Bristol, the British car manufacturer, has filed for bankruptcy. Bristol Cars was placed in adminstration last week, after 65 years of producing somewhat eccentric, luxury, high-performance cars.

Formed immediately after the Second World War as the Car Division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Bristol built a name for itself as a manufacturer which valued ‘quiet understatement’, an ethos it never abandoned. As Toby Silverton, who acquired the company in 1997, said last year, “Bristols are built to an ideal, not to the diktats of an accountant’s spreadsheet. They are built for people who have driven a lot of miles in a lot of different cars and are not looking for gimmicks like electrically massaging seats or an onboard cappuccino maker. We think we provide them with a car that provides long-term enjoyment to its owner, driver and passengers.”

Tom MacLennan and Trevor Binyon from RSM Tenon have been appointed joint administrators, and have confirmed a number of immediate redundancies. Sales and service operations, however, are continuing to support customers. “We would urge any interested parties to make contact with us as quickly as possible and are confident that we can secure the future of this iconic British brand,” they said.

Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Bristol