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{{Infobox company
|name             = Bristol Cars
|logo             = [[Image:Bristol Cars.jpg]]
|type             = Private
|foundation       =   1945
|location_city    = Bristol
|location_country = [[England]]
|location         =   <!--modifies "Headquarters" entry-->
|locations        =   <!--# of locations-->
|key_people       = [[Toby Silverton]]
|area_served      = 
|industry         = Car manufacturing
|products         = 
|services         =
|revenue          = 
|operating_income = 
|net_income       = 
|num_employees    = 
|parent           = Since 2001 the company has been owned by Toby Silverton, with investment from the [[Tavistock Group]]
|divisions        =
|subsid           = 
|slogan           = 
|homepage         =[http://www.bristolcars.co.uk/ Bristol Cars]
|dissolved        = 
|footnotes        = 
|intl             =  yes <!--Enter ''yes'' to change labels to international instead of US terminology-->
}}

'''Bristol Cars''' is a manufacturer of hand-built [[luxury car]]s,<ref name=Bild/> based at Filton, near Bristol, [[England]].<ref>{{cite web|title=225mph car is to be built in city|publisher=''[[BBC News]]''|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6129214.stm|date=2006-11-08|accessdate=2008-05-16}}</ref> Bristol Cars has no distributors or dealers and deals directly with customers; they have a showroom in Kensington in [[London]].  They claim to be the last wholly British-owned luxury car builder.  The cars have never been made in large quantities. The most recent published official production figures were for 1982 and stated 104 cars were produced that year.<ref>Lösch, Annamaria (editor): '''World Cars 1984''', page 402. Herald Books, Pelham, New York (Imprint of Automobile Club of Italy), 1984</ref>

== History ==
[[Image:Bristol 401 red f TCE.jpg|thumb|Bristol 401]]
The history of Bristol Cars began in [[1945]]. Forecasting an excess labour capacity postwar, the [[wikipedia:Bristol Aeroplane Company|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. HJ and DA 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 HJ Aldington Managing Director.

HJ Aldington, who was still in the British Army, used his military connections to visit the bombed [[BMW]] factory in Munich several times in 1945, culminating in a 'duty' trip in October 1945, along with his brother and two Bristol representatives, to take detailed plans of BMW cars and several development engines which they flew back to Bristol. This was quite a tricky manoeuvre as Munich had been declared part of the American Zone and the American Military had just issued orders for the BMW plant to be dismantled and crated up for shipment to the USA. These plans and engines were subsequently declared to be war reparations. BMW chief engineer [[Fritz Fiedler]] was also given employment at AFN where he continued development of the BMW 328 engine.

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. Earlier in 1947 BAC had registered the company name '''Bristol Cars Ltd''' although it continued for several years to market its cars as made by the "Bristol Aeroplane Company".

The first car, the 1947 [[Bristol 400]], was heavily based on pre-WW2 BMWs. The body looked very like the [[BMW 327]], while its engine and [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] were clones of BMW designs (engine and front suspension based on those of the [[BMW 328]], rear suspension from the BMW 326). Even the famous double-kidney BMW grille was carried over intact.

Until 1961 all Bristol cars used evolutions of the 6-cylinder BMW-derived engine. This well-regarded engine also powered a number of sports and racing cars, including all post-war [[Frazer Nash]] cars (apart from a few prototypes), some [[AC (car)|AC]]s, some [[Lotus (car)|Lotus]] and [[Cooper Car Company|Cooper]] racing cars, and several others. In 1961, with the launch of the Bristol 407, the company switched to larger [[Chrysler LA engine|Chrysler V8]] engines, which were more suitable for the increasingly heavy cars. All post-1961 Bristols including the current [[Bristol Blenheim|Blenheim]] and [[Bristol Fighter|Fighter]] models use [[Chrysler]] engines.

From 1960 to 1973, former racing driver T.A.D. [[Tony Crook]] and Sir George White owned Bristol Cars; In 1973, Sir George sold his stake to Tony 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 (car)|Bristol Fighter]]). Crook eventually sold the company to Silverton in 2001.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

Some Bristol cars were made in chassis form and then bodied by specialist firms such as the lightweight [[Zagato]] bodies and the custom line of [[Arnolt]] Bristols.

== Image and company philosophy ==

[[Image:Bristol Brigand car rear+side.jpg|thumb|left|Bristol Britannia]]
Bristol cars are considered by the manufacturer to be "nicely understated" and based on tradition rather than ostentation. The cars are still handmade, taking four times the man-hours to complete compared to other luxury cars.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

Styling is an engineer's creation rather than a stylist's.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} Although Bristol saloons provide "dignified express travel for 4 {{convert|6|ft|m|2|adj=on}} persons and their luggage", the design means that a [[Bristol Type 603|Bristol Blenheim]] is narrower than a [[Ford Mondeo]] and shorter than all competing cars.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} Luggage space is large as the spare tyre is stowed behind a hinged panel in the front left wing and the [[Car battery|battery]] and [[Fuse (automotive)|fuse]] box in the right.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

The company intends its cars to be effective daily transportation rather than occasional indulgences. With regular maintenance, the company expects the car to outlast its owner.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} They maintain the vast majority of parts  in stock, and they will remanufacture or hand-make any other required parts. They will also provide upgrades, such as newer engines.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

With their small production numbers, lack of glamour and no advertising, most even in the UK would not recognise a Bristol.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} This exclusive obscurity is very appealing to a certain class of buyer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Supercar Supermarket: BRISTOL FIGHTER - Feature|publisher=''[[Car and Driver]]''|url=http://www.caranddriver.com/features/all/2001/supercar_supermarket_bristol_fighter_feature|date=January 2001|accessdate=2008-05-16}}</ref> Second-hand Bristols are generally considered to be "classics" and good value considering their quality, rarity and cost when new.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

Bristol has only one showroom, located at 368–370 Kensington High Street in London.<ref name=Bild>{{cite web|title=Die wundersame Welt von Bristol|publisher=''[[Auto Bild]]''|language=German|url=http://www.autobild.de/artikel/eine-autofabrik-vom-anderen-stern_60293.html|date=2008-01-06|accessdate=2008-05-16}}</ref>

== Models ==
[[Image:Bristol 406 1960.jpg|thumb|right|A 1960 Bristol 406]]
=== Bristol-engined cars ===
* [[Bristol 400|Type 400]] (1946 – 1950)
* [[Bristol 401|Type 401]] (1948 – 1953)
* [[Bristol 402|Type 402]] (1949 – 1950)
* [[Bristol 403|Type 403]] (1953 – 1955)
* [[Bristol 404|Type 404]] (1953 – 1955)
* Type 404X [[Arnolt]] Bristol (1954 – 1958)
* [[Bristol 405|Type 405]] (1954 – 1958)
* [[Bristol 405D|Type 405D]] (1954 – 1958)
* [[Bristol 406|Type 406]] (1958 – 1961)
* [[Bristol 450|Type 450]] (1952 – 1955)

=== Chrysler-engined cars ===
* [[Bristol 407|Type 407]] (1961 – 1963)
* [[Bristol 408|Type 408]] (1963 – 1966)
* [[Bristol 409|Type 409]] (1965 – 1967)
* [[Bristol 410|Type 410]] (1967 – 1969)
* [[Bristol 411|Type 411]] (1968 – 1976)
* [[Bristol 412|Type 412]] (1975 – 1994)
** [[Bristol Beaufighter|Beaufighter]]
** [[Bristol Beaufort|Beaufort]]
* [[Bristol 603|Type 603]] (1976 – present)
** [[Bristol Britannia|Britannia]]
** [[Bristol Brigand|Brigand]]
** [[Bristol Blenheim|Blenheim]]
** Blenheim 2
** Blenheim 3, 3S and 3G
** Blenheim 4
* Blenheim Speedster
* [[Bristol Fighter (car)|Fighter]]

== See also ==
* [[British motor industry]]
* [[Car manufacturers]]
* [[Morgan Motor Company]] - another wholly British-owned car company.
* [[Bristol Commercial Vehicles]], which built buses with the Bristol marque
* [[Bristol]]

== References / sources ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Bristol vehicles}}
* [http://www.bristolcars.co.uk/ Bristol Cars]
* [http://www.bristolcars.info/ BristolCars.info - Independent Bristol Cars Enthusiasts Forum]
* [http://www.boc.net/ Bristol Owners Club (UK)]
* [http://www.arnolt.com/ Bristols of America] including Arnolt-Bristols
* [http://y2u.co.uk/&002_Images/Bristol%2001.htm Photos of Bristol 2 Litre - 400 series]


{{British Car Industry}}


{{wikipedia}}
[[Category:Car manufacturers]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British brands]]
[[Category:Formula One engine manufacturers]]
[[Category:Companies founded in 1947]]
[[Category:Companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Bristol Cars]]