Blenheim Production Numbers

[AlanD]

Geoff K, I see you note 1 B3SP and Geoff D you list 1 B Special.

Is the same car and if so what is it exactly ?

irenenz, its a small small world two different Bristol's in the same apartment building car park in Auckland, owned by two different people!

Regards

Alan David
Sydney

[Laurent B]

Thank you for the informations !

You can see the results of my investigations here. I am preparing an update version in English. Please correct if you think I made mistakes.

[Geoff Kingston]

Alan
Sorry to confuse you I got carried away typing numbers I should have put B SP 1 not B3SP 1, this is I suspect the same car as that Geoff D listed as B special 1 and has been owned from new by Simon Draper, it is pictured in the LJK Setright book he published, A Private Car and I think you will also find some photographs on this site in a previous posting relating to Simon Drapers Blenheim.
If I remember correctly the car suffered minor front end damage quite early in its life and the owner took the opportunity not only to have the front end, grill lights and spoiler remodelled to his own requirements but also extensive internal modifications to the dash incorporating a lot of Rolls Royce or Bentley switchgear.
Geoff.

[AlanD]

Laurent B

What s great site, clearly the best site on Belnheims by a county mile. I look forward to the English version, in due course. Will have a good look through it on the week end, no doubt will have a few questions.

Great job!

Regards

Alan

[AlanD]

A series 3 is for sale with Graeme Hunt cars, an example they previously sold a couple of years ago.

Interesting comment from Mr Hunt saying Mr Crook told him 26 to 30 left the factory.

Regards


Alan David
Sydney

[Geoff Kingston]

Alan,
I spotted this ad as well and it could be taken in two ways either a comment on total numbers of all the series of Blenheim 's produced or a comment on the Series 3, if the latter it is quite close to the revised number Geoff D mentioned, yet if the former it is also quite close to the total number of cars of all series identified on the BOC website, interestingly however the Blenheim is the one model they don't give an estimated production figure for.
Perhaps the BOC registrar would like to comment if he is following this thread but it does seem the figure of 8 or 9 series 3's is too low.
Geoff K.

[Geoff Dowdle]

Geoff K ,
Regarding my estimates of Blenheims produced ,
I have a chassis number for each that I mentioned
but there could be a few more that were produced that are not on my list.

I have taken no notice of dealers estimates which often are used to make a car seem rarer

Geoff D

[Kevin H]

Why would Mr Crook say 26-30 cars left the factory? Surely if it was such a small number he would know exactly how many were made.

I know from experience that Bristol were always very cagey about production numbers. I once called them to ask how many Brigands were made when I was about to bid on one at auction - they wouldn't tell me anything!

That said, I gather the new owners of BCL are more forthcoming with information, at least about specific cars. Has anyone actually asked them about Blenheim numbers?

[irienz]

Re:

Originally Posted by AlanD

irenenz, its a small small world two different Bristol's in the same apartment building car park in Auckland, owned by two different people!

Alan,

I can go one better!

About a year later, I moved my 411 to it present garage in a small mews in central Auckland. Not long afterwards, a friend moved into the next door house and garage with the only other 411 Series 4 in New Zealand. Both cars lived in garages a few feet apart until he moved to Dunedin. A photo taken on moving day showing both cars is still my Facebook cover photo ....

Chris Browne
Auckland, New Zealand

[jimfoz]

Originally Posted by Kevin H

Why would Mr Crook say 26-30 cars left the factory? Surely if it was such a small number he would know exactly how many were made.

I know from experience that Bristol were always very cagey about production numbers. I once called them to ask how many Brigands were made when I was about to bid on one at auction - they wouldn't tell me anything!

That said, I gather the new owners of BCL are more forthcoming with information, at least about specific cars. Has anyone actually asked them about Blenheim numbers?

Tony Crook and latterly Toby Silverton always seem to maintain that two to three cars were completed every week and that they kept the number produced slightly below what was actually demanded. If we were to believe this then there should hundreds of every model produced. This may have actually been true before the 603, but Tony Crook was a successful car salesman at the end of the day. They wouldn't easily retract this in case they lost face. The often quoted phrase regarding the strength of the chassis '..only 3 people have died in a Bristol' is probably true as so few were ever built!

[Brianfromdorset]

I keep meaning to sit down of an evening and compile a list of how many different cars appear on Google images. There's quite a few.
Incedently I drove Tony Crooks Blenheim last week thanks to the super guys at Spencer lane jones Hackett. It was a fantastic experience.

[Lance]

The NZ Blenheim is mine.It was delivered to me in the UK in Jan 2000 by TC himself .I exported it to NZ later that year.Car Magazine once described the Bristol as a "hand-built horror" and I can but agree.It's lovely when it's
going but that isn't often enough.It actually broke down when I was driving it away from the showroom in Kensington High St.Still can't bear to part with it though which must mean something.

[jon.p.godfrey]

Originally Posted by Laurent B

Hello

I recently made an inventory of all the Blenheims. I used photos published by car spotters and car dealers on the Internet. This was not very easy because many cars have had several registrations. A few were repainted and I know a Blenheim 1 wich was turned into Blenheim 3 ! However, the website Cazana.com helped me to recreate the history of all cars registered.

So, there is at least 34 Bristol Blenheims
_ 5 Blenheim 1 (one of wich turned into Blenheim 3)
_ 6 Blenheim 2
_ 22 Blenheim 3
_ 1 Blenheim 4

Among these 34 cars :
_ 5 are known by their VIN
_ 3 are genuine LHD cars. 1 was registered in France, 1 in Germany and 1 in Sweden (but it recently came back to England)
_ 1 RHD car was turned into LHD by Bristol Cars for a Swiss customer in 2013. This car is now in the Netherlands.
_ 2 cars have an Irish registration

Of course, my inventory is not completed and I am still searching new informations, but you can already have an idea of the volume of "production". Production datas claimed by Tony Crook were very optimistic !

Excuse my English, I am French !

Dear Laurent,

Thank you for your hard work! I have enjoyed your Recensement page very much!
I am also very curious as to what happened to the first Blenheim, registered as 'MPH 100'. I wonder if it was updated to Blenheim III specification?

[Laurent B]

A reader of my blog found the first Blenheim !

bristol blenheim - the first - Classic Car Photos

Its current registration is FJL100. This numberplate was first registered on April 1983. So the first Blenheim is perhaps a prototype based on a secondhand car !

[Sam410]

Originally Posted by Laurent B

Among these 34 cars :
_ 5 are known by their VIN

Hi Laurent,

I suspect a number of early Blenheims (or one of them at least) were 'remanufactured' and sold as new Blenheim 3s, receiving a new VIN in the process. I know of someone who had a very late B3, and found two different VIN numbers on the car. He discussed it with BCL and was advised which was the correct one. The impression he got, though not confirmed by the company, was that they'd simply failed to change all the VIN stamps (I'm not certain how many there are) when the car was rebuilt.

[jon.p.godfrey]

Originally Posted by Sam410

Hi Laurent,

I suspect a number of early Blenheims (or one of them at least) were 'remanufactured' and sold as new Blenheim 3s, receiving a new VIN in the process. I know of someone who had a very late B3, and found two different VIN numbers on the car. He discussed it with BCL and was advised which was the correct one. The impression he got, though not confirmed by the company, was that they'd simply failed to change all the VIN stamps (I'm not certain how many there are) when the car was rebuilt.

Hello Sam,

When you say remanufactured, do you mean the cars have been upgraded/rebuilt? As in, a 603, Britannia/Brigand or early Blenheim being upgraded to Blenheim III spec?

[jon.p.godfrey]

I love talking about Blenheims, it's like talking about Lochness Monster sightings! Car conspiracy theories!


I looked up 'FJL 100' - the first Blenheim - on the DLVA MOT checker, doesn't look like she has been roadworthy for a few years...