Bristol Cars of Britain Goes Into Bankruptcy
The infamous car manufacturer of high-end, slender, and hand-built vehicles, Bristol Cars, has filed for bankruptcy, or administration in British terms. Founded in 1945 in Filton, Bristol in the United Kingdom, this company had the reputation of having exclusive clients and for their exceptional craftsmanship. Getting the most affordable cheap classic car insurance can be quick and simple if you surf the web to compare quotes from various insurance companies.
Tom MacLennan and Trevor Binyon of the RSM Tenon financial operation were named as administrators of the bankruptcy proceedings, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation. A total of 22 workers of the company’s 27-member staff were laid off, although the company hoped to find a buyer so that it could continue operating and producing cars. The company said that sales and service operations would continue as investors were sought.
Bristol Cars, which operated only one showroom, located on Kensington High Street in an upscale area of London, operated with a great degree of privacy. The company almost never publicly posted sales results. Unlike other car companies that attempt to appeal to the masses, Bristol did not allow members of the automotive press to test-drive its automobiles.
Well-known for producing a massively powered Fighter sports car that cost $300,000, had a 1,012-horsepower V10 engine with twin turbochargers and could easily exceed 210 miles per hour, Bristol Cars always had a limited lineup of models. The most recent lineup of the firm included the Fighter, the Blenheim Speedster, the Blenheim sedan and the luxury Series 6.
The V10 engine in the Fighter, a Chrysler V10, was the same engine that powered the world-renowned Dodge Viper. Some reports stated the Fighter could reach a speed of 275 miles per hour, although company officials insisted the top speed was 225 miles per hour.
The Blenheims were named for a twin-engine bomber that a previous incarnation of the company made during World War II.
The finely crafted automobiles produced by Bristol Cars attracted a small but loyal and devoted clientele that included some of the world’s wealthiest and most famous individuals. Rock singer Bono of the band U2, rock and soul performer Tina Turner, rock star Liam Gallagher and British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson are all believed to have purchased at least one car from Bristol.
Bristol Cars owner Toby Silverton publicly stated three years ago that waiting lists for buyers were as long as 18 months, although that level of demand might have dissipated in recent years.
This year, Bristol Cars was believed to have been producing two to three automobiles each week. That slow pace might have been deliberate, however, adding to the company’s mystique. In 1982, for example, the last time the notoriously publicity-shy company officially released production statistics, Bristol Cars turned out 104 automobiles for the entire year.
Bristol Cars has began production only a year shortly after it was founded in 1945. The company was formed when the Bristol Aeroplane Company branched out into the production of automobiles upon the conclusion of the war. The company have had Tony Crook, Formula One driver, and Sir George White as its previous owners.
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