Bristol cars that went into administration in March have been acquired by the Swiss company Kamkorp Autokraft, which is also part owner of the Fraser- Nash group. They have said that their plan is to continue to run the company in the same tradition.

Bristol started producing cars in 1946, for many years, the British car industry was the greatest in the world. At the end of the Second World War Germany was in ruins and yet BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes are now some of the strongest brands in the world and the British manufacturers are nowhere to be seen.

So where did it all go wrong? Many blame union action in the 1970’s and certainly they played a major part in bringing the British car industry to its knees; it was one of the best examples ever seen of biting the hand that feeds you. However, inept management also played its part in the downfall.

Motorists started to buy more Japanese and German cars because they grew tired of the reliability problems that were associated with British cars. Bristol did continue to manufacture solid and well engineered cars but to a very small and limited market. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

 Basically they were bought with old money; by those who though something like a Rolls Royce, far too brash and ostentatious.  With just one showroom in West Kensington, the decline that led to them going into administration in March was almost inevitable.