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Originally Posted by Ashley James
I don't know if any of you read the Automobile which is an excellent Magazine for historical accuracy,...
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Hmm, but you said;
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashley James
I think reading too many car magazines may be your problem. They are more advertorial and subjective opinion than useful.
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Anyway, putting that self contradiction aside for a minute ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashley James
... a couple of months ago Jonathan Wood (an excellent Historian and writer) did a piece on the 400 and, as he usually does, introduced new and verified information to the story.
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What was this information and does he say how was it 'verified'?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashley James
He showed that Bristol paid BMW for the drawings and he better explained the contrasts between AFN and Bristol, so he filled in a few holes where Jenks had stuck to facts and avoided politics and Setright had reported hearsay. It's an interesting story and worth getting right and Jonathan has done that.
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It is an interesting story, but how do you know Jonathan got it right?
For a start it conflicts with the Jenkinson account, who described the drawings and engines that the Aldingtons brought back from Germany as "prizes", in other words, the spoils of war. There was no suggestion of any payment at all. The official Bristol/White line has always been that they were "war reparations".
Clearly only one of these stories can be correct. Is it;
(a) the Aldingtons unofficially grabbed what "prizes" they could because the Americans had ordered the whole plant to be crated up ready for shipment, or
(b) if was official "war reparations" and all completely above board; or
(c) it was a purchase and Bristol paid BMW for it.