I was one of the 4 engineers that worked on the development of the Fighter, the Chief Engineer was Bob Stevens who came from Lotus along with a chap called Angus. Angus built motorbikes from scratch in his spare time. I never met Max but he left pretty early on. The width of the car was narrow to keep the frontal area low, and to be able to park it in a small city lockup garage, both of which were important to Bristol’s owner. The brakes used to be AP racing and they were fantastic. The styling was dictated by the then owner Toby Silverton, a very kind chap but a slightly quirky taste, and Bruce Southey did a great job of trying to make Toby’s styling preferences & proportions work. The indicator stalks are e30 Bmw iirc not Ford. The steering was again dictated by Toby, who wanted it to have the same turning circle as a black cab, hard to get it feeling good with such a small turning circle. They’ve probably changed a few things since I left. I was the first person to crash one, whilst road testing, nothing serious. Clutch pedal travel was lengthened to reduce the force, it’s quite hard in the viper. The car was designed to be a practical, but rather exotic, daily driver. First film test I’ve ever seen of the car so thanks!
@@ctr289 theres a good talk by Toby Silverton on YT explaining the very good reasons this car is a better use of said engine.. the viper is cool, but this car is very underrated.
It’s brilliant, as a long term viewer of this channel to note the progress from more straightforward car reviews to an excellent insight into the entire history of the marque. Brilliant work as always James keep it up
Until fairly recently, one of the few things I knew about them was that icon of motoring journalism, LJK Setright thought they were one of the best cars in the world. One story I heard was when they did a crash test of one of the later models. Apparently it passed, easily. Nothing fell off, then Bristol took it back and repaired it
So glad you "get" Bristol, James. Character, character, character. Built by engineers for people who appreciate fine engineering. Everything functional; nothing done for "styling" or image, nothing fake. My favourite motoring journalist was the late, great, erudite LJK Setright: a Bristol owner. Through him, I've always been fascinated by Bristols but, sadly, never had the opportunity to drive one. I used to work on Bentley driving events; very occasionally, a guest would roll up in a Bristol. I always had a chat with them because I knew that anyone who owned a Bristol would be a special person. Never disappointed.
I always liked LJKS's writing, and haven't heard his name mentioned in many, many years! I would love to join that special group of Bristol owners - nearly did, once - but alas, family and friends talked me out of it....
This car is... an event! You are one of a tiny handful of people to have driven this model. I'm so glad you created this video. Mahalo and well done! And... oh, yes... more Bristols, if you please!
No way I ever thought I'd see a Bristol Fighter test drive. Great job in your review, as usual. Loved it. Yes please, some older Bristol reviews would be great
Jeremy Clarkson once either said or wrote the handle on the glove box looked like it came from a Victorian box of some sort during a road test, and was promptly banned by Bristol. It was then extended to apply to James May as well, due to his assosiation with Jezza.
@@glennoropeza3545 Apparently Tony Crook took great offence to Clarkson’s remarks about Bristol on TG he refused there after to provide any cars for them to review and banned them from the showroom
Brilliant James. For anyone like myself, who was an avid reader of ‘Car’ magazine in the eighties and nineties and remembers some of their exceptional writers: Russell Bulgin, George Bishop, Ronald Barker, Phil Llewellyn, Alexei Sayle, Rowan Atkknson, a certain James May and, especially relevant here, the late L.J.K. Setright, who had an incredible depth of understanding of engineering. Three marques he often wrote about were Citroën, Honda (which he loved for their race background, VTEC engines and multi-link and double wishbone suspensions: Integra, Prelude) and Bristol, for their aerodynamics, suspension trickery, sheer quality and uncompromising left-field stance. That they did what they thought was right engineering-wise rather than simply chased fashion or worried about manufacturing cost, appealed enormously to him. Hence the cars were fairly narrow to fit our roads and reduce frontal area, they were relatively light, using aluminum construction learnt in aviation production, to improve handling and mean you can use smaller brakes, narrower tyres and lighter suspension systems to improve unsprung mass. All these things Setright loved and he shared that enthusiasm with all his readers. To read his articles was to be educated. How he would hate the wastefulness and compromised engineering of today’s SUVs!
@@JayEmmOnCars he’d probably have seen it as sacrilegious and come out with some suitable Latin phrase to describe his indignation! 😂 I remember he drove the first UK bound Miura back from the factory in Italy and was, as far as I know, the first person to use the term supercar. Quite a legend. Great video today James. Looking forward to more Bristol content in the future!
@@TheOffertonhatter Absolutely. Russell Bulgin was another for me. The way he could talk about a particular car and place it perfectly in a social context (The then new Ford Ka springs instantly to mind) and be really insightful and funny was remarkable. That period of brilliance, I’m sad to say, hasn’t really been repeated since in motoring journalism, particularly the printed kind. Perhaps they were different days. I remember when they printed a lemon on the front cover and said that’s exactly what their long term Golf VR6 had been. Imagine doing that today?
@@andrewmoorhouse687 I remember the VW "Lemon" VR6. Hilarious! Yes, It would not happen today as the manufacturers are far to sensitive to be criticised and would withdraw advertising for a time. How was the writer with that story of the Porsche 911 Engined VW van down the Autobahn? One of my favourite stories. It may have been Phil.
James I need to thank you, my three year old boy really struggles at night time. But every night I put on one of your videos and he loves the noise of the car driving off and then eventually turns over and goes to sleep when you start talking. I think your voice soothes him . ❤
Bring on the old Bristol videos. I remember seeing this my my Evo ‘Supercars’ magazine as a teenager and adoring this car!! Utterly unique. I’ve seen them at motor shows subsequently and they always steal the show for me!!
Love it! Thank you SLJ Hackett! The world needs cars like this... So very British! So very expensive though... But, it's for a certain discerning clientele for sure!
I always remember Bristol along side one LJK Setright one of the most acclaimed and eccentric motoring journalist of the 70’s and 80’s, this was the time I first started reading Car magazine. I was fascinated by both the style of writing and the passion he had for Bristol cars owning many, I believe, over his years as a journalist. I agree having more eccentric’s and cars like Bristol in our lives keeps life interesting. Look forward to your next Bristol videos.
I always liked the looks of the Fighter - and its proportions. The company argued that they built it narrow to make it driveable on narrow country lanes - which imho is good thinking.
That car is a mess , wrong front end , looks like a bloody Celica ? Awful design with silly doors and ugly body , wheels look like a Fiesta ? Not surprised Bristol closed again ffs ....Another fail .....
As a London mini cab driver I would pass the Bristol showroom frequently. The cars always seemed 30 years old even when new. Never got the appeal but the Fighter I was curious about. It's a car I thought everyone had forgotten about. Great review. Thank you.
I actually quite like how it looks, a bit of TVR and Mazda RX-7 and the truncated rear like the ultra rare breadvan GTO and other shooting brakes. Thanks for sharing such a rare piece of automotive history!
Next up in the Giant British Cars series - Aston Martin V8 Vantage LM600. Please, please...🙏🙏🙏 This is pure gold, Mr. Jayemm, absolute audio-visual gold. Excellent work once more...
Loved this film! My late gran lived round the corner from Bristol Showroom and I went past there over 30 years probably every 10 days. Always amazed at how rarely car changed in the window, but would want a go in a Bristol at some point! Just ultimate eccentric British car, miss the Olympia showroom.
I always had a special feeling about Bristols and I knew people who drive several. I even liked the eighties era. In 2009, I was toying with the idea of test driving one. I can’t remember the exact price, but you could one at the bottom of the market at around £7-8k. The very same cars put in a dry garage would easily fetch £40k+ now. I got a R107 SL280 and that’s another sad story of regret selling. I’m glad you enjoyed the car, James!
Great video, always wanted to buy a Bristol from the showroom when I made my millions. Unfortunately they got fed up waiting and closed down 😏 keep up the great work. Thanks 👍
As an enthusiast and researcher of automobile history I can say that for its rarity and exoticism this is the most interesting and exciting car video I have ever watched on UA-cam. Congratulations on the vision and thank you for producing and posting. Greetings from Brazil.
Enjoyed the footage of the car driving through Lavington and Tilshead - I grew up close to there. If I'd seen a Bristol Fighter coming through it would have made my year!
Wow I love this car. It's so odd but yet so fantastic. If I had a choice of the Bristol Fighter or a Ferrari 599, I would take the fighter; any day of the week !
When I was a kid in the early 70's My Father and I wandered upon a Bristol at a car show in Edmonton Alberta. It was a gorgeous car with a 318 Chrysler V8 powering it through a push button Automatic transmission. The weird thing about the car is that the spare tire was located under the passenger's front fender. I remember my Dad saying I likely would never see another one in person, and he was right (so far).
great video James. My dad used to have a 411 series 2. It was such an odd ball and very thirsty. It wasn't too bad in the 80's and 90's, but now. Jesus. We met Sir Anthony Crook at Bristol event back in the day.
Yes! Had a good look around one of these at the brilliant Sunday Breakfast Meets at Haynes Motor Museum... couldn't belive someone had brought one out! Yes please to more Bristols (ooh err?)
I literally just watched an HSG automotive video on this and wondered if anyone had reviewed it, little did I know it's getting a feature by one of my favorite automotive journalists, thank you JayEmm
Good lord! I totally forgot about this car. My only recollection of it was a small paragraph and photo in Autocar magazine. Thank you so much for this video. I throughly enjoyed it. The last 6 being built should have the 8.4 V10 as fitted to the final Viper. 640bhp & 600 lb ft is plenty. 1000bhp is an unreliable, unnecessary, money pit with RIP written all over it. Especially in the UK where roadworks, speed cameras, potholes, fuel duty, congestion and insurance costs make enjoying 300bhp these days an expensive chore with little reward.
I believe that Bristol blew its chances by not utilizing the Viper engine, or at least its truck V10 engine, in its Blenheim lineup. They were using crate 360 cu. in. engines from the performance parts division of Chrysler (I believe it was called 'Direct Connection' until recently when they renamed it 'Mopar') and if I recall, those were USED engines albeit factory rebuilt. Hardly 'exotic' by any means as far as competing with more exotic luxury competitors. Chrysler had a full-size pickup with the 6-speed manual transmission and Viper engine sold as a performance truck, but then came out with a 4-door pickup with the Viper engine and automatic transmission. Those were not to be confused with the lower performance V10 option already available in pickups (work pickups), but a bonified full-size 4x4 pickup with four doors AND 525 hp Viper engine with auto transmission. Heck, the 90s and early 2000s Blenheims could/should have already been using the lower powered V10 truck engines instead of the 360 engine, which would have given it some sort of image boost to justify its 6-figure price tag. The Viper's V10 would have made it that much more interesting, followed with this Fighter engine with the higher horsepower V10 available later on.
I really enjoyed this review. Looks like a completely usable car in all conditions and roads. Narrow enough, high enough off the ground, big enough inside, refined enough and definitely powerful enough!!! Love it.
Bristol ... a name that evokes a slightly other-wordly gentleman of noble blood, festooned with a magnificent handlebar moustache, called something like Cholmondley Wutherington-Smythe, 3rd Count of Chuntingthorpe, who shot down 'many' bally Hun in his Spitfire, don't you know. I love Bristol. Not the city, so much, and neither the more voluptuous Bristols, but these quirky automotive legends from a bygone era that hark back to that now faded and jaded Great British spirit of yesteryear that conquered half the earth. They somehow embody that intangible and indomitable phantom of our not-so-ancient antecedents. Kudos, James, for this delightful piece. Thank you.
Almost certainly the best video you have made, and all of them have in my view been pretty excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed watching this.. Thank you so much James...Looking forward to the next one
What a beauty... being as the fighter has an aviation background the special gull wing doors do remind me of helicopter doors somehow..??? Thanks for smart video..
So happy to see any content on Bristol cars, especially the Fighter. It would be great to see you reviewing other Bristol models, it is a manufacturer I have always been interested in since visiting their showroom as a child when collecting car brochures. I was treated like a potential future customer in what felt like a very old fashioned and very upmarket place where I had expected to be just chucked out for wasting their time. I am always excited to see a Bristol on the road or now more regularly at car shows, so thank you for this content.
Love these, like an alternative TVR, shame they went under. Edit: So it turns out they aren’t finished yet! In 2011 they went under and were sold, 2015 they announced development of a new car, the Bristol Bullet, 2020 they went under again without it going into production, 2021 it was again announced they would be making cars under yet another owner, announcing a limited run of 8 each of 3 vehicles, the 411 Series 8, the Fighter & the Speedster. Before concentrating production on their new electric Bristol Buccaneer. Also there is a video from The Bearded Explorer that shows the assets of Bristol after their 2020 liquidation prior to being auctioned off, several incomplete Bristols sitting around, Bullets and Fighters.
i mean alot of companies go under especially if you are picky about the people who buy your cars. or you simply dont produce enough cars for a specific market. Cant have any market share if you litterally dont exist in most peoples minds.
@@notroll1279 Yes it was. I believe the owners found or inherited with the sale, a one off prototype called the Blenheim Speedster, then commissioned someone with Zagato connections to design a new car with similar looks. A number of Morgan chassis were purchased to built it on, but none (I'm sure) were ever sold.
@@huyra8019 they had 77 years which is 6 years more than Saab , so it Doesn't matter even if you aren't picky , you can still go under like Saab or china buys you like MG, Volvo, Lotus , LDV, London taxies .
Good test and I agree totally, the Bristol Motor Works was an amazing firm and hats off to them for surviving for so long and yes do some test on older models.
Another very cool car that none of us in the US will ever see. If I had the money, I would have loved to buy one. It reminds me a little bit of the Jenson Interceptor. I love this content, and your humor. Please keep up the good work. Thank you.
That's amazing. I've honestly never heard of this car before. I'm surprised James, Richard, or Jeremy never got there hands on one in the glory days of Top Gear.
Absolutely no chance of that, not only because Tony wouldn't let the press review them, but he also wouldn't sell one to James while he was working on the show
Part of the appeal of Bristol I think was that no one really knew what they were, as James said, the ones prior to this looked like a weird Capri, you had to know, a bit like a nice watch - its showing off, but not that you have money, but taste. In contrast you drive a Lamborghhini to tell everyone you have loads of cash, and they make their own judgement on taste.
I have a friend that worked in the Bristol factory in Bristol and he had some fine tales about Tony Crook to. His motorbike got stolen, Tony found out and came up with a huge rolls of cash and said, how can help. The bike was insured, but Tony was an individual alright. The tale of them dropping a car of the ramp 2 days before it was due to be passed back said what spirit the workers had. All the stuff chipped in and practically re-built the car in 2 days so the customer was unaware
Tony Crook was a legend, if he did not like you, he would not let you buy a car. Story is that Michael Winner was approaching the showroom door, Tony ran over and locked it, shook his head at Winner and mouthed NO. I met him a couple of times amazing character.
@@robinoconnor1203 Heard that "he has to approve first" story before, but the fact he did that to a complete tosser like Michael Winner is a serious bonus!
I've always like the Bristol as a mechanic for 40+ years, they're just different but that one is a peach that I've never heard of, looks really good and a powertrain that it suits. Great video cheers.👍
How did I miss this when first published... Your description, James, of the handling/steering improving with increasing speed was exactly how i used to describe a 24V Vauxhall Senator I owned in the late '90s. A fabulous thing in which to experince travel but a tad soft and very vague steering. An effortless Gentleman's Club on wheels. However, if one had the opportunity to take it over somewhere around 90MPH, the whole attitude changed, the electric shocks, in sport mode, awoke. The steering suddenly became very responsive and it could teally hustle along. It ran out if tyre grip confidence at around 130 but that was close to the claimed maximum anyway. No wonder the Traffic Police loved them. Just before I bought the Senator I'd had a madcap idea to get a Bristol. I went to look at one that was in need of full restoration, engine out and in bits but, apparently complete. Very tempting but I had nowhere to do the work or store all of it and came to my senses. I've regretted the missed opportunity ever since but in reality it would never have worked out.
James another wonderful review in your particularly charismatic manner. While on the subject of other Bristols to drive, a 411 Series 6 is one of my all time favourite motor cars, would be lovely to see one reviewed please. Been searching for one, but not found the one yet... The 411 Series looks hand bitingly gorgeous, however £495,000 hmm.
I had completely forgotten about the obviously eccentric and undeniably unique car showroom on Kensington High St, but this brought back the memories from my uni days in London. Awesome.
Thank you so much for this review! As a driver of TVR and Scimitar I absolutely love cars from small, a bit strange british brands. It would be great to see another Bristol video from you. Marcos, Ginetta, Jensen, Scimitar, Gilbern or something like that would also be nice.
Brings back memories of often driving by Bristol's (I believe) one and only UK showroom in Kensington High Street, London, and wondering what those eccentric cars, with powerful engines, drove like!
I saw one of these at Brooklands once (until then I doubted they'd made any except the Prototype too!). I don't know if it's the colour or the camera, but it looks less awkward in your video than it did in 'person'. I've always loved the Viper (not usually a fan of American cars) and I'd imagine one of these Fighters with the running gear from a final model Viper would be great. Enjoyed the video, kudos to the owner for letting you have a go. When I was at school, a friend's dad (who was an airline pilot) had a Bristol (probably a 409), which was the oddest (but coolest) car I knew anyone with!
Excellent more Bristol’s please!!!! Having moved to the US 14 years ago I have yet to see one in the flesh over here so I decided to buy a 95 Bristol Blenheim and import it from the UK. It’s the only one in the US but then again they only made 37 in total or thereabouts!
Can't believe you found a Bristol Fighter! I had heard there were never any Fighter Ts produced, but that mythical status is going to make the only one in the world even cooler. =)
I think I saw this car on the A303 a few weeks ago while I was heading down to Somerset on my bike. Gave a thumbs up as I passed as it’s the only one I’ve seen! Was so excited just to see it in the flesh as it were. Also passed a Beaufighter and a 411 in convoy on the M4 last year. Raises the spirits when rare cars like these are still being used.
Never had heard of a Bristol fighter before but I must say what an awesome car and I would be very proud to own one myself and plan to look into learning more about the Bristol way to go made a car lover's day!
You hit the nail on the head James, this car is cool. Cool like an Aston DB5, a Merc Pagoda, An XKE, An 80’s SWB Audi Quattro. You’re work is such a refreshing change from PlayStation reviews on the infotainment, and percentage of hybrid technology in the slew of unfathomably boring new cars. Buying a new car is like choosing a new fridge, with only a handful of exceptions...and they’re only getting worse with EV. Cool they will never be. Keep the cool content coming. 👍
Been a fan of Bristol's since receiving an Observer's book of automobiles containing the then brand new 603 and the year old 412 as a Christmas present. That may be why I've always had a hankering for one (603), the club secretary's 603 is gorgeous. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder........
What a brilliant way to start a Saturday! Magnificent beast. Years ago my then next door neighbour had a 411 which I believe was like the one used by Inspector Linley on the TV. A great old car....😁👍
I have always had a guilty pleasure over Bristol. My favourite was the Beaufighter of the early 80s which to my young eyes at the time had echos of Monteverdi. I have seen a few 603s over the years.
THAT Bristol Fighter, what a motor! The kind of engineering only the Brits can do. Thank God for the good old garden shed industries peppering the English countryside!
@@TexasRiverRat31254 Yup! I know that. 😊 An American company it may be, but when I said motor I meant car, not the engine actually. There’s a lot more to the car than just that awesome engine though as I found out from watching the video.
I'm a motorbike nut but have always had a soft spot for Bristol and their shall we say "unique approach" both under the stewardship of George White and Tony Crook. In the early noughties only TVR was making truly striking sports cars until the Fighter came along, it became my dream car and if I ever won the lottery one of these would be in my garage sat next to a series one E-Type 3.8 FHC and Rover P5B Coupe.
What a thing. Well done James. I'm really looking forward to seeing the older ones. I really hope one is the 401. My ex brother in law had one in his workshop for months supposedly being worked on for a customer. Not sure what happened to it but it looked amazing and the engineering was incredible for it's age.
I was one of the 4 engineers that worked on the development of the Fighter, the Chief Engineer was Bob Stevens who came from Lotus along with a chap called Angus. Angus built motorbikes from scratch in his spare time. I never met Max but he left pretty early on. The width of the car was narrow to keep the frontal area low, and to be able to park it in a small city lockup garage, both of which were important to Bristol’s owner. The brakes used to be AP racing and they were fantastic. The styling was dictated by the then owner Toby Silverton, a very kind chap but a slightly quirky taste, and Bruce Southey did a great job of trying to make Toby’s styling preferences & proportions work. The indicator stalks are e30 Bmw iirc not Ford. The steering was again dictated by Toby, who wanted it to have the same turning circle as a black cab, hard to get it feeling good with such a small turning circle. They’ve probably changed a few things since I left. I was the first person to crash one, whilst road testing, nothing serious. Clutch pedal travel was lengthened to reduce the force, it’s quite hard in the viper. The car was designed to be a practical, but rather exotic, daily driver. First film test I’ve ever seen of the car so thanks!
Let's be honest, the car is ugly, the Viper makes use of that engine a lot better
@@ctr289 beauty is subjective, viper is ace, I like this too
@@ctr289 theres a good talk by Toby Silverton on YT explaining the very good reasons this car is a better use of said engine.. the viper is cool, but this car is very underrated.
Holy crap. They fell for it...
I was going to comment that the stalks looked like they'd been sourced from BMW and I am glad I read your comment before I did.
I absolutely love Bristols! I like the cars too !!
Top comment.
I love that cars like Bristols exist,, but this is f'ugly.
I wouldn't know, I've never visited.
@@gartgreenside3657I saw this in a car magazine as a child when it was launched, and next to the other supercars of the time it just looked awful.
Under-rated comment
these things are SO cool. definitely in my dream garage.
It’s brilliant, as a long term viewer of this channel to note the progress from more straightforward car reviews to an excellent insight into the entire history of the marque. Brilliant work as always James keep it up
Well said, Billy. Totally agree. This is really unique and quality content.
Until fairly recently, one of the few things I knew about them was that icon of motoring journalism, LJK Setright thought they were one of the best cars in the world. One story I heard was when they did a crash test of one of the later models. Apparently it passed, easily. Nothing fell off, then Bristol took it back and repaired it
He thought early Bristols were among the best, not the Fighter
@@stanleymasterson1135 that is what he meant, and LJKS championed unreservedly
Setright also championed Hondas and smoking, so I didn't put much stall in his opinion
So glad you "get" Bristol, James. Character, character, character. Built by engineers for people who appreciate fine engineering. Everything functional; nothing done for "styling" or image, nothing fake. My favourite motoring journalist was the late, great, erudite LJK Setright: a Bristol owner. Through him, I've always been fascinated by Bristols but, sadly, never had the opportunity to drive one. I used to work on Bentley driving events; very occasionally, a guest would roll up in a Bristol. I always had a chat with them because I knew that anyone who owned a Bristol would be a special person. Never disappointed.
I always liked LJKS's writing, and haven't heard his name mentioned in many, many years! I would love to join that special group of Bristol owners - nearly did, once - but alas, family and friends talked me out of it....
Lovely car. Very well engineered.
@@davidnickerson921 How quaint .
This car is a total fantasy for me. Thanks for making the video. Those stalks look like BMW, not Ford, btw. A magical car.
That is almost certainly the coolest car you've ever driven on the channel.
In my opinion, one of the greatest cars of all time. How did a small company like Bristol build something so glorious!
if by greatest you mean worst then i have to agree
Thanks . They are all so ugly . Designed by my 8 year old . @@MrSimon1909
Greatest failures, sure.
This car is... an event! You are one of a tiny handful of people to have driven this model. I'm so glad you created this video. Mahalo and well done! And... oh, yes... more Bristols, if you please!
I feel honoured to have had the opportunity!
No way I ever thought I'd see a Bristol Fighter test drive. Great job in your review, as usual. Loved it. Yes please, some older Bristol reviews would be great
I seem to remember a fighter-review from Carfection, a few years back. You might want to have a look.
Jeremy Clarkson once either said or wrote the handle on the glove box looked like it came from a Victorian box of some sort during a road test, and was promptly banned by Bristol. It was then extended to apply to James May as well, due to his assosiation with Jezza.
The story goes that Tony Crook Bristol’s owner at the time closed the Kensington showroom when he saw James May lurking around outside 😀
I'm a big fan of the 3 blokes and however crude Clarkson is the manufacturers take his criticism constructively!
@@glennoropeza3545 Apparently Tony Crook took great offence to Clarkson’s remarks about Bristol on TG he refused there after to provide any cars for them to review and banned them from the showroom
@@arrangrant6037 That's what Clarkson and May said at least.
I heard the story that if he didn’t like you, he just point blank refused to sell you a car.
Brilliant James. For anyone like myself, who was an avid reader of ‘Car’ magazine in the eighties and nineties and remembers some of their exceptional writers: Russell Bulgin, George Bishop, Ronald Barker, Phil Llewellyn, Alexei Sayle, Rowan Atkknson, a certain James May and, especially relevant here, the late L.J.K. Setright, who had an incredible depth of understanding of engineering. Three marques he often wrote about were Citroën, Honda (which he loved for their race background, VTEC engines and multi-link and double wishbone suspensions: Integra, Prelude) and Bristol, for their aerodynamics, suspension trickery, sheer quality and uncompromising left-field stance. That they did what they thought was right engineering-wise rather than simply chased fashion or worried about manufacturing cost, appealed enormously to him. Hence the cars were fairly narrow to fit our roads and reduce frontal area, they were relatively light, using aluminum construction learnt in aviation production, to improve handling and mean you can use smaller brakes, narrower tyres and lighter suspension systems to improve unsprung mass. All these things Setright loved and he shared that enthusiasm with all his readers. To read his articles was to be educated. How he would hate the wastefulness and compromised engineering of today’s SUVs!
He would not enjoy an Urus for sure!
Aaah the much missed LJKS. A wonderful Motoring journalist. Always enjoyed his column each month in the magazine.
@@JayEmmOnCars he’d probably have seen it as sacrilegious and come out with some suitable Latin phrase to describe his indignation! 😂 I remember he drove the first UK bound Miura back from the factory in Italy and was, as far as I know, the first person to use the term supercar. Quite a legend. Great video today James. Looking forward to more Bristol content in the future!
@@TheOffertonhatter Absolutely. Russell Bulgin was another for me. The way he could talk about a particular car and place it perfectly in a social context (The then new Ford Ka springs instantly to mind) and be really insightful and funny was remarkable. That period of brilliance, I’m sad to say, hasn’t really been repeated since in motoring journalism, particularly the printed kind. Perhaps they were different days. I remember when they printed a lemon on the front cover and said that’s exactly what their long term Golf VR6 had been. Imagine doing that today?
@@andrewmoorhouse687 I remember the VW "Lemon" VR6. Hilarious! Yes, It would not happen today as the manufacturers are far to sensitive to be criticised and would withdraw advertising for a time. How was the writer with that story of the Porsche 911 Engined VW van down the Autobahn? One of my favourite stories. It may have been Phil.
Car reviews and stories like this are why I love this channel so much
James I need to thank you, my three year old boy really struggles at night time. But every night I put on one of your videos and he loves the noise of the car driving off and then eventually turns over and goes to sleep when you start talking. I think your voice soothes him . ❤
My sister currently has two little ones so I know how helpful that can be? Glad to be of service :)
Bring on the old Bristol videos.
I remember seeing this my my Evo ‘Supercars’ magazine as a teenager and adoring this car!! Utterly unique. I’ve seen them at motor shows subsequently and they always steal the show for me!!
Love it! Thank you SLJ Hackett! The world needs cars like this... So very British! So very expensive though... But, it's for a certain discerning clientele for sure!
I always remember Bristol along side one LJK Setright one of the most acclaimed and eccentric motoring journalist of the 70’s and 80’s, this was the time I first started reading Car magazine. I was fascinated by both the style of writing and the passion he had for Bristol cars owning many, I believe, over his years as a journalist. I agree having more eccentric’s and cars like Bristol in our lives keeps life interesting. Look forward to your next Bristol videos.
I always liked the looks of the Fighter - and its proportions. The company argued that they built it narrow to make it driveable on narrow country lanes - which imho is good thinking.
It is 5cm narrower than a Dacia Sandero!
@@Mgoblagulkablong Great news! 🤪
Shame the Holiday Tourist bus makers don't feel the same way.
@@Mgoblagulkablong Tell James May he will love that !
That car is a mess , wrong front end , looks like a bloody Celica ? Awful design with silly doors and ugly body , wheels look like a Fiesta ? Not surprised Bristol closed again ffs ....Another fail .....
As a London mini cab driver I would pass the Bristol showroom frequently. The cars always seemed 30 years old even when new. Never got the appeal but the Fighter I was curious about. It's a car I thought everyone had forgotten about. Great review. Thank you.
I actually quite like how it looks, a bit of TVR and Mazda RX-7 and the truncated rear like the ultra rare breadvan GTO and other shooting brakes. Thanks for sharing such a rare piece of automotive history!
Repairing "Bristols"..... Sounds like a dream job!!!!!
I just came across your channel. I am 71 years old so I like the sports cars from the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Speaking of low volume British sports cars, there's the TVR Speed 12 at Lakeland Motor Museum.
C'mon James, you know you want to :)
I need to go see
I have emailed them before and I want to but they don't!
@@JayEmmOnCars keep at it! It’ll be worth it!
DUUUDE!!! I’ll watch Bristol content anytime.
More Bristols needed please!!
Next up in the Giant British Cars series - Aston Martin V8 Vantage LM600.
Please, please...🙏🙏🙏
This is pure gold, Mr. Jayemm, absolute audio-visual gold.
Excellent work once more...
Loved this film! My late gran lived round the corner from Bristol Showroom and I went past there over 30 years probably every 10 days. Always amazed at how rarely car changed in the window, but would want a go in a Bristol at some point! Just ultimate eccentric British car, miss the Olympia showroom.
I always had a special feeling about Bristols and I knew people who drive several. I even liked the eighties era. In 2009, I was toying with the idea of test driving one. I can’t remember the exact price, but you could one at the bottom of the market at around £7-8k. The very same cars put in a dry garage would easily fetch £40k+ now. I got a R107 SL280 and that’s another sad story of regret selling. I’m glad you enjoyed the car, James!
Great video, always wanted to buy a Bristol from the showroom when I made my millions. Unfortunately they got fed up waiting and closed down 😏 keep up the great work. Thanks 👍
yes, more Bristol reviews please, I and the ghost of LJK Setright will thank you!
Wow! I can't believe you managed to get hold of one of these rare beasts! It's cars like this that really make this channel great.
Thankyou, I get very lucky
As an enthusiast and researcher of automobile history I can say that for its rarity and exoticism this is the most interesting and exciting car video I have ever watched on UA-cam. Congratulations on the vision and thank you for producing and posting.
Greetings from Brazil.
Enjoyed the footage of the car driving through Lavington and Tilshead - I grew up close to there. If I'd seen a Bristol Fighter coming through it would have made my year!
I think its gorgeous, especially the rear end. Nothing wrong with being different.
Wow James! Amazing can't believe you've been able to drive one of these I remember LJK Setright loved Bristol's mate again amazing. Thank you.
Thanks Graeme - it was a pleasure!
I absolutely love the looks of this car! A mix between a 1963 Corvette Stingray and a Dodge Viper. Thanks for sharing.
the front also reminds me of a rx7
This is fantastic, well done showcasing this car
Awesome car. Thank you for showcasing this amazing and very rare car. Fantastic video. Keep up the good work.
That's the plan! Thanks for watching
You've upped your game considerably with the history and quirky facts. Well worth the watch. Thank you.
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it
The 'Kingsman' of British automobiles!
👍🏻😎🍸🎩
It really is
@@JayEmmOnCars
😎👍🏻
I've actually driven that car as a mechanic years ago, so good to see the beast still alive, Bristol is such a cool company,
Wow I love this car. It's so odd but yet so fantastic. If I had a choice of the Bristol Fighter or a Ferrari 599, I would take the fighter; any day of the week !
Wonderful to have a whole video on bristols. Bristols are magnificent.
When I was a kid in the early 70's My Father and I wandered upon a Bristol at a car show in Edmonton Alberta. It was a gorgeous car with a 318 Chrysler V8 powering it through a push button Automatic transmission. The weird thing about the car is that the spare tire was located under the passenger's front fender. I remember my Dad saying I likely would never see another one in person, and he was right (so far).
great video James. My dad used to have a 411 series 2. It was such an odd ball and very thirsty. It wasn't too bad in the 80's and 90's, but now. Jesus. We met Sir Anthony Crook at Bristol event back in the day.
Yes! Had a good look around one of these at the brilliant Sunday Breakfast Meets at Haynes Motor Museum... couldn't belive someone had brought one out! Yes please to more Bristols (ooh err?)
I literally just watched an HSG automotive video on this and wondered if anyone had reviewed it, little did I know it's getting a feature by one of my favorite automotive journalists, thank you JayEmm
Good lord! I totally forgot about this car. My only recollection of it was a small paragraph and photo in Autocar magazine. Thank you so much for this video. I throughly enjoyed it. The last 6 being built should have the 8.4 V10 as fitted to the final Viper. 640bhp & 600 lb ft is plenty. 1000bhp is an unreliable, unnecessary, money pit with RIP written all over it. Especially in the UK where roadworks, speed cameras, potholes, fuel duty, congestion and insurance costs make enjoying 300bhp these days an expensive chore with little reward.
I believe that Bristol blew its chances by not utilizing the Viper engine, or at least its truck V10 engine, in its Blenheim lineup. They were using crate 360 cu. in. engines from the performance parts division of Chrysler (I believe it was called 'Direct Connection' until recently when they renamed it 'Mopar') and if I recall, those were USED engines albeit factory rebuilt. Hardly 'exotic' by any means as far as competing with more exotic luxury competitors. Chrysler had a full-size pickup with the 6-speed manual transmission and Viper engine sold as a performance truck, but then came out with a 4-door pickup with the Viper engine and automatic transmission. Those were not to be confused with the lower performance V10 option already available in pickups (work pickups), but a bonified full-size 4x4 pickup with four doors AND 525 hp Viper engine with auto transmission. Heck, the 90s and early 2000s Blenheims could/should have already been using the lower powered V10 truck engines instead of the 360 engine, which would have given it some sort of image boost to justify its 6-figure price tag. The Viper's V10 would have made it that much more interesting, followed with this Fighter engine with the higher horsepower V10 available later on.
I really enjoyed this review. Looks like a completely usable car in all conditions and roads. Narrow enough, high enough off the ground, big enough inside, refined enough and definitely powerful enough!!! Love it.
Fabulous! Perhaps the best ground clearance of any 200mph car ever built., Helpful for those rutted tracks around the family pile.
Bristol ... a name that evokes a slightly other-wordly gentleman of noble blood, festooned with a magnificent handlebar moustache, called something like Cholmondley Wutherington-Smythe, 3rd Count of Chuntingthorpe, who shot down 'many' bally Hun in his Spitfire, don't you know.
I love Bristol. Not the city, so much, and neither the more voluptuous Bristols, but these quirky automotive legends from a bygone era that hark back to that now faded and jaded Great British spirit of yesteryear that conquered half the earth.
They somehow embody that intangible and indomitable phantom of our not-so-ancient antecedents. Kudos, James, for this delightful piece. Thank you.
Almost certainly the best video you have made, and all of them have in my view been pretty excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed watching this.. Thank you so much James...Looking forward to the next one
Are you kidding?! 😬 This was bumbling, indulgent rubbish. It's little better than old ones I saw coupla years ago.
What a beauty... being as the fighter has an aviation background the special gull wing doors do remind me of helicopter doors somehow..???
Thanks for smart video..
Bloomin marvelous. I can't wait to see the other Bristol's now. Your a legend James.
I love the 80's outro Jay. Meaning to comment on it for a while. Just works. And the fighter was well worth a watch.
Everyone loves the outro lol
Look forward to seeing that nice pair o’ Bristols you’re promising us. More of these please 👍🏼
Naturally
So happy to see any content on Bristol cars, especially the Fighter. It would be great to see you reviewing other Bristol models, it is a manufacturer I have always been interested in since visiting their showroom as a child when collecting car brochures. I was treated like a potential future customer in what felt like a very old fashioned and very upmarket place where I had expected to be just chucked out for wasting their time. I am always excited to see a Bristol on the road or now more regularly at car shows, so thank you for this content.
Love these, like an alternative TVR, shame they went under.
Edit: So it turns out they aren’t finished yet!
In 2011 they went under and were sold, 2015 they announced development of a new car, the Bristol Bullet, 2020 they went under again without it going into production, 2021 it was again announced they would be making cars under yet another owner, announcing a limited run of 8 each of 3 vehicles, the 411 Series 8, the Fighter & the Speedster. Before concentrating production on their new electric Bristol Buccaneer.
Also there is a video from The Bearded Explorer that shows the assets of Bristol after their 2020 liquidation prior to being auctioned off, several incomplete Bristols sitting around, Bullets and Fighters.
i mean alot of companies go under especially if you are picky about the people who buy your cars. or you simply dont produce enough cars for a specific market. Cant have any market share if you litterally dont exist in most peoples minds.
Wasn't the Bullet a project by someone else who bought the remains of Bristol after their demise?
Definitely looking forward to seeing Jay review some of the older models.
@@notroll1279 Yes it was.
I believe the owners found or inherited with the sale, a one off prototype called the Blenheim Speedster, then commissioned someone with Zagato connections to design a new car with similar looks. A number of Morgan chassis were purchased to built it on, but none (I'm sure) were ever sold.
@@huyra8019 they had 77 years which is 6 years more than Saab , so it Doesn't matter even if you aren't picky , you can still go under like Saab or china buys you like MG, Volvo, Lotus , LDV, London taxies .
In my opinion when i first saw this car, it reminded me of the FD RX7. Especially the front, just with different lights.
Good test and I agree totally, the Bristol Motor Works was an amazing firm and hats off to them for surviving for so long and yes do some test on older models.
Another very cool car that none of us in the US will ever see. If I had the money, I would have loved to buy one. It reminds me a little bit of the Jenson Interceptor. I love this content, and your humor. Please keep up the good work. Thank you.
You've taken your channel to the next level with this video James. Top job!
Thanks Julian
Love the safety glasses on the head while operating the lathe lol
That's amazing. I've honestly never heard of this car before. I'm surprised James, Richard, or Jeremy never got there hands on one in the glory days of Top Gear.
Absolutely no chance of that, not only because Tony wouldn't let the press review them, but he also wouldn't sell one to James while he was working on the show
Part of the appeal of Bristol I think was that no one really knew what they were, as James said, the ones prior to this looked like a weird Capri, you had to know, a bit like a nice watch - its showing off, but not that you have money, but taste. In contrast you drive a Lamborghhini to tell everyone you have loads of cash, and they make their own judgement on taste.
Wow. You never cease to amaze me with sharing your drives with these unicorns.
I have a friend that worked in the Bristol factory in Bristol and he had some fine tales about Tony Crook to. His motorbike got stolen, Tony found out and came up with a huge rolls of cash and said, how can help. The bike was insured, but Tony was an individual alright. The tale of them dropping a car of the ramp 2 days before it was due to be passed back said what spirit the workers had. All the stuff chipped in and practically re-built the car in 2 days so the customer was unaware
Tony Crook was a legend, if he did not like you, he would not let you buy a car. Story is that Michael Winner was approaching the showroom door, Tony ran over and locked it, shook his head at Winner and mouthed NO. I met him a couple of times amazing character.
@@robinoconnor1203
Heard that "he has to approve first" story before, but the fact he did that to a complete tosser like Michael Winner is a serious bonus!
That's a better set of clothes for the Chrysler V10 than a Dodge Viper could ever be. The right car for the right engine.
I've always like the Bristol as a mechanic for 40+ years, they're just different but that one is a peach that I've never heard of, looks really good and a powertrain that it suits. Great video cheers.👍
How did I miss this when first published...
Your description, James, of the handling/steering improving with increasing speed was exactly how i used to describe a 24V Vauxhall Senator I owned in the late '90s.
A fabulous thing in which to experince travel but a tad soft and very vague steering. An effortless Gentleman's Club on wheels.
However, if one had the opportunity to take it over somewhere around 90MPH, the whole attitude changed, the electric shocks, in sport mode, awoke. The steering suddenly became very responsive and it could teally hustle along.
It ran out if tyre grip confidence at around 130 but that was close to the claimed maximum anyway.
No wonder the Traffic Police loved them.
Just before I bought the Senator I'd had a madcap idea to get a Bristol. I went to look at one that was in need of full restoration, engine out and in bits but, apparently complete.
Very tempting but I had nowhere to do the work or store all of it and came to my senses. I've regretted the missed opportunity ever since but in reality it would never have worked out.
James another wonderful review in your particularly charismatic manner. While on the subject of other Bristols to drive, a 411 Series 6 is one of my all time favourite motor cars, would be lovely to see one reviewed please. Been searching for one, but not found the one yet... The 411 Series looks hand bitingly gorgeous, however £495,000 hmm.
I had completely forgotten about the obviously eccentric and undeniably unique car showroom on Kensington High St, but this brought back the memories from my uni days in London. Awesome.
Thank you so much for this review! As a driver of TVR and Scimitar I absolutely love cars from small, a bit strange british brands. It would be great to see another Bristol video from you. Marcos, Ginetta, Jensen, Scimitar, Gilbern or something like that would also be nice.
Brings back memories of often driving by Bristol's (I believe) one and only UK showroom in Kensington High Street, London, and wondering what those eccentric cars, with powerful engines, drove like!
You are right that was the only one
Now it’s an Indian Motorcycles showroom.
I remember a guy round the corner having a Bristol, I helped him bump start it one morning, quite heavy!
I get Zagato vibes aplenty from the styling. I like it a lot.
Great video. I love to see these less obvious modern classics. Would be great if you could do a video on the new Fighter builds.
Seriously cool! Well done. Very much enjoyed the hoisroey aspect of the car and the wonderful Tony Crook anecdote. Yes please on the older Bristols.
Amazing! I’ve never seen one in the flesh!
Please do the old classics, and while your at it, an Interceptor and Gilburn would also be fantastic!
I saw one of these at Brooklands once (until then I doubted they'd made any except the Prototype too!). I don't know if it's the colour or the camera, but it looks less awkward in your video than it did in 'person'. I've always loved the Viper (not usually a fan of American cars) and I'd imagine one of these Fighters with the running gear from a final model Viper would be great. Enjoyed the video, kudos to the owner for letting you have a go. When I was at school, a friend's dad (who was an airline pilot) had a Bristol (probably a 409), which was the oddest (but coolest) car I knew anyone with!
I remember liking these when they were announced. Can't think I've ever seen a review so enjoyed watching that.
Excellent more Bristol’s please!!!! Having moved to the US 14 years ago I have yet to see one in the flesh over here so I decided to buy a 95 Bristol Blenheim and import it from the UK. It’s the only one in the US but then again they only made 37 in total or thereabouts!
Can't believe you found a Bristol Fighter! I had heard there were never any Fighter Ts produced, but that mythical status is going to make the only one in the world even cooler. =)
Great to see more unusual cars. Won't appeal to everyone but I love it. I remember the showroom very well.
Stunning. More Bristol content, please! I’ve long admired them from afar.
You transmited me the curiosity for the car which I absolutely adore. Very cool piece. I'd love to see those other Bristols mentioned!
I think I saw this car on the A303 a few weeks ago while I was heading down to Somerset on my bike. Gave a thumbs up as I passed as it’s the only one I’ve seen! Was so excited just to see it in the flesh as it were.
Also passed a Beaufighter and a 411 in convoy on the M4 last year. Raises the spirits when rare cars like these are still being used.
I was thinking that looks like Sailbury plain flashing passed.
That could have been me!
The sound of the engine is wonderful. Enjoy it for me too!
Never had heard of a Bristol fighter before but I must say what an awesome car and I would be very proud to own one myself and plan to look into learning more about the Bristol way to go made a car lover's day!
You hit the nail on the head James, this car is cool. Cool like an Aston DB5, a Merc Pagoda, An XKE, An 80’s SWB Audi Quattro. You’re work is such a refreshing change from PlayStation reviews on the infotainment, and percentage of hybrid technology in the slew of unfathomably boring new cars. Buying a new car is like choosing a new fridge, with only a handful of exceptions...and they’re only getting worse with EV. Cool they will never be. Keep the cool content coming. 👍
That is the plan!
Please do make more of these, with the background and anecdotes, these are the best videos to understand and appreciate the cars and their history. 😊👍
Been a fan of Bristol's since receiving an Observer's book of automobiles containing the then brand new 603 and the year old 412 as a Christmas present. That may be why I've always had a hankering for one (603), the club secretary's 603 is gorgeous. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder........
What a brilliant way to start a Saturday! Magnificent beast. Years ago my then next door neighbour had a 411 which I believe was like the one used by Inspector Linley on the TV. A great old car....😁👍
I have always had a guilty pleasure over Bristol. My favourite was the Beaufighter of the early 80s which to my young eyes at the time had echos of Monteverdi. I have seen a few 603s over the years.
THAT Bristol Fighter, what a motor! The kind of engineering only the Brits can do. Thank God for the good old garden shed industries peppering the English countryside!
You do know that it came from a Viper, right? that's a Yankee car company. Used to be Dodge/Chrysler.
@@TexasRiverRat31254 Yup! I know that. 😊 An American company it may be, but when I said motor I meant car, not the engine actually. There’s a lot more to the car than just that awesome engine though as I found out from watching the video.
I'm a motorbike nut but have always had a soft spot for Bristol and their shall we say "unique approach" both under the stewardship of George White and Tony Crook. In the early noughties only TVR was making truly striking sports cars until the Fighter came along, it became my dream car and if I ever won the lottery one of these would be in my garage sat next to a series one E-Type 3.8 FHC and Rover P5B Coupe.
I’d been waiting years to see a proper review of a Fighter, and given up hope. Kudos for bagging this one 👍
Thanks! Better late than never
Have been a subscriber for a while now... but only saw this today... this was an extra special experience! Thank you for sharing it
What a thing. Well done James. I'm really looking forward to seeing the older ones. I really hope one is the 401. My ex brother in law had one in his workshop for months supposedly being worked on for a customer. Not sure what happened to it but it looked amazing and the engineering was incredible for it's age.
It puts a smile on my face to know that Bristol isn't Completely dead, if that company bought the chassis maybe they have the blueprints to make more?