Ref 42
1954 Arnolt Bristol
Registration CSL 693 Chassis Number 404/X/3072
In 1953, S. H. 'Wacky' Arnolt, Chicago businessman and vice-president of Bertone, was in London for the Motor Show; he had already had some success with his Bertone-bodied T.D. M.G.s, which had whetted his appetite for sports cars, and he was very impressed by the Bristol 404, but thought the price too high to make a distributorship viable. However, he came to an agreement with the factory that they would supply him with modified chassis fitted with the BS 1 Mk 2 engine; these were shipped to Bertone who quickly produced a light 2-seater body called the 'Bolide', which was the cheapest of the range of three models; no hood was fitted, but one was available as an extra and this car is so equipped. It sold in America at $3,995, whereas the standard 404 was $9,946; it weighed nearly 300 lbs. Less than the 404 and, having the tuned engine, was a good deal faster. Competition work began soon and the cars were 1st, 2nd and 4th in the 2 litre class in the Sebring 12 hour race in 1954 and 1955; the Arnolt was a great survivor and was still winning class and team prizes in the 1960s. Top speed was around 115 m.p.h., and Sports Car Illustrated waxed lyrical in their road test of the car. It appears that around 140 of the various models were made before production ceased in 1964. Though demand was never high, the Arnolt-Bristol was a remarkably long-lived specialty sports car. Lightweight and ample power gave it good acceleration and this, coupled with excellent balance and fine manners, made it a racing natural. Its first competition win came in the 2.0 litre class at the 1955 Sebring 12 Hours (repeated the following year), and Arnolt-Bristols were still taking class wins well into the 1960s.
Chassis number CSL693 was delivered new in August of 1954 to a Chicago owner. It is believed to have been raced on the East Coast during the 1950s and 1960s, and was in storage until acquired for restoration by a new owner in July of 1996. The car was lovingly restored by Bruce Young Coachworks, a world-renowned specialist in Aston Martin and other fine English sports cars. The engine rebuild, meanwhile, was left to Tim Abbot, a leading racing engineer. The work was finally
completed in October of 1999 and has been regularly maintained to the superb standard on display here today, with one recent racing overhaul costing in excess of £7,900. The car has also been extensively involved in historic competition events since its restoration, including the Goodwood Revival, the Rallye de Paris and the Oldtimer Grand Prix. Also included is an exhaustive service and racing history file, as well as numerous magazines featuring articles on the Arnolt-Bristol's
development. Interestingly, this very car took part in the Brooklands 12/12, the first competitive event at this historic circuit since the war. Under the expert guidance of racing driver and journalist, Paul Chudecki, it performed well, handled beautifully, outpacing many of the more powerful rivals and missing the podium by seconds. This is a superb opportunity to acquire an excellent, race-ready example of one of these rare and inherently desirable sportscars.
Chassis Nummer CSL693 wurde im August des Jahres 1954 an seinen Erstbesitzer in Chicago ausgeliefert. Es wird angenommen, dass dieser Wagen in den folgenden Jahren an der Ostküste der Vereinigten Staaten in verschiedenen Rennen eingesetzt wurde. Darauf folgend wurde in einem Lager aufbewahrt, bis er 1996 von seinem neuen Besitzer erworben wurde, der ihn dann von Bruce Young Coachworks, einer internationalen Kapazität im Bereich der Restaurierung von Aston Martin und anderen britischen Sportwagen, restaurieren lieβ. Die Motorüberholung wurde währendessen Tim Abbott anvertraut. Diese Restaurierunsgarbeiten wurden im Oktober 1999 beendet, daraufhin wurde dieser seltene Sportwagen regelmäβig gewartet, was eine erst kürzlich vorgenommene Rennvorbereitung über eine Summe von £ 7.900 beweist. Wie es sich für eine Wagen dieses Kalibers gehört, wurde er seit seiner Restaurierung auf zahlreichen historischen Rennsporttreffen eingesetzt, so unter anderem beim Goodwoood Revival, der Rallye de Paris, dem Oldtimer-Grand-Prix und den Brooklands 12/12.Eine wahrhaft seltene Gelegenheit, ein exzellentes Exemplar des raren Arnolt-Bristol zu erwerben.
Estimate see DRJ
