Syd Lovesey, 92, Jeff Marsh and 4 others

[browning l]

back at work refurbishing and rebuilding cars...

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

[TBC]

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?

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

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.

[browning l]

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

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

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by browning l

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

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?

[browning l]

Originally Posted by Kevin H

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

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by browning l

Well, I'm not sure of the ethics of the situation.

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.

[browning l]

Originally Posted by Kevin H

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.

[TBC]

does anyone know if the new company has a website?

[lansdownplace]

Originally Posted by TBC

does anyone know if the new company has a website?

About to launch I understand.

[jimfoz]

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??

[browning l]

Originally Posted by jimfoz

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.

[TBC]

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?

[browning l]

Originally Posted by TBC

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.

[TBC]

Originally Posted by browning l

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.

[Philip]

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

[lansdownplace]

Originally Posted by Philip

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

[TBC]

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.....

[TBC]

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

[GREG]

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.