Syd Lovesey, 92, Jeff Marsh and 4 others
 

back at work refurbishing and rebuilding cars...

City businessman plots return of famous Bristol Car brand | This is Bristol

good news for the guys involved and all those interested in all things Bristol Cars.

This news seems to contradict what is on the BCL website; can anyone throw some light on this?

Reviving the Bristol marque
 

Matters little who cares enough to put the little specialist shop back on the map. There are hundreds of admirers of these cars, perhaps thousands, who know what they are. Better than some Asian congolomerate snapping it up. Any positive news is good news.

If you are a member, more about this can be found at BOCForum.

See http://www.boc.net/forum.html

Lou, I couldn't find anything specific on the BOC forum about this (Stuart Cullen and Bespoke Bristol Restorations).

Can you provide a direct link please?

Well, I'm not sure of the ethics of the situation. One has to apply for membership in the BOC Forum. Once accepted, one receives regular emails from the Forum, almost daily, showing a log of the posts made in the past 24 hours.

I supposed I could go on there and ask permission to either post the link, not knowing if you could access it, or access permission to copy and post the contents of the story.

On second thought, the story was printed in a public newspaper. Go to this link if you can:
City businessman plots return of famous Bristol Car brand | This is Bristol

Which BOC forum are you referring to?

They have the forum on their web site, which anyone can look at, which is why I was asking for a link. I couldn't find anything on there.

But then there's the BOC Yahoo forum, which is really a mail list. I'm a member of that but rarely read the emails. I'll go on and have a look.

If there's no more information than that which is included in the newspaper article then it doesn't really matter.

There doesn't seem to be.

does anyone know if the new company has a website?

About to launch I understand.

So really from reading this, after all the initial bluster of the Bristol Car company being rescued from collapse, very little of the original company, its history etc. will actually remain (apart from the badge) when Frazer Nash start producing electric thingies with wankel engines??

Who knows?

But, if the company couldn't make it, for whatever reasons, as it was then operating, why would you expect new owners to keep it as it was?

History does not disappear, it remains.

Tony Crook managed the firm completely differently than his predecessors. There is neither anything new, nor unexpected about that, nor other such changes with a change of ownership.

According to Toby Silverton, at least one of the major factors that doomed Bristol was the premises lease that they labored under that came with the business when Crook sold it.

So does this mean that, with the exception of the showroom, selling second hand Bristols, there is little or nothing of the old company left?

Haven't there been several posts to the effect that the service/parts facility is still open, under Brian Marelli?

Here - check it out: phone him on 0208 560 3300 or email him at services@bristolcars.co.uk.

Apologies, I think I wasn't specific enough; the website infers that the company (car manufacturer) is alive and kicking, meaning that if I rang tomorrow and placed and order for a Blenheim 3 and a Fighter, and answer would be, 'no problem sir' and I would be quoted a delivery time.

This story however, would indicate that this is not the case; that was the question I was asking.

Toby Silverton has resigned and the Blenheim has apparently finally been put out of its misery.

The Blenheim 4 one-off was the last of the line. Although it doesn't appear on the pre-owned section of the BCL website it is for sale in the showroom at the moment. I think the guide is £180k. I know it cost considerably more than that to build (almost double) and would be a fantastic buy for someone. When Aston Martin did a one off like that the customer was expected to pay the full economic cost. There is a lovely V8 (Virage type) with a glass panel in the roof that someone parted with over 500k for. The B4 is a bargain.

There was a piece on Points West last night on BBR with lots of Le Mans footage interspersed, not on iplayer but there is a BBC article here

BBC News - New venture reunites axed Bristol brand car restorers

Paul

rather puts to shame the opening statement on the BCL website regarding the "goodwill of Bristol Cars" and "Mindful of Bristol Cars’ rich heritage and our responsibility as custodians of the brand".

Maybe like Nikolai Smolensky has done with TVR, they, Kamkorp Autokraft, will move production to the continent.....

and I wonder what, if anything, Toby will do now, in relation to the cars he used to make?

I'm sure it's not the last we have heard of Toby Silverton in the Bristol Car world.

With his experience at Overfinch , Jet Spares International and Bristol Cars he is maybe working on a 4 wheel drive jet propelled series 6 411 Fighter :-)

I am disappointed with the lack of information from the new owners of Bristol Cars and speed of any development in organising parts sales and new production facilities. I am still confused about the thinking behind why they bought Bristol Cars. Apart from the tenuous Frazer Nash link, there seems to be little compatibility.

It appears as if they valued the name above all else.....

It all seems very odd and the lack of info infuriates. Also why has Toby Silverton resigned suddenly? Perhaps he has devoted enough time to Bristol and wants to concentrate on his successful businesses for a change.... Perhaps he will will put his side of the story forward one day - we only have Tony Crook's side so far.

Did anyone seriously think otherwise?

Bristol Cars Management

The content from a press release:

Kensington, 22nd November, 2011
Embargo: Immediate

It has been announced today that Toby Silverton, the Managing Director of
Bristol Cars, is stepping down in order to concentrate on his aviation
businesses.

William Chia, Director of Bristol Automotive Group and Group Director of
Operations of Frazer-Nash, said: "We would like to take this opportunity to
thank Toby for helping us during the crucial transition period since we became
guardians of the Bristol Cars marque in April and we're delighted that we will
still have access to his input should the need arise. This is an exciting
chapter in the company's history in which we are investing in the development of
new Bristol cars adopting Frazer-Nash's green technology as well as in the
Kensington showroom, which will continue to sell the best selection of cars from
Bristol's magnificent 65 year history."

Mr Silverton added: "I am profoundly optimistic about Bristol's future. The
next-generation technology, engineering resource and investment that Bristol now
has access to will ensure that the new cars live up to their high tech heritage.
I am looking forward to returning full-time to head up my interests in the
aviation industry and will be pleased to assist Bristol Cars in whatever way I
can."

The appointment of a new General Manager of Bristol Cars will be announced soon.
In the meantime, it is very much business as usual.

Ends...

No dedicated web page yet but photos have been taken for some kind of publicity.....

Grant Robinson photography: Bespoke Bristol Cars

Nice pictures of cars that Bristol Cars built !

I know someone that has just ordered a series 6 with Bristol Cars ! So Bristol Cars is still alive and taking orders and this new company is just competition for the official manufacturer.

If a few people leave Rolls Royce or Ferarri and build you a car, it wont have the same provenance as a car built by the manufacturer ! I guess it will be the same with Bristol.

If this new company is busy, it's a shame that the new owners of Bristol Cars didn't take them all back on.

I hope they all succeed and do well.

Is this the first Fraser Nash Bristol electric vehicle ?

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Very economical with styling similar to the early BMW 328 / Bristol 400 / Fraser Nash !

This single seater sports version is probably best suited to the smaller Bristol owner but it is exempt from the London congestion charges and has free road tax.

Perfect for Richard Hammond to test drive on Top Gear

THE NEW BRISTOL-What?
 

Greg: thanks so much for helping me in my search for an affordable Bristol! At 5 foot 9, this may be a squeeze, but perhaps the chassis can be lengthened a few inches to accomodate my larger frame. I do, however, have a great grandson and he will fit perfectly in a year or so. In the meantime, I can own a Bristol and display it in my office. Good things come to he who waits......

Mr Silverton told me that he re employed the best members of Bristol Cars staff when FN took over.

I must admit that I am concerned that the Heritage Trust archives are now stored for a fee paid by members of the BOC and BODA to this new restoration company.

It also concerns me that they seem to advertise themselves as the new Bristol Manufacturer of the old models when the FN Bristol Cars are still taking orders for S6 models and have a service centre and showroom. I thought the BOC club supported the manufacturer first ? Yet BODA is not supported or advertised ,even when owners are helped with parts and expertise, yet this restoration company is !

The new company have even had photographs taken of cars restored by Bristol Cars to use for advertising !

I would like to know what the storage costs were for the HT archives before they were moved for this £2k / year bargain and if all agree that it is ethical for Mr Lovesey to work for the new company ( as advertised ) that is in competition with the manufacturer we support and to have full access to the archives ?

Although, we have been assured that the archives are secure, it would be very unusual if a landlord doesn't have access to his own property !!

Dinnergate to Archivegate it seems ( maybe a communication problem )

And one or two vested interests ! ? Clarification please

I support FN Bristol Cars LTD

What does the BOC support and are the BOC members financially supporting a business that competes with the manufacturer we support ? Is it fair competition ?

Hmmm...yes but this is the same Mr Silverton who claimed the company was trading successfully when it wasn't - although in his defence it would be rather unproductive to keep announcing doom and gloom all the time to staff and customers.

They need to get young blood in anyway - its all very well having 500 years of car building experience, but they won't be there forever. I am sure things will become clearer as the months go on - I am trying to clear out from my head images of small electric wheeled bubbles with Bristol badges and keeping an open mind!