Spoke with Toby Silverton, Bristol Cars
 

This morning, for about 15-20 minutes.

He's quite upbeat about the future, and for electric-hybrid cars technology as it could be adopted and adapted to Bristols.

Staying busy on Series VI remods, and buying and selling used cars.

Expects to have, as soon as it can be worked out, all the spares moved out of the old facility to a new operating location.

Working on finding a spot for Mr. Syd...

Mr. Brian Marelli doing well at his location.

A very pleasing conversation, I felt.

I was very glad to have a chat with him once again.

By pure chance, he was at Clarence House when the Princes came out for a walk-about the evening before The Wedding, and even more by chance, he was able to shake the hand of his future monarch. Very chuffed about that!

good news indeed

Good news to hear that things are looking up, Bristol-wise
 

I may be wrong, but I think this is the same family that we told we did not want in our neighborhood. We call the new digs the United States of America. Can't believe all you folks that call yourselves British still pony up a dollar a year each to keep this thing going. We have a chap here by the name of Warren Buffett, and he too is a billionaire, yet we give him tax breaks, but no tribute. But that is another matter, and likely does not belong on this website. No offense, and apologies to all who might be offended.

What the heck are you talking about?

People need to have a clue what you are talking about to be able to be offended ! I never do , but as long as you are having fun !

Say what?
 

Now you know good and well what I am talking about. It is the King Thing! We don't have it, and we are working on getting the popular language straightened out and dropping the phrase 'middle class', as many find it offensive. We have low income, the profoundly dependent, the middle income, and the high income.
We are indeed a strange lot. Some of the most un-educated people you will ever meet are wealthy, and those with brains call themselves 'professionals'.

Well, I didn't know what you were talking about, since I couldn't find anything in what you wrote that pertained to what I wrote!

And, I can't imagine why you decided to clutter up my topic about Bristol Cars and Toby Silverton with your unsolicited and irrelevant opinions about the English monarchy, Toby's country, and manner of life.

Surely, as an Englishman, Mr. S. is entitled to tell me what he felt was exciting news and an adventure! And, I'm entitled to include his happening as a post-script to what I intended to be an upbeat report on Bristols.

Then you crapped on it!

Thanks, for nothing.

It's a sure sign when someone says 'no offence' .............they're about to be so.

Despite my republican tendencies I was pleased to hear that Silverton is upbeat
in what must me troubling times for him.
Interesting to hear that TS seems to be setting up a servicing enterprise.
More info on this appreciated as I'm getting close to buying another Bristol
and it would be handy to know what the maintenance opportunities are.

When I phoned the service centre I was told that Toby Silverton had being appointed as Managing Director by the new owners.

I am also pleased that he has a place in the new set up and that he was able to meet our future King - the "professional" air sea rescue helicopter pilot.

Very positive news. Keeping the key people is a good indication that the new owners intend to keep Bristol Cars going. Hopefully those who lost their jobs might also be re-employed.

Let's keep this thread on topic please. Further off topic posts will be deleted.

Good news. This must mean that the future for getting our spares from Bristol cars is secured (for now..)

Thank God the ownership stayed in British hands....

Imagine if a Yank bought th company.....

BTW, did not Bristol dabble with electric cars once upon a time? That little funny looking (Italian ?) car that was under a tarp in the back of the workshop? The one the size and weight of an average US citizen?

Edit: Zagato Zele is the name

BTW, Kevin, why is not that first offending post removed?

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...g/Tobyscar.jpg

Bristol sold several of these. This is Toby with his "London town car," on Jermyn Street, with my spouse, following dinner with us.

The telephone box looks more spacious... And faster too!

I have never understood why Bristol sold those. Or, why Zagato made them.

I contemplated it Janne, but there are two reasons why I didn't;

1. because by the time I saw it there were several later posts which quoted or referred to the original off topic post, so I would have to delete those as well, and

2. because I would then feel compelled to delete other off topic posts, of which there are many on this site :)

Zele and a matching Fighter, or Cygnet and matching DBS?

as far as i remember, those loveable chaps in the Gulf were complaining about their black gold and how much we were using, so they said we couldn't have any more (or something along those lines); every privately owned luxury car maker immediately went bankrupt, well almost, Aston were left with a shed full of unsold cars. I guess BCL were in the same boat, everyone, well very nearly, said that electricity was the future, so Zagato built the Zele and BCL acted as agents in the UK, at least they had something to sell....

Wouldn't you imagine Tony Crook saw them as an easy way to bring in some cash?

Toby loves driving the Orange Blossom Special around London...zips in and out of traffic, no London entry fee, and can park inside the phone box.

The phone box IS the fastest thing in London; it's fast to the pavement!

' Staying busy on Series VI remods, and buying and selling used cars' so does this mean the end of the current model line up as we know it?

Call and ask.

Anglophile but not Regophile
 

It's amusing to look up this gentleman's first posting to find the heading "Anglophile seeking Bristol Project".

One would expect a love of all things Anglo would include its titular head of state, but obviously not.

Anglophile but not Regophile
 

At the risk of antagonising Our Great Founder by staying off topic, surely Claude you can love a nation without loving the head of that nation. For instance, like Americans but not like Bush (or Obama for that matter)?

Or, like Obama but not like Americans ! :-)

Pointless comment creating a pointless debate ? Thanks Ronnie !

If it is, why haven't they taken them off the web site?
Probably they are in a bit of a quandry. The likely scenario is that if only a couple of people call to order a Blenheim or Fighter in the next few months is it worth them spending time building them from scratch? Far better and more profitable to get a basket case 411/412/603 and do it up to S6 standard. I wouldn't be surprised if they give a non-comittal answer....

Toby Silverton
 

I feel sorry for the company that have taken on Toby as the Managing Director, won't be long before he kills them off as well! He needs to take responsibility for what he did to Bristol Cars and stay well away from them.
What a load of rubbish about them keeping on the 'key' employees - they most definitely haven't! They probably would not be prepared to work with Toby anyhow, after the despicable way that he treated them!

WHOA! Thats a bit harsh unless you've evidence to back that up.

It is my experience that people find it easy to lash out and accord blame, whether that blame is justified or not.

As this forum finds its contributors from around the world it would not be fair to criticise comments made by said contributors, however when a company goes into receivership/administration generally no warning is given to the employees; should this be the reason for comments made.

As for Toby's predicament, and I am in no way privy to the business dealings of BCL, he obviously had good reason for actions taken, otherwise why bid to buy your own company back (if it was a complete basket case as someone mentioned)?

As for FNG, I would imagine that they see BCL as a shop window for their products (they use the word "showcase" on the BCL website), in the same way that large corporations buy luxury brands to improve their image, they don't necessarily need to make money as long as the main product line benefits from the publicity; I forget just how many millions of Euros the VAG group are losing on every Veyron they build....

If FNG can make a fortune selling their products (electric drivetrains) to main stream manufacturers by proving their worth in a Bristol or two, even if BCL never makes money, they will have more than recouped their intial investment.

I think what is needed is for FNG/BCL to come out and state what they intend to do with the current line up, as their statement on the home page of the BCL website is extremely vague, "as we are certain that our technology will blend seamlessly and successfully with the Bristol Cars tradition of engineering integrity" and smacks of mis-direction to me....