue key items from the wreckage of this once proud firm in their final iteration at Windlesham. This is one of the prototype concept models we bought from the liquidators . It… Continue reading Bristol model – What might have been…
BOHT Archives
The Bristol Owners Heritage Trust collection of paperwork, brochures, pamphlets and other ephemera is now available for all to view in person in the City of Bristol Archives, at B Bond Warehouse, Smeaton Rd, Bristol BS1 6XN free and under secure conditions. The searchroom is open on Tuesdays to Fridays, 9.30am – 4.30pm and the first two Saturdays… Continue reading BOHT Archives
Bristol Owners Heritage Trust 