When Bristol Cars went belly up last spring most of us in the automotive world knew this would not be the last we heard from them. The secretive British car company had the kind of reputation that had value, even if they couldn’t turn a profit on the cars. This kind of situation usually results in some large corporation swooping in and sticking Bristol badges on lightly disguised versions of thier own cars.
Now less than a year later, it looks like Bristol may be on the path to health, and it gets to embrace its history instead of exploit it.
For starters the firm was bought by a corporation called the Kamkorp Group, which also owns Frazer-Nash Research. Bristol will be under the watchful eye of Frazer-Nash, which may sound familiar to those who know Bristol’s history.
Bristol used to build engines for the car company Frazer-Nash in the 1940s and 1950s. So, the two brands have strong historic ties, but today the role seems to be reversed. Frazer-Nash Research specializes in creating hybrid powertrains. Their interest in Bristol is to create a new car that utilizes the technology from Frazer-Nash Research to create a modern sports car in the Bristol tradition.
Frazer-Nash is not the only way Bristol is reaching back to ensure its future. Last week it also hired Sir George White as Chairman of the Bristol’s Advisory Board. White’s grandfather founded Bristol as a airplane company, and his father then turned the company into Bristol Cars.
For those who don’t know…Bristol Cars makes high end sports cars in secrecy. They don’t publish production figures, change models very often, actively advertise, or allow the press much access to their operation. This kind of snob appeal has earned them a famous and wealthy clientele, including Richard Branson, Liam Gallagher, and Bono.
So Bristol seems to be on a direct course for building a luxury hybrid sports car that already has a built-in air of British aristocracy. The already shaky Fisker must be quaking it its electric boots.
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