The car division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company was formed in 1945 with the intention of building high performance cars of quality a maxim that is as applicable today as it was then. The aeronautical ancestry of the early 400 Series was very evident in the unusual styling, but the marque soon found success. Bristol's 2-litre engine powered many racing as well as road cars to success in the 1950s, not least the Formula 2 Cooper-Bristols. Nowadays, though production still continues at Filton, Bristol Cars Ltd, as the company is now known, has no direct links with the aircraft industry and is owned and run by former racing driver and business wizard Anthony Crook. Fast and very luxurious, today's Bristols use American V-8s. ©VEA
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