BRISTOL

18 entries

British maker of hand-built luxury cars, born from the car division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company after the war.

Base: Bristol, England
Origin: Car division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Production: 104 cars in 1982
Ended: Liquidation in February 2020

Bristol Cars was formed from the car division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company after the Second World War and later became independent as Bristol Cars Limited. It always built cars in small numbers: the last published figure was 104 cars in 1982.

The company suspended manufacturing in March 2011, and a new company formed by the administrator sold the assets to Kamkorp; that company was liquidated in 2020 to pay creditors. Another revival was announced in 2026 with a run of five Bristol Fighters.

1945Car division created by the Bristol Aeroplane Company
2011Manufacturing suspended and administrators appointed
2020Company liquidated
2026Revival announced

BRISTOL Bristol Commercial Vehicles: buses, coaches and lorry chassis
BRISTOL Bristol RE: the successful rear-engined single-decker
BRISTOL Bristol MW: the Medium Weight bus and coach chassis
BRISTOL Bristol Lodekka: the first step-free double-decker
BRISTOL Bristol LH: the lightweight horizontal-engined bus
BRISTOL Bristol 409: softer springs and the first power steering
BRISTOL Bristol 407: the first Chrysler V8 Bristol
BRISTOL Bristol 404 and 405: coupé, saloon and drophead
BRISTOL Bristol 401 and 402: Touring-inspired grand tourers
BRISTOL Bristol Type 603: Britannia, Brigand and Blenheim
BRISTOL Bristol VR: the vertical rear-engined double-decker
BRISTOL Bristol 450: the Le Mans-winning Bristol prototype
BRISTOL Bristol Fighter: the gullwing V10 supercar
BRISTOL Bristol 403: the fastest of the six-cylinder Bristols
BRISTOL Bristol 408: a new face for the Chrysler V8 Bristol
BRISTOL Bristol 411: the big-block Bristol of 1969–1976
BRISTOL Bristol 410: faired-in headlamps and a floor shift
BRISTOL Bristol 400: the first car from the Bristol Aeroplane Company