Looks like Bristol are in the poo

[Des]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-12641665

We're running a bit low on car makers in the UK.

[CreepingJesus]

Shame that. They'll either end up as the badge engineering luxo-brand of a major*, or in the hands of a succession of owners, losing money hand over fist.

 

*How ironic would it be if it were BMW?

[ashmicro]

Shame that. They'll either end up as the badge engineering luxo-brand of a major*, or in the hands of a succession of owners, losing money hand over fist.

 

*How ironic would it be if it were BMW?

 

 

It'd be even better if they took BMW down with them.

[Des]

Of course as soon as trouble was looming they should have dug out the old wartime blueprints, knocked up a few bombers and gone on a nice midnight spree over BMW, Merc and VW. And fuckit cruise past Peugeot on the way back.

[ashmicro]

Of course as soon as trouble was looming they should have dug out the old wartime blueprints, knocked up a few bombers and gone on a nice midnight spree over BMW, Merc and VW. And fuckit cruise past Peugeot on the way back.

[AnthonyG]

I'm not surprised TBH. If you saw their website, it did give the impression of a business that didn't really understand things had moved on a bit since 1962. Shame though.

 

Morgan show the way to be traditional, keep to your core values, and move with the times.

[Des]

Seems the factory gates have been welded shut now. Bristol never grasped the mass production thing, only knocking out about 3 cars per week, long customer waiting list, demand exceed supply kind of thing, I wonder if they've been buggered simply by a few bounced cheques, an unprecedented thing they couldn't learn to deal with?

Not sure it would have worked for Bristol but the obvious plan for a car manufacturer to grow strong would be to have spent the last decade producing trinket laden shit, cynically designed to demonstrate a perceived statement of wealth/status/cock size, which just happens to be useable as a car, motivates the great unwashed masses addiction to life ruining debt.

[RoadworkUK]

... cynically designed to demonstrate a perceived statement of wealth/status/cock size, which just happens to be useable as a car...

 

As much as I loathe him, and I really, really do, occasionally I remember that Liam Gallagher bought a Bristol new, and then I like him again for several fleeting nanoseconds.

[Formula Autos]

... cynically designed to demonstrate a perceived statement of wealth/status/cock size, which just happens to be useable as a car...

 

As much as I loathe him, and I really, really do, occasionally I remember that Liam Gallagher bought a Bristol new, and then I like him again for several fleeting nanoseconds.

 

He also reportedly didn't even have a driving licence at the time. IIRC he also used to sit in it outside the house now and again, as it was 'a nice place to be'. Occasionally someone would drive him somewhere in it. Wonder if he's still got it?

[RedSparrow]

Didn't know they were still going tbh.

 

Those 603 Blenheim things look nice though.

[ChinaTom]

If there is any fun and spirit and derring do left on this Isle, one of the following will pick this up for a bit of subtle heroic "no, we need this, and bugger the bottom line".

 

1) Duke of Westminster. He'll order the next 22 and pay a 50% bonus for getting up the waiting list a bit. Then give them to the workers to cheer them up

 

2) Branson. Go on, you're getting on a bit now - time to do something positive with your money, rather than just stick 2 fingers up at the establishment. A Retirement present maybe. And send one my way to compensate me for secretly removing my interest free facility on my Virgin card. (Haven't flown Virgin since)

 

3) Joe Lewis. Flog that Bulgarian real estate and buy an old lock-up in London, a fancy Kensington High Street pad, and a shed down the M4.

 

4) Lawrence Graff. Right up your street I reckon.

 

5) An Autoshite collective buy-out.

 

Anyone know how bad it is debt-wise? What about the people on the waiting list?

[scooters]

If I win the Euro millions I'll buy the company and install Torsten as MD!

[dollywobbler]

They have sales staff?

 

Must admit, have always thought Bristol were on borrowed time. The current saloon looks dreadful - doesn't matter how good a car is under the skin, if it's awful outside, you won't get many buyers. All went wrong after the 410 really.

[Richard]

Not sure it would have worked for Bristol but the obvious plan for a car manufacturer to grow strong would be to have spent the last decade producing trinket laden shit, cynically designed to demonstrate a perceived statement of wealth/status/cock size, which just happens to be useable as a car, motivates the great unwashed masses addiction to life ruining debt.

 

Given that this is exactly what they would have needed to do to survive, perhaps it's just as well to let them die with dignity.

[Owain-328i]

Pah we build better aircraft than the germans everytime!

[chaseracer]

Wonder if he's still got it?

Not really. The first album was good but...

 

Ah.

 

[Justin Case]

The current saloon looks dreadful - doesn't matter how good a car is under the skin, if it's awful outside, you won't get many buyers. All went wrong after the 410 really.

 

No need for the knockers to come out just because Bristols have gone tits up.

[Timewaster]

The current saloon looks dreadful - doesn't matter how good a car is under the skin, if it's awful outside, you won't get many buyers. All went wrong after the 410 really.

 

No need for the knockers to come out just because Bristols have gone tits up.

 

Knockers? tits? I see what you did there!

 

I dont think BRISTO ARS did themselves any favours but refusing to let the media anywhere near their cars. There must be a large percentage of Footballist millionaire sex pests or lottery winners who dont even know Bristol existed.

 

Its a pity that if I think of Bristol I usually think of the 1980s horrors that look like a cross between a Scimitar and an Ital.

[dollywobbler]

That 'tits' 'Bristols' 'knockers' really is quite amusing, especially if it was unintended.

 

I didn't mean to cause offence, but while I'm sad that another 'great' has hit trouble, I'm also not surprised and refuse to get all 'oooh, why doesn't the government bail them out?' or fail to acknowledge the company's weaknesses. Bristol made some of the finest chariots ever built, but failed to build on the early strengths, unlike Morgan - as has already been accurately pointed out.

 

Anyway, have a frankly bizarre looking car.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I'd squeeze her Bristols.

[Justin Case]

I didn't mean to cause offence,

 

None taken and I'm sure none was intended, it was just the catalyst for a light-hearted play on words, which unfortunately took me over four hours to work out, even though I like to keep abreast of what's happening in the motor industry

[Negative Creep]

The current saloon looks dreadful - doesn't matter how good a car is under the skin, if it's awful outside, you won't get many buyers. All went wrong after the 410 really.

 

No need for the knockers to come out just because Bristols have gone tits up.

 

 

BMW and Peugeot still manage to sell a lot of shit looking cars

[Albert Ross]

They have no morals though, and Bristols were upheld...

[pogweasel]

Morals are a bit different to being a bit secretive, obtuse and downright bloody contrary.

Whilst you admire their principles and refusal to become anything like mainstream, I wonder just how many people they have turned away every year because Messrs Crook & Silverton didn't like the look of them.

[Albert Ross]

Thankfully, though they told JC to fuck off.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

yeah for that you've got to admire em.

 

If they are dead set on making 150 cars per year only they know how likely they are to find buyers for em. PLus only they know how much they can afford to spend on tooling etc for something they'll only ever need 500 of. Basically only they know how to make the numbers add up when making these things. I bet the reason for them going tits up is not for a lack of people wanting one of their 150 cars per year output, i bet its some sort of cashflow problem.

[Richard]

Was JC trying to buy one or get one to use on TG?

[myglaren]

Was JC trying to buy one or get one to use on TG?

As I recall he had tested one on TG and been rather uncomplimentary about the handling so they wouldn't entertain him any further.

 

Shame as a bit of public exposure could have been a godsend to them.

[pogweasel]

See, that's where they started going wrong.

The older stuff based on the 411/610 was pretty outdated, everyone knew this, no-one was under any illusion. Beautifully crafted, but outdated.

 

Then they started on this thing with their supercar, alleging it would serve a veyron it's ass on a plate, but then not letting anyone have a crack at it. If you are going to make something that is going to be 'the ultimate', you have to let the JC's of the world have a go, regardless.

Or don't bother at all and just carry on with hand-built GT's for the landed gentry.

[HillmanImp]

Or don't bother at all and just carry on with hand-built GT's for the landed gentry.

 

But how many of the landed gentry are there left? I bet they were turning away less and less people each year, not because they were getting less picky but because less people were turning up.

 

This has been on my 'lottery list' for a few months now.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C169180/