We speak now of Beamers
1951 Bristol 401 SaloonAfter the war, Bristol Airplane company took as reparations a BMW engineer and the rights to the 325/327 model.
They assumed that the market for bombers was about to wane.
The Bristol 400 was basically the BMW with Bristol badges.
After a few years of that they brought out the 401.
The 401 was the BMW chassis with a body derived from an Italian design by Superleggera
I think that was the name of the company, it is also the name of the construction scheme.
The body being outlined with a light steel tube frame then covered with aluminium
(here we would use aluminum) panels
Anyway Bristol, being an airplane company, had a wind tunnel wherein they tested the streamlining of the thing and made it one of the most aero-slippery of it's time.
They also modified it's looks to get rid of some if not most of it's
Italianate grace.
They kept the inline six of the BMW
Later models used an American V-8 of a Chrysler persuasion.
The British cop show featuring inspector Lynley also co-starred a Bristol 409, 410 or 411.
I don't remember which.
It looks rather sad here due to a few years of neglect.
I have better pictures but they are not scanned yet.
The original engine had a cracked head, so I traded it for a Citroen 2CV and installed a Ford Falcon engine mated it to a Toyota Celica 5 speed transmission.
posted by Lane Savant at 11:03 AM
16 Comments:
I don't know how many fortunate people actually rode in the Bristol with you, but I am one of that ilk. It was fun watching its British lines turn heads at every stoplight, from the sidewalk, from choppers overhead. What the hell kind of a car is that?...their lips would move to say. I always thought is was ironic, and a bit strange that you put a Ford Falcon motor in it; I don't know why. I think you painted the car at least once. I remember it as a kind of forest green at some point. Wasn't it still right hand drive, which also turned heads?
You probably did say Jim and Joe, I just read selectively. Leaphorn is a great literary handle, terrific character. Robert Redford's production company put together two of the Leaphorn books, one being "Coyote Waits", with Wes Studi as Joe Leaphorn, and Adam Beach as Jim Chee, the deputy.
i liked the Hillerman books, but somehow they did not have the smack of authenticity of even a short Sherman Alexie poem. Alexie has written over 15 books now. Perhaps he will shock the world and write a Gothic love story, a Stephen King spookfest, a science fiction novel (though FLIGHT is a tribute to Vonnegut and some science fiction time travel). Hillerman, living in New Mexico, became a very wealthy man from his best selling novels; good agents. I wonder what Sherman feels about Hillerman? Would be interesting to find out.
Glenn
All this talk about the Bristol, dude, but you gave us zip data about the BMW Isetta mentioned by that commentor. Give us the poop on that vehicle too.
.............Eddy Emerald
I had a fleet of Bristols after the war; kind of a slap in the face to Rolls Royce and Bentley, who most wealthy folks drove. I liked the way the Bristol felt and looked. So happy that you sort of had one, even though it was a faker, since Henry Ford and the Japs held it together.
.............W. Churcheshill
I had three Bristols in my garage as well, just to piss off my friends who all drove the Rolls. That and Jaguars. I got more boy tail by driving the E-Jag.
............Elton's John
Wasn't I riding in a goddamned Bristol when my stupid driver got into that accident that broke my neck?
......General George P.
We used Bristols all the time in the early 60's; couldn't afford the more expensive cars. Young girls kicked the shit out of those cars in Liverpool.
.........Richard Starkey
Even though I never learned to drive, and I was afraid of the police, I always had a red Bristol in my garage in America. It kind of reminded me of home and my roots. Seemed like it had a cracked head too, and we couldn't find parts.
...........Alfred Bitchcock.
Actually owned a blue Bristol in 1956, and drove the hell out of it in Beverly Hills. Jean Simmons and I made love in the back seat just before we got married. Great dame, Jean--to bad she was a lush.
........Stewart Grangger
Yeah, you passed Jean Simmons off to me in the early 60's, and her alcoholism made my life hell. I should of bought your damned Bristol. I would have been happier.
............R. Brookks
I have a yellow Bristol in the backyard right now. Birds have made nests in it. It has a cracked head as well, but it looks so cool I just can't get rid of it. Do you want to come to England and fix the car for me?
......Sir Paul McKartknee
When Madonna stormed out of my life, taking the kids, she gave me an ultimatum--Me or your sonofabitchin Bristol. I kept the Bristol, man. Driving it is better than sex; much better.
.............Guy Richie
Gosh, I still own a stock white Bristol, one of four cars for me. I kept telling Christopher Nolan that we should use the Bristol in our Batman movies. Christian Bale likes the idea. I wonder if the public would even understand the significance of the car?
.........Michael Kaine
I have done more blow in the back of my black Bristol than you could haul around in a truck, Palmer. You were cool to have owned one, bastardized or not, and a jerk to have sold it after neglecting it for years. That's the way you treat women, man, not classic cars.
..........Mick Jagner
Eddy, push the blue words on Soho's comment.
There's all the Isetta, Messerschmit,
Davis, Gogomobil, and others you could ever want to know about.
Except Crosley
Beamer looks in pretty good condition, really. Never heard of the Bristol.
My hubby's got soem rusty remnants in a garage, old Fords that make this look mint.
I had an 87 Celica Supra, man could it fly. Traded it eventually for the Honda Civic Si, which I later regretted caue it didn't have the power of the Supra.
Anyway...
J.F. This one is the Bristol.
A British car with right hand drive.
I actually had a cop try to give my passenger a ticket once.
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