This car was amongst the cars displayed by the Bristol Owners' Club at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in August 1996.
It's a 1954 Arnolt Bristol, one of about 130 that were built between 1953 and 1959. The car came about after Stanley 'Wacky' Arnolt had admired an MG TD with a body designed by Giovanni Bertone at the 1952 Turin Automobile Show. Giovanni Bertone was at the show and 'Wacky' Arnolt told him that he wanted to buy 200 of the cars to sell in the USA. The cars sold well in the USA, but when MG introduced the new TF model they said that they could no longer supply the basic TD model on which the Arnolt MG was based. After a brief attempt to produce an Arnolt with an Aston Martin engine that was vetoed by Aston Martin, an arrangement was made with Bristol who agreed to supply Arnolt with the rolling chassis of the 6-cylinder inline 1,971cc Bristol 404 that Carrozzeria Bertone clothed with the new body designed by Franco Scaglione. A team of Arnolt Bristols was entered for the Sebring 12-hour races from 1955 to 1960, performing well and winning the 2-litre class in 1955 and 1960.
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