Bristol Cars goes into administration

[Fireblade69]

EDLT said:

Well it is hideous enough for Bristol to be involved.

[tog]

Bristol Cars has been acquired by Frazer-Nash

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=...

Administrators said:

Kamkorp Autokraft, part of the Frazer-Nash group, has announced that it has acquired the assets and goodwill of Bristol Cars, the luxury car manufacturer, from its administrators. This acquisition will re-establish the connection between Bristol Cars and Frazer-Nash which dates back to Frazer-Nash's close involvement in the foundation of Bristol Cars 65 years ago.

William Chia, the group's Director of Operations, said: "Bristol Cars is a British institution and an important part of our national motoring heritage. Over the next few months we will start to reveal the details of our plans to combine Bristol Cars' tradition and iconic marque with Frazer-Nash's pioneering technology to showcase our cutting-edge electric and range-extended powertrains.

British engineers are globally recognised for their inventions and the quality of their innovation – and these attributes are inherent in all our systems and products. Mindful of Bristol Cars' rich heritage and our responsibility as custodians of the brand, we are certain that our technology will blend seamlessly and successfully with the Bristol Cars tradition of engineering integrity.

Owners and enthusiasts of the cars should be assured that, even though these are early days in our tenure of the brand, we are committed to providing them and their cars with the highest levels of quality, technology and service".

[davepoth]

Glad to see they've been picked up by a mass-market manufacturer then.

Seriously though, it seems an odd buy. Frazer-Nash probably has about equal standing in the minds of petrolheads as Bristol.

[Trommel]

Expect a hybrid Bristol then.

[tog]

Trommel said:

Expect a hybrid Bristol then.

Electric motors have Bristol-like torque levels certainly, and are the future (although I'd rather see fuel cells eventually replace batteries).

[tog]

I just read about the Frazer-Nash concept from 2009.

Autocar said:

The Frazer-Nash Namir uses two motors at the front and two at the back to give four-wheel drive. Power is supplied by a generator driven by a mid-mounted 814cc rotary engine, and between them the four motors provide 357bhp, while the engine emits just 60g/km of CO2.
That’s enough, claims Giugiaro, to give the Frazer-Nash Namir a 0-62mph time of 3.5sec and a 0-124mph time of 10.4sec.
The tub is clothed in a mix of carbonfibre, aluminium and magnesium panels. At 4560mm long and 1972mm wide, it’s a similar size to a Ferrari 599, but the light materials have kept the weight down to 1450kg.
All of the Namir's mechanical and electrical components are mounted in the front and the rear of the car; this gives a 50/50 weight distribution and leaves a totally flat and very low floor in the cabin, making the car’s interior very spacious.

With a four-seat body it sounds rather like everything a Bristol of the future should be.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/...

[Johnnytheboy]

Nice to know Frazer-Nash still exist then.

[RosscoPCole]

tog said:

I just read about the Frazer-Nash concept from 2009.

Autocar said:

The Frazer-Nash Namir uses two motors at the front and two at the back to give four-wheel drive. Power is supplied by a generator driven by a mid-mounted 814cc rotary engine, and between them the four motors provide 357bhp, while the engine emits just 60g/km of CO2.
That’s enough, claims Giugiaro, to give the Frazer-Nash Namir a 0-62mph time of 3.5sec and a 0-124mph time of 10.4sec.
The tub is clothed in a mix of carbonfibre, aluminium and magnesium panels. At 4560mm long and 1972mm wide, it’s a similar size to a Ferrari 599, but the light materials have kept the weight down to 1450kg.
All of the Namir's mechanical and electrical components are mounted in the front and the rear of the car; this gives a 50/50 weight distribution and leaves a totally flat and very low floor in the cabin, making the car’s interior very spacious.

With a four-seat body it sounds rather like everything a Bristol of the future should be.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/...

Totally agree, but the styling has to be right. It can't be generic like the Frazer Nash Namir. If they do what BMW did to Rolls Royce and VW did to Bentley then yes.
Also develop the Fighter, especially the interior and you could have a potential world beater.

I know I'm dreaming, but you can only hope!

[Blackwedge]

tog said:

Bristol Cars has been acquired by Frazer-Nash

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=...

Administrators said:

Kamkorp Autokraft, part of the Frazer-Nash group, has announced that it has acquired the assets and goodwill of Bristol Cars, the luxury car manufacturer, from its administrators. This acquisition will re-establish the connection between Bristol Cars and Frazer-Nash which dates back to Frazer-Nash's close involvement in the foundation of Bristol Cars 65 years ago.

William Chia, the group's Director of Operations, said: "Bristol Cars is a British institution and an important part of our national motoring heritage. Over the next few months we will start to reveal the details of our plans to combine Bristol Cars' tradition and iconic marque with Frazer-Nash's pioneering technology to showcase our cutting-edge electric and range-extended powertrains.

British engineers are globally recognised for their inventions and the quality of their innovation – and these attributes are inherent in all our systems and products. Mindful of Bristol Cars' rich heritage and our responsibility as custodians of the brand, we are certain that our technology will blend seamlessly and successfully with the Bristol Cars tradition of engineering integrity.

Owners and enthusiasts of the cars should be assured that, even though these are early days in our tenure of the brand, we are committed to providing them and their cars with the highest levels of quality, technology and service".

I really hope this works out. The world needs the likes of Bristol.

[AAGR]

Sorry guys, I've joined this one rather late but :

• Bristol went into administration because people had stopped buying their cars.

• Frazer Nash last built a car in about 1957, and rarely sold more than thirty cars a year before that.

For all those reasons, need we take the idea of a rebirth seriously ?

[After all, it wasn't long ago that someone else said they were going to revive the 'Connaught' brand, and that it would have a 2-litre V10 engine. What happened to that ? Right first time ....]

[Trommel]

The Crack Fox said:

I suspect (fear) they've just bought the name to slap on their electric motor gubbins

Yes (although it sounds like there's some sort of notional commitment to supporting the existing cars).

[DonkeyApple]

AAGR said:

Sorry guys, I've joined this one rather late but :

• Bristol went into administration because people had stopped buying their cars.

• Frazer Nash last built a car in about 1957, and rarely sold more than thirty cars a year before that.

For all those reasons, need we take the idea of a rebirth seriously ?

[After all, it wasn't long ago that someone else said they were going to revive the 'Connaught' brand, and that it would have a 2-litre V10 engine. What happened to that ? Right first time ....]

I see this as a holding deal pending the sale of both brands via the administrators shortly down the road.

I can only assume they paid peanuts but am open to being properly educated as what this company that owns two knackered old brands has in the way of funds and roll out strategy.

The only interesting fact out of this is that no one in the main automotive industry had any interest in Bristol.

[Johnnytheboy]

AAGR said:

** Frazer Nash last built a car in about 1957, and rarely sold more than thirty cars a year before that.

How will the Bristol brand fit with a mass market player like that?

[DonkeyApple]

Johnnytheboy said:

How will the Bristol brand fit with a mass market player like that?

You are forgetting about the core synergy of one firm refusing to sell their product to people and the other firm not having a product to sell to people.

The combined entities are likely to become a tour de force of not selling in the automotive industry. I can see them totally dominating and taking control of that sector. All they need to do is see off TVR, who have to be their main global rival.

[ZeeTacoe]

Johnnytheboy said:

AAGR said:

** Frazer Nash last built a car in about 1957, and rarely sold more than thirty cars a year before that.

How will the Bristol brand fit with a mass market player like that?

very good.

[Blib]

@Johnnytheboy and Donkeyapple.

I really shouldn't. But....

[whoami]

DonkeyApple said:

Johnnytheboy said:

How will the Bristol brand fit with a mass market player like that?

You are forgetting about the core synergy of one firm refusing to sell their product to people and the other firm not having a product to sell to people.

The combined entities are likely to become a tour de force of not selling in the automotive industry. I can see them totally dominating and taking control of that sector. All they need to do is see off TVR, who have to be their main global rival.

[Johnnytheboy]

Interesting: according to Steve Cropleyin Autocar, and verified by howmanyleft.co.uk, total Bristol Fighter production since 2004?

Nine cars.

Cropley said eight, but appears to be nine from the link. None since 2009.

Wonder if any of them were actually Fighter T's?

While we're on the subject, since 2005 they built two Blenheims, and that would appear to be it.

[mikefacel]

That is very sad.

[AUDIHenry]

Sad or not, it's a matter of building something that no one wants to buy. Customer is king, regardless of industry.