Bristol Cars - Owners and Enthusiasts Forum  

Go Back   Bristol Cars - Owners and Enthusiasts Forum > Bristol Forums > Bristol News & Other Bristol Discussion

Bristol News & Other Bristol Discussion About the company, clubs, car owners, and Bristol discussion not specific to the 6,8 or 10 cyl cars.

Tony Crook in Octane Magazine

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #41 (permalink)  
Old 01-04-11, 07:23 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 220
Default

Yaas, I like my 603 S3, very much. Have you seen it in the album here?
Reply With Quote
  #42 (permalink)  
Old 01-04-11, 07:36 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Monschau/Germany, near the Belgian border
Posts: 107
Default

Sure, it looks great with that colour.

I like above all the photographs with the old English buildings in the background.

Regards,
Markus
Reply With Quote
  #43 (permalink)  
Old 01-04-11, 09:15 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 220
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Markus Berzborn View Post
Sure, it looks great with that colour.

I like above all the photographs with the old English buildings in the background.

Regards,
Markus
Thanks. Me, too.
Reply With Quote
  #44 (permalink)  
Old 25-04-11, 02:47 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Smethwick GB
Posts: 2
Default rubino

I think be necessary to look back a few months to see where it all went wrong. It is alleged that most of the external investment in Bristol originally came from a group based in the Bahamas, called Tavistock Group. Tavistock's website used to state that, as well as owning various leisure companies and facilities in the US, it owned Bristol Cars. Some time prior to going into administration, the claim to ownership disappeared from the website. However, the man behind Tavistock is believed to own Tottenham Hotspurs as well as the leisure facilities.
Maybe some reading between the lines is necessary.

rubino
Reply With Quote
  #45 (permalink)  
Old 25-04-11, 02:58 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Monschau/Germany, near the Belgian border
Posts: 107
Default

Well, this is no secret.
Tavistock and Joe Lewis are rather well known, I think.

Regards,
Markus
Reply With Quote
  #46 (permalink)  
Old 25-04-11, 03:04 PM
Banned
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Posts: 188
Default Gugginheim Hotspurs? what?

That certainly cannot be a real name, let alone the owner of so many leisure companies. I suspect it is some shell corporation using a name that no one could trace, even if they tried. People with money looking for a safe place to hide it often go to these extremes, and no doubt set up their fund in a tax-free environment. I am happy that the Bristol company is back on firm ground,and hope this next go-around is successful. I still cannot fathom the need for the company to start building 'hot rods' instead of personal cars that fit a niche in the market that few could fill. Perhaps this time some conservative people will be in charge and get back to the roots of the company. Hotspurs; indeed.
Reply With Quote
  #47 (permalink)  
Old 25-04-11, 07:27 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 183
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald G. Stephenson View Post
That certainly cannot be a real name, let alone the owner of so many leisure companies. I still cannot fathom the need for the company to start building 'hot rods' instead of personal cars that fit a niche in the market that few could fill. Perhaps this time some conservative people will be in charge and get back to the roots of the company. Hotspurs; indeed.
Hi, Joe Lewis is very real, before Bear Stearns he was the tenth wealthiest Briton. The group is named after the Piccadilly restaurant he started out with.

On the hot rod front, the general demand on cars is for more power. There is a bhp war on, the Fighter was emourmously powerful when launched and is now out gunned by tuned Audi and BMW mid level cars. Also build quality in new cars now far exceeds aircraft finish even in the cheapest of cars and it is difficult to achieve the same standards on very small volume intricately detailed cars at a competitive price if you are working by traditional methods. Even Morgan have their panels formed superplastically these days.

The company probably needed a replacement for the Blenheim some tears ago and it was working on developing the Bristol Cub alongside the Fighter but had to choose between them. I have seen the full sized clay for the Cub and it was very handsome. Perhaps that and the implementation of the independent rear suspension design they had developed would have changed the outcome. It is unfortunately just a what if?

Paul
Reply With Quote
  #48 (permalink)  
Old 25-04-11, 07:42 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Smethwick GB
Posts: 2
Default rubino

Maybe Markus misses the point. Joe Lewis and Tavistock are well known for sure, but they did claim to own Bristol Cars for several years. Some say that Silverton was Joe Lewis's son-in-law when the original deal was done, but that Silverton and Lewis's daughter subsequently divorced and that's when the Tavistock funds dried up, leaving Silverton to pick up the tab. Difference being, Silverton is (or was) a millionaire, but Joe Lewis is a billionaire (and still is).
Best, Rubino
Reply With Quote
  #49 (permalink)  
Old 25-04-11, 08:18 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Monschau/Germany, near the Belgian border
Posts: 107
Default

Yes, I also think the reason for Bristol Cars sliding into administration was Mr. Lewis withdrawing his money.
Because from all information and impressions available I cannot conclude that Bristol were selling, restoring and servicing less vehicles in the last few years than they were doing when Toby Silverton took over.

Regards,
Markus

Last edited by Markus Berzborn; 25-04-11 at 09:31 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #50 (permalink)  
Old 26-04-11, 10:36 AM
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 87
Default

Maybe Joe Lewis was also a bit aggrieved that he was throwing money at a new project (the Fighter) which could never possibly recoup its costs within a reasonable timeframe?
Reply With Quote
  #51 (permalink)  
Old 26-04-11, 12:40 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Monschau/Germany, near the Belgian border
Posts: 107
Default

Well, as (I believe) Victor Gauntlett said: How do you make a small fortune out of car manufacturing? Start with a big one.

Regards,
Markus
Reply With Quote
  #52 (permalink)  
Old 26-04-11, 02:00 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: York
Posts: 808
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Markus Berzborn View Post
Well, as (I believe) Victor Gauntlett said: How do you make a small fortune out of car manufacturing? Start with a big one.

Regards,
Markus
Mr Gauntlett new about good cars ! I have his old 411 S2 !!
Reply With Quote
  #53 (permalink)  
Old 26-04-11, 06:27 PM
Banned
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Posts: 188
Default Bristols, Bristols, Bristols!!!!

Glad to see some humor being injected into this thread. Oh, the U.S. of A. had a Joe Lewis. He was a prize fighter. Maybe the name Fighter came from that? Perhaps not..........
Reply With Quote
  #54 (permalink)  
Old 27-04-11, 12:18 AM
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: York
Posts: 808
Default

Maybe !!!!!

Last edited by GREG; 27-04-11 at 06:38 AM. Reason: !
Reply With Quote
  #55 (permalink)  
Old 27-04-11, 09:19 AM
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 220
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald G. Stephenson View Post
Glad to see some humor being injected into this thread. Oh, the U.S. of A. had a Joe Lewis. He was a prize fighter. Maybe the name Fighter came from that? Perhaps not..........
Right, we did...His name was Joseph Louis Barrow, who fought under the name of Joe Louis. More than a fighter, he was the world's heavyweight champion. After wining the title by knocking out Germany's Max Schmeling in the first round, he served in the US Army in WWII.

And, it's my understanding that the former Silverton FIL, Joe Lewis, spends much of his time in the US, in FL, as well.

I suspect most of us think the "Fighter" appellation derived from the Bristol aircraft heritage...though they mostly made bombers for WWII, they did make some fighter models for WWI, I believe, such as the BrisFit.

http://www.airmuseumsuk.org/airshow/...%20Fighter.jpg

Last edited by browning l; 27-04-11 at 01:21 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #56 (permalink)  
Old 27-04-11, 11:53 AM
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 109
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by lansdownplace View Post
The company probably needed a replacement for the Blenheim some tears ago
What an appropriate slip of the keyboard!
Reply With Quote
  #57 (permalink)  
Old 27-04-11, 03:58 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: York
Posts: 808
Default

I have had a few long trips in the Blenheim 4. Very quick on gas or petrol , very quiet and certainly doesn't feel outdated.

A big engined car like a Blenheim that has fuel economy to match my Meredes diesel doesn't seem so outdated.

I think the Fighter should continue to be developed. I do hope it's not shelved as the concept is superb. Maybe a Panamera version :-) With two pairs of wings.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:32 PM.


This is the live site

Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2