Fair Comparisons

[lansdownplace]

I think the fact that Bristols are relatively undervalued is that they have always been a well kept secret. You just know that the head of MI5 must have driven a Bristol, and possibly still does.

Classic car values seem to be driven in large part by older wealthier people buying the car they dreamed about when they were younger. Not many teenagers fantasise about owning an understated car that is deliberately kept out of the press to preserve it's anonymity so they didn't grow up with an aching desire to recapture their youth by buying a Bristol as the poster car of their teens. Hence the mid life crisis money is queuing up to buy some pretty (awful) junk elsewhere.

Bristol classic buyers are buying the engineering and build quality, not the image per se, I would have thought. Build quality, low running costs and engineering aside, I like the image as it seems to be the only way to travel around in rapid cosseted luxury without offending anyone.

As an aside, the vast majority of Bristol Owners seem to use Macs, which I think reveals an individual streak where utility and quality are more important than following the masses.

I think the values will rise, it has become more difficult to find cars of late, and people are now investing a lot of money in first rate rebuilds like the series 6 conversions. The supply is so limited that it doesn't take much to tip the supply/demand curve upwards, especially when people realise that you do actually recoup the cost of your restoration if it is done well.

Maybe we should all continue to keep shtum.

[Peter Grace]

Hi Kevin

Would it be helpful if we broke Paul's post down to its component parts for easy refutation?

1. relatively undervalued is that they have always been a well kept secret.
2. You just know that the head of MI5 must have driven a Bristol
2.a. and possibly still does.
3. Classic car values seem to be driven in large part by older wealthier people
3.a. buying the car they dreamed about when they were younger.
3.b. Hence the mid life crisis money is queuing up to buy some pretty (awful) junk elsewhere.
4. Not many teenagers fantasise about owning an understated car that is deliberately kept out of the press to preserve it's anonymity
4.a. so they didn't grow up with an aching desire to recapture their youth by buying a Bristol as the poster car of their teens.
5. Bristol classic buyers are buying the engineering and build quality
6. not the image per se
6.a. I would have thought.
7. Build quality, low running costs and engineering aside
8. I like the image as it seems to be the only way to travel around in rapid cosseted luxury
8.a without offending anyone.
9. As an aside,
10. the vast majority of Bristol Owners seem to use Macs
10.a which I think reveals an individual streak
10.b where utility and quality are more important than following the masses.
11. I think the values will rise
12. it has become more difficult to find cars of late
13. people are now investing a lot of money in first rate rebuilds like the series 6 conversions.
14. The supply is so limited
14.a. that it doesn't take much
14.b to tip the supply/demand curve upwards
14.c. especially when people realise
14.d. that you do actually recoup the cost of your restoration if it is done well.
15. Maybe we should all continue to keep shtum.

Regards

Peter

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by lansdownplace

Bristol classic buyers are buying the engineering and build quality

I don't know enough about the 6 cyl Bristols to comment, but the build quality of the 411s wasn't anything special. I would be interested to know why the engineering of the V8 cars could be considered better than many contemporary rivals.

As an aside, the vast majority of Bristol Owners seem to use Macs,

Ha ha, I must have missed the survey!

I think the values will rise, it has become more difficult to find cars of late, and people are now investing a lot of money in first rate rebuilds like the series 6 conversions. The supply is so limited that it doesn't take much to tip the supply/demand curve upwards, especially when people realise that you do actually recoup the cost of your restoration if it is done well.

I haven't seen a 411 "Series 6" on the secondhand market yet, but I would be very surprised if one could be resold for what it cost to upgrade (£128K?) As for restoring other standard Bristols, they're just like any other classic car restoration - it would be very rare to recoup what was spent (if it was done well).

I hope values will rise now that Bristol is more open and transparent, Toby is clearly making efforts to get more press exposure and the Fighter T has attracted more attention than any Bristol in the last 40 years.