Still new plans with Bristol

Bristol bankruptcies and relaunches roughly follow the rhythm of ebb and flow. Now there is someone who wants to breathe new life into the brand.

Over the past 15 years, there was occasional concrete news to report about Bristol, but it was mainly about a new owner, ambitious plans and a subsequent bankruptcy. Although Bristol was a brand with a fair amount of prestige in the 20th century, it just won’t get off the ground today. The most recent bankruptcy dates from less than a year ago. Now there is according to Autocar yet someone who wants something with Bristol has risen. His name is Jason Wharton, a real estate entrepreneur.

Wharton, who is an avid Bristol aficionado according to the British medium, wants to revive the brand in many ways. Among other things, he plans to prepare the company for maintenance and restoration of existing Bristols. He wants to do this in a new factory to be opened. In addition, Wharton plans to rebuild the 411 (from the late 1960s) and the Fighter (photos). The well-known 6.4 Hemi V8 from FCA should be in both models. Does the ambition stop there? No, there must also be a completely new Bristol. It should bear the name Buccaneer, which has been in the archives for years.

It all sounds nice. Wharton says there really is a wealth of information in the preserved Bristol archive and that there is “sufficient demand” for a continuation of the brand. He also says he is not concerned that the combustion engine ban by 2030 will throw a spanner in the works. By that time he expects to be able to get his hands on technology that will prepare Bristol for a (partly) electric future. We are going to experience it.

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