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I believe it is a Marcos Spirit..!!? :rolleyes:

 

 

Nope … but several clues in foregoing comments. If I post more pics it'll be too easy as will soon have the whole car. 

 

Another clue:

 

"'Bananals' is not a typo"... but you'll need the model too. 

 

dunk 

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Correct Gerd … Bristol Fighter … but some Bristolians might say 'Bristle' … and 'bananals' … :)

 

Car is allegedly one of just 13 made.

 

Photographed at the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Rally, Burghley Park, Stamford last weekend with R9/DMR & 28-90mm R; the Bristol Owners and Drivers Association were special guests at the rally and on Sunday there was a parade of Bristol cars during the concours awards presentations which included the Fighter.  

 

Your turn Gerd.

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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EDIT … Whilst on the subject of Bristol cars:

 

This is a grab shot of one of the cars as the 'Bristol parade' drove past the spectators during the concours awards. At the time I did not realise that this Bristol 400, registration JHY 261, is the very first Bristol production car made in 1946. Had I known I would have chased it and obtained some better photos.

 

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Good to know that the car has survived.

 

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

 

 

 
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EDIT … Whilst on the subject of Bristol cars:

 

This is a grab shot of one of the cars as the 'Bristol parade' drove past the spectators during the concours awards. At the time I did not realise that this Bristol 400, registration JHY 261, is the very first Bristol production car made in 1946. Had I known I would have chased it and obtained some better photos.

 

attachicon.gifJHY-261-first-Bristol-400-made-1946-.jpg

 

 

Good to know that the car has survived.

 

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

 

 

 

Hence the BMW reference above?  The first Bristols were BMWs built from plans taken from Germany after the war.

 

I had never seen a Bristol till I lived in the UK in the late 1980s.  There was a Bristol showroom in South Kensington - I was amazed that such ugly, stodgy, old-fashioned styled cars could be so expensive, and yet many of my English friends held them in very high esteem.  I could never work it out.  The Bristol Fighter shown above just looks wrong to me from every angle.

 

THere's no accounting for taste I suppose, and many an Englishman here will tell me that I am just showing my ignorance.  But then the Austin Healy 3 litre and Aston Martin DB4 are, to my eye, among the most beautiful cars ever made ...

 

Sorry for the diversion.

 

Cheers

John

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At one time Bristol Cars would not fit tinted glass, it was said it reduced the drivers vision! - I also remember that the spare wheel was located behind a hinged cover located in the area behind the front wheel, passenger side and the door opening..

Image Thanks To:- thetruthaboutcars.com

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Hence the BMW reference above?  The first Bristols were BMWs built from plans taken from Germany after the war.

 

I had never seen a Bristol till I lived in the UK in the late 1980s.  There was a Bristol showroom in South Kensington - I was amazed that such ugly, stodgy, old-fashioned styled cars could be so expensive, and yet many of my English friends held them in very high esteem.  I could never work it out.  The Bristol Fighter shown above just looks wrong to me from every angle.

 

THere's no accounting for taste I suppose, and many an Englishman here will tell me that I am just showing my ignorance.  But then the Austin Healy 3 litre and Aston Martin DB4 are, to my eye, among the most beautiful cars ever made ...

 

Sorry for the diversion.

 

Cheers

John

 

 

Bristol cars incorporated a lot of aeronautical engineering ideas into their designs … maybe not to everyone's taste but personally I find some of the designs attractive as well as functional. The original Bristol 400 was based on several BMW models but it improved on all of them. The subsequent 401 was a beautiful aerodynamic masterpiece in a class of its own and aerodynamic efficiency was a major element in all designs up to the 405. Bristol cars were often innovative and ahead of the game e.g. when in 1969 the 411 used the Chrysler 6.3 litre engine and became the fastest touring saloon. All subsequent Bristol cars were capable of at least 140mph with 0 to 60mph acceleration times of between 6.7 and 8.0 seconds … fairly quick for 4 seater saloon cars. The 1980 Bristol Beaufighter was the first British production car with a fully 'designed - in' turbocharger and it accelerated like a rocket … and optionally available as a LPG fueled 'missile.

 

Stodgy and old fashioned? 

 

Hmmm … there's a lot more to them than meets the eye. 

 

dunk

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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When I was thinking of getting a 411 or 412 after reading L.J.K.Setright's book, Bristol Cars and Engines. I was visiting an old friend and I told him about thinking of a Bristol. He suggested I went and saw a man who repaired old Bristols in his village of Amberley in West Sussex. That man's advice, surprisingly, was "just don't. The newer ones are not at all good with horribly unreliable electrics. They are just not suitable for a car you need to work every day" Our 1939 BMW 328 has a 1948 2 litre Bristol engine and gearbox in place of the BMW originals, all fitted in 1948 by Frazer Nash. It puts out 145 BHP in rally spec. The old saying was that BMW designed the engine but Bristol made it work. 

 

Wilson

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The late owner of Bristol's name was Tony Crook, which summed up my opinion of him perfectly. 

 

Wilson

 

 

Just read an article mentioning him. When the Avon safety wheel was introduced in the 70s he fitted four to a Bristol 411 and deliberately 'blew the charge' at 140mph … he then, "drove the car through a series of slaloms to amuse a collection of  photographers " … Octane magazine March 2006 edition. 

 

Tony Crook was a well known driver in the 50s when he competed with Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks.

 

 

If Gerd doesn't post a mystery car puzzle i can find another

 

 

dunk

Edited by dkCambridgeshire
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OK lets start with this picture and see how it goes. We're looking for the white car in the front.

 

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Gerd

 

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Re. Asymmetric cars.

 

When Harry Mann's Triumph TR7 was introduced at the 1974 Geneva Motorshow. Giorgio Guigaro walked up to it, had a good look and slowly shook his head. He turned to the British Leyland PR wonk, pointed at the very prominent swage/swoosh line along the side and said: "Please tell me that Sig. Mann did not do that on both sides." Apparently Harry Mann overheard this and disappeared to his hotel room for the rest of the day. 

 

Wilson

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Not only American but moreover designed by one of America's iconic designers.

 

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Gerd

 

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Looks like an AVANTI, designed by Raymond Loewy.

 

As a side note, Yes, Loewy may actually have achieved some fame as an industrial designer, he did design foiuntain pens, toasters and things for the home, but in my view he stepped way beyond his abilities when he took on cars. Without trying to sidetrack this thread, I submit a couple of studies he did for BMW, the first a Coupe based on the 507 which clearly has the look of what eventually became the Avanti, the second his version of the BMW 507 roadster…..all I can say is thank heavens BMW chose Albrecht Goertz's equisite design over the ' bar-of-soap-left-in-the-shower-stall-too-long' attempt of the good Mr. Loewy. You can see the beginning of his obsession with asymmetrical design in the silly BMW badge integrated into the off-center hood bulge in photo #2.

 

JZG

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Edited by John Z. Goriup
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It was rumoured that Raymond Loewy had designed the Scheaffer Snorkel pen, one of the great design classics. My father gave me one when I got a scholarship to senior school in Edinburgh in 1959. Unfortunately, some time afterwards, the school bullly stole it from me to use as a dart. Now with eBay, I have recently acquired another, in original unused condition, still with its original UK price marked on it of £5-7s-6d. It, of course, had to have a service before it would work but is now perfect. Scheaffer pens are a bit like Leica cameras, in that there is a whole cottage industry dedicated to keeping old ones working. 

Wilson

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