The history of Bristol Cars began in 1945. Forecasting an excess labour capacity postwar,[citation needed] the Bristol Aeroplane Company (BAC) began working with AFN Ltd, makers of Frazer Nash cars, on plans for a joint venture in automotive manufacture. By July 1945 BAC had created a Car Division and bought a controlling stake in AFN. H. J. and D. A. Aldington remained Directors of AFN and were joined on the Board by Reginald Verdon-Smith and George Middleton White, both sons of BAC Directors. Reginald Verdon-Smith was elected Chairman and H. J. Aldington Managing Director. A factory was established at Filton Aerodrome, near Bristol.[1]
Munich was part of the American Zone and the American military issued orders for the BMW plant to be dismantled for shipment to the U.S. These plans and engines were subsequently declared to be war reparations.
In 1947, BAC registered the company Bristol Cars Ltd, but marketed its cars as made by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. By mid-1947, the different intentions of the Aldingtons and Bristol were becoming clear and Bristol severed its ties with AFN, returning control of AFN to the Aldington family.
Its first car was the 400, prototyped in 1946 and introduced at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show.[2] Derived from immediately pre-WW2 BMW products (thanks to a connection to BMW through Frazer-Nash),[2] the engine and chassis were based on the BMW 326,[2] the engine on the 328,[2] and the body on the 327.[2] Even a variation on the famous double-kidney BMW grille was retained. BMW chief engineer Dr. Fritz Fiedler was also given employment at AFN where he continued development of the inline six engine. Bristol, however, did a thoroughgoing examination of the car's handling and ended up with performance "only matched by outright purpose-built competition cars".[3] 700 of the Bristol 400 were built, with 17 receiving "handsome" convertible bodywork from Pininfarina.[4]
In 1949, the 400 was joined by the five-place Bristol 401.[5] Bodied by Touring, it was aerodynamically sleeker, accelerated better, and had higher top speed.[5] It was joined by the drophead 402, of which just 24 examples were built.[5]
The 403 followed in 1953,[5] which featured improved brakes, gearbox, dampers, heater, and engine[5] (a detuned racing motor, in fact).[5] Bristol would use this same engine in the 450, entered at Le Mans in 1953; it broke its experimental crankshaft, but despite being less than aerodynamically ideal proved fully five seconds a lap quicker than the competition.[6] Bristol withdrew from racing two years later.[7]
Along with the 403 was the 404, on a shorter wheelbase, with more powerful engine and styling reminiscent of the 450. The 404 introduced a concealed front wing-mounted spare wheel and battery.[7] It was built to extremely exacting standards, and the price reflected it; this, plus newly-introduced "punative taxation", meant only 40 were produced.[7]
The 405, which entered production in 1954,[7] was much more successful, not least for being Bristol's only four-door.[7] It remained in production until 1958, with 297 saloons and 43 drophead coupés produced in all.[7]
Bristol debuted the 406 in 1958, and it remained in production until 1961. Its replacement, the 407, was powered by a 5.2 litre V8 provided by Chrysler of Canada.[8]
It was followed in 1963 by the 408, with drastic restyling as well as improved suspension.[8] This was succeeded by the 409. Many buyers preferred the crisp steering and gearbox of the earlier six-cylinder cars.[8]
The 410, introduced in 1966, was a return to the high-performance touring tradition, offering the same top speed as the 409, and superior acceleration, with the same powerplant.[8] It also saw Bristol become a private company and marked a return to quality to the exclusion of output: no more than three cars a week were to be made.[8]
In 1969, the Bristol 411 appeared, with a new 6.2 litre Chrysler V8 (still rebuilt and modified by Bristol, as before) granting higher top speed and better acceleration still.[8]
From 1960 to 1973, former racing driver T.A.D. Crook and Sir George White owned Bristol Cars. In 1973, White sold his stake to Crook. In 1997, Toby Silverton came on board and there followed the greater level of development of cars seen in recent years (particularly, the new Bristol Fighter). Crook eventually sold the company to Silverton in 2001.
- ^ Setright, L. J. K. "Bristol: A Quiet Touch of Class", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 2, p.233.
- ^ a b c d e Setright, p.232
- ^ Setright, pp.232-3.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
A-Zwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f Setright, p.233
- ^ Setright, pp.233-4.
- ^ a b c d e f Setright, p.234
- ^ a b c d e f Setright, p.235