Blenheim Production Numbers
 

Does anyone know the total number of Blenheim's that were produced?

Regards

AlanD
Sydney

It's a mystery
 

I doubt whether even Bristol themselves know for sure. Tony was so full of obfuscation, misinformation & exaggeration that any figures he espoused are likely to be spurious. And Toby became so Fighter and precarious finances fixated that I doubt he cared to double check. It took me an age tto pin down that around 25 Brigands were produced...... If you do find out, let me know. I'm writing a book.....

Regards

Dale Chappell.

Dale, in the unlikely event I do come across some information I will certainly pass it on.

One possible source of information may be the vehicle licensing authority in the UK, not sure what it is called. I have seen info on other car forums where a search has been done on the internet to reveal how many of a certain type/model of car, is registered in the UK. I would not know where to start on this myself.

Regards

Alan

I don't know why Bristol cars are still so coy about production numbers. Tony Crook used to consistently keep production numbers secret to understandably give the impression of a thriving business. Now these cars are no longer in production their rarity adds to value in most people's eyes so one would have thought that it was in Bristol's interest to reveal how rare they are. This is especially so as they are basically a maintenance and restoration company now.

When I asked Sid Lovesey which was the best Bristol ever made, he told me the Blenheim 4 ! It's certainly the best driving Bristol I have ever been in and that includes the Fighter -- actually , especially the Fighter.

Sadly there was only one Blenheim 4 ever built -- I am writing a very short book on it :-)

Looking to the future, I recently managed to obtain a leaked photograph from someone that told me it is the new hybrid electric Bristol ! It seems to be strongly influenced from the Bristol 400 but it can carry 8 people in comfort with full air con -- enjoy...

You are thinking of the howmanyleft.co.uk site. Its accuracy depends on the data held by DVLA, and as many Bristols are incorrectly registered as "Bristol (BLMC)" with no model listed it is not good for Bristols. You can see all the Bristols here:
https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=✓&q=bristol

If you have a Bristol registered as "Bristol (BLMC)" it is possible to have it corrected - there are instructions on the BOC website at https://boc.net/service.php#dvla. They look outdated, but they worked about five or six years ago when I had my 410's registration corrected. The error came about when the DVLA's records were computerised in the 1980s.

The howmanyleft site is merely misleading and of no use whatsoever. Two of my cars are very rare indeed, and I know of many more examples or each than are on that site, let alone the ones I don't know about. One of these cars is an early Morris Oxford estate, so no possible excuse for listing it incorrectly. Test it for a Bristol model by merely using Google Images for a search: you will count more running, UK licensed Bristol 408's in the top two lines than this site reports exist.

Sam410. Thanks for posting the howmanyleft link. I suppose we can take one tiny bit of information from the site and that is that there were at least 16 Blenheim's registered at one time in the UK. This would not account for cars that were exported direct from the factory. I know of one silver colored Series 2 that was (and probably still is) in New Zealand.

Do any of the Bristol Car clubs have a register that may give further information?

Regards

Alan David
Sydney

If you have a Bristol registered as "Bristol (BLMC)" it is possible to have it corrected - there are instructions on the BOC website at https://boc.net/service.php#dvla. They look outdated, but they worked about five or six years ago when I had my 410's registration corrected. The error came about when the DVLA's records were computerised in the 1980s.[/quote]

I have just had my 410 record altered at DVLA just by writing a letter to them and sending it along with my V5.

There are nearly a thousand Bristols registered as Bristol (BLMC) for some reason so the figures in the "How many left" web sites are a long way out. Perhaps we should encourage all members to check their V5 and where BLMC is shown to get the records put right.

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 !

Laurent B,
it is interesting that you have collected this Blenheim information.

The information I have about the Blenheim production is that they were all produced RHD .
Blenheim 1 6 cars
Blenheim 2 10 cars
Blenheim 3 17 cars ( one was completed RHD & converted to LHD before delivery)
Blenheim 3S 1 car

Note there is no record of a Blenheim 4 unless an earlier car was later updated.
Some of the cars above could have been returned to BCL for conversion to LHD.

Geoff

So the "Blenheim 4" is in fact a second hand car updated, isn't it ? Although I found a lot of pictures of this car, I don't know much about it. The original specifications, the VIN or the date of update are unknown.

Several Blenheim 3 have "S" wheels, so it's difficult to say which one is a real S or not. However, the specifications and technical datas of the S are not exactly known.

I know at least 2 Blenheim 3G and one of them have "S" wheels. So is it a "3SG" or not ?

Great work Laurent and Geoff!!

Very interesting information. Does the total for the series 2 include the silver coloured example that when to New Zealand, I have seen this car when I was in NZ. I am not sure if it was purchased second hand in the UK and then exported or went direct from the factory. When I met Tony Crook in the Kensington showroom he mentioned there was one there, which I subsequently saw in Auckland.

Regards

Alan David
Sydney

Alan,
The Blenheim in NZ as far as I can find out is a Blenheim 3 .
Chassis TTBL399168874
Silver with Black trim
Exported in Feb 2000 , but I don't know if it was direct to New Zealand .

Registered in NZ June 2001 "ACU206"

I have not seen the car , do you have a photo of it that you can post on the forum??

Geoff Dowdle
Sydney Australia

PS
you should join the BOC of Australia on one of our events or meetings which are held regularly in Sydney .
But you won't see a Blenheim , they are mostly early 6 cylinder cars.
You would be most welcome.

The numbers for the Blenheim 3 don't stack up as far as the 'knowledgable' trade in the UK are saying, their view is eight or nine cars so where are the other 8 nor 9 coming from?

I do not believe for a second that the figure of eight or nine Blenheim's being produced is correct. Just recently one UK classic car dealer had 4 different Blenheim's for sale at one time.

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of the silver Blenheim I saw in downtown Auckland. I was about 20 meters away from it so had a good look, but this was in the days before smart phones with cameras. I must have seen the car a year or two after it arrived in NZ.

As to its series number I can only tell you that Mr Crook told me it was a Series 2, I do remember that quite clearly, perhaps it was the last of the series 2 cars, or Mr Crook was in error?

I am glad this thread has been revived.

Regards

Alan David
Sydney

The figures I mentioned earlier are from the BOC and other sources .
All with chassis numbers recorded .
My revised counts are
B1 6
B2 8
B3 24
B3S 1
B Special 1
B4S 1

It just show how " knowledgeable " the knowledgeable trade is !!!

Geoff D

Blenheim 4
 

Hello Geoff and Laurent

I have just seen your mention of the Blenheim 4.

It was made from new as a "one off" car, at my request, after Toby Silverton informed me that his development of the Blenheim 4 was partly done and then abandoned. Upon seeing the new body's photos, a deal was struck on price and specification, along with a written guarantee that it would be a unique car, never to be repeated. Completion took 14 months, and I collected the car in March 2009.

After the factory closed, I received written confirmation from the former factory manager (Jeff Marsh) that it was the last new V8 made there.

Do email me if you need any further info.

Richard Levine

levine3456@gmail.com

Alan,
I can only go on what I was told by one of the owners and what I have seen mentioned as production figures by some of the dealers or brokers who have had Blenheim 3's for sale over the last twelve months, this is where the figure of 8 or 9 cars came from. One at least has had a number change between sales and while it would be nice to think they were more about I find it hard to accept that there was suddenly a three fold leap in production for the last model especially as they seemed to have stopped building them a few years before the company failed but if Geoff's sources are good then that is good news for anyone looking to buy one, I nearly did earlier in the year but decided to renovate my 411 series 3 instead.
The car made a very interesting comparison with my 603 and performance wise seemed to sit mid way between that and the 411, might still take the plunge one day.
Geoff.

Having just looked at the BOC data base for the Blenheim they currently have 23 listed in total made up of
B1 3
B2 7
B3 8
B3S 3
B3SP 1
B4 1

The car I looked at incidently was a 3 but one of the 'knowledgeable' dealers had suggested it might have been an S due to the specification, it is still among the 8 B3's listed with the BOC but not with it current owner.

Blenheim Production Numbers
 

[quote=Geoff Dowdle;8940]
The Blenheim in NZ as far as I can find out is a Blenheim 3 .
Chassis TTBL399168874
Silver with Black trim
Exported in Feb 2000, but I don't know if it was direct to New Zealand.

Registered in NZ June 2001 "ACU206"

The Blenheim 3 may still be in New Zealand. I have not seen it or its owner for some time but the owner did not live here permanently (although the car did). At one point the owner and i lived in the same apartment building in Auckland and my 411 and the Blenheim used to park within a few metres of each other. I do not know whether it was exported directly or the owner took delivery in England and then privately exported it, but Bristol Cars gave the impression when referring to it, that it had been exported.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 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

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?

Blenheim Production Numbers
 

Re: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

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!

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.

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.

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?

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 !

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?

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...