Bristol Cars - A Very British Story

RRP: £50.00
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 978 1 84425 407 1

For over 62 years a team of talented engineers and craftsmen have been building Bristol cars, first manufactured in 1946 and still produced today, Bristol cars have become a uniquely British institution. The hand-built cars are built to order for discerning purchasers and enthusiasts who prefer their cars to benefit from evolutionary improvement rather than frequent design change they savour the special driver experience that comes from good balance and careful positioning of controls and for their performance, handling, reliability, longevity and everyday practicality.

This beautiful book, written by a lifelong Bristol devotee and a dedicated owner of nearly 50 years standing tells the whole story in remarkable detail, from the very beginnings of this unique enterprise right up to the present day. It chronicles the efforts of the Car Division's founding families - the Aldingtons, Verdon-Smiths and Whites - and examines the political and policy reasons behind the fact that Bristol did not become a bigger force in the motor industry. Tony Crook's role, from his early experiences with Bristol cars and onwards to his long period of successful ownership and management after Sir George White's accident, is fully described. The book concludes with Toby Silverton's arrival and his ownership and management today.

The authoritative illustrated text in Bristol Cars - A Very British Story includes comments from current owners, competition successes, practical guidance on purchase, maintenance and restoration, and specifications of all models. Bristol cars have a very fine pedigree. Offspring of the pioneering 19th century transport company that later helped Britain to win two world wars and then created the Brabazon, Britannia and Concorde, and triumphant in rallies and races in the 1950s, Bristol still produces cars that combine the best of traditional and modern engineering concepts without pandering to fashion.

Bristol Cars - A Very British Story is the fourth book for author Christopher Balfour who is now retired, and living in Hampshire. His family were also transport pioneers, their post- war efforts also affected by politics, in their case by nationalisation. Solace came for the author with the purchase of his first Bristol, a 400, in 1961. In the nearly 50 years since that early purchase he has been soothed and heartened by the constant use of both six-cylinder and V8-engined Bristols, an experience he recommends to others.