6/03!

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 03/06/2018 at 16:10 • Filed to: Bristol 603

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Time for the Peugeot 603 then. Except that sadly there wasn’t one.

Time for the Bristol 603 instead.

Never heard of Bristol? You’re not alone. They were an offshoot of the Bristol aircraft company and were led for most of their existence by the somewhat eccentric !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! who had an unusual attitude to marketing, in that he might deign to sell you a car from his prestigious showroom in London if he liked the cut of your jib. The Bristol was a car for a gentleman of considerable means with the desire to own a dignified but quick car made specifically for him and if the would-be buyer did not meet this specification he could take his custom elsewhere. Production lasted from 1976 to 2011 under several names and with undisclosed but low numbers. Production ultimately ceased because somebody stole the tooling used to make the bodies.

The 603 used large Chrysler V8s and three speed automatics to which were attached rather staid two door bodies with lots of walnut inside, copious instrumentation and more than their fair share of oddities. Take for example the vents fitted down by your feet. The most interesting was the spare wheel location.

It lived in the LH wheelarch. For the sake of symmetry a matching compartment on the other side provided a home for the battery.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Cé hé sin 03/06/2018 at 16:17

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Bruh it’s 3/06

average user > Cé hé sin 03/06/2018 at 16:21

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I thought the company just died. Didn’t know their tooling was stolen. WTF would anyone do that?

I remember walking by that dealer when i used to live in London. It always looked empty.

average user > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/06/2018 at 16:24

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Indeed it is.

Cé hé sin > average user 03/06/2018 at 16:41

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Stolen for its scrap value. Yes, really, or so I’m told.

average user > Cé hé sin 03/06/2018 at 16:48

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I thought the last Bristol is based on the Viper. I always thought it was a CF body car.

Cé hé sin > average user 03/06/2018 at 16:51

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The Fighter?

RallyWrench > Cé hé sin 03/06/2018 at 17:10

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I remember reading a great story about Bristol, and Mr. Crook in particular in one of the British mags many years ago. Apparently they would have a wager as to what letter in the illuminated “Bristol” sign at the showroom would fail next, or what new “word” it would form.

The story also described a homeless-looking man walking into the showroom and inquiring about commissioning a car. Whereas most dealers would boot him out on appearances alone, Tony treated him with dignity and respect, showing options, discussing the potential build, and so on. He must have liked the questions being asked. The man thanked him for his time and left, no order, no money changed hands. He returned the next day and paid for a car in cash. Turns out that the “homeless man” was a wealthy businessman who liked to test people’s character, determining who he’d do business with depending on how he was treated.

average user > Cé hé sin 03/06/2018 at 17:10

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Indeed.

ranwhenparked > Cé hé sin 03/06/2018 at 20:43

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The fender spare thing was possible mainly because Bristol kept on using basically the same prewar BMW chassis under a 1970s body shell right up to the end. The long hood with nearly zero front overhang is classic 1930s proportions, provided plenty of space to tuck in a tire compartment.