[issigonis]

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The iconic but extremely low profile British car maker Bristol Cars (which draws its legacy from the Bristol Aeroplane Company- creator of the Blenheim bomber and the Olympus turbojet engine which went on to power the peerless Concorde as a 'Rolls Royce' engine) has gone into administration, according to BBC and a few auto fora on the web.

See the link here : BBC News - Bristol Cars goes into administration

One of the two administrators, Tom MacLennan (the other being Trevor Binyon, both from RSM Tenon) has reportedly said "We would urge any interested parties to make contact with us as quickly as possible and are confident that we can secure the future of this iconic British brand."

Bristol Cars started life in 1945/6 as a maker of advanced cars using the technical expertise of the parent aviation company but the merger of the parent into what ultimately emerged as Rolls Royce plc ( the aviation engine company) removed a source of technological innovation.

Bristol has a very very upmarket reputation and I will be very surprised to find one in India.

Let us see if a white knight emerges. Bristol has to survive using just one weapon that it possesses : its reputation.

Regards, drive safe, like a Brigand

[GTO]

It's the age of consolidation, Issigonis. Car manufacturers with volumes of over 500,000 cars a year couldn't survive and declared bankruptcy / got absorbed by the "big guys"...what chance does a boutique manufacturer have? Bristol is only joining the club of small, broke UK car makers (and there's so MANY of them).

I've read about Bristol's super exclusivity; with an attitude like that, I'm not surprised they see these tough times.

P.S. I can almost hear some Chinese manufacturers making a beeline with rock bottom offers

P.P.S Amongst the "big guys", Honda & BMW are the smallest, yet independent. The world has been speculating since ages of when they'll be part of a merger.

[ajmat]

Well, Bristol's segment was very thin and narrow. I am surprised that it survived so long. As for BMW - they are expanding volume -- the number of small cars coming is mind boggling and a lot of parts sharing with Peugeot.

Honda has decent volume due to US sales but their products no longer are path leading

[absynthguzzler]

I remember staring at their cars in the showroom from the outside standing on the pavement whilst it was pouring down with rain.. just alongside Vauxhall Bridge in London if my memory serves me right. A few internet searches later( on 10mb/sec internet speeds at uni, jeez this brings back memories), i walked back to the showroom and oggled at them with even more admiration and astonishment at the Blenheim.

the last i remember of this memory was when dad came visiting. As we were driving on the M6 and an XJ6 passes by, dad goes "now that's a stately car!" and i said "forget the Jags, you should see Bristol Cars".............. Alas, his fantasy can be fulfilled yet, but mine cant. I'll need to find another source of inspiration to become rich .

[issigonis]

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absynthguzzler,

Their only showroom is on the Kensington High Street/A315.

[I guess the nearest underground station would be High Street Kensington. From Vauxhall Bridge the simplest route would be ( I guess) straight on the Vauxhall Bridge Road past Buckingham Palace Gardens toward Belgravia, then left onto the Kensington High Street.]

I appreciate your sentiments. Hope they find a worthy buyer who can resurrect a hallowed brand, and add a dash of technological innovation. Enough of those large Chrysler engines!

Regards, drive safe

[SuperSelect]

Originally Posted by issigonis

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I appreciate your sentiments. Hope they find a worthy buyer who can resurrect a hallowed brand, and add a dash of technological innovation. Enough of those large Chrysler engines!

More importantly, the new buyer needs to understand what Bristol is all about.
A nouveau-riche buyer would only take them the Rover way, and make a "Roewe" out of this hallowed legacy .
Alas, the new world order has little place for exclusivity.