Bristol Owners’ Club Christmas Lunch

Neil was going to wash me on Sunday before we left for the Bristol Owners’ Club Christmas lunch near Bury St. Edmunds. However, as it was still raining he decided against this using the excuse that I would only get dirty again. By the time we got there it had stopped raining and the sun was out. We parked up next to a 404 in front of the hotel and Neil quickly disappeared inside.

Neil had told me this was going to be Nick Challacombe’s last official event as Regional Secretary but when Neil eventually came out I was surprised to learn that he had become the new Secretary. Not as surprised as Neil apparently who had been asked and had accepted before he had a chance to get to the bar.

By all accounts everyone inside enjoyed the lunch and I was happy to be in the company of 5 other Bristols in front of the Hall; a 404, a 407, another 410 and 2 603s.

Fighter T vs. Veyron

Sunday 1 November was the date of the Bristol Owners’ Club Heritage Trust Lecture. This was held at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and was presented by Toby Silverton, the Chairman of Bristol Cars.

The subject of Toby’s lecture was the development of the Fighter – Bristol’s 8 litre, V10 supercar. Launched in 2003, the Fighter was entirely developed from scratch to meet the uniquely demanding requirements of a sports car capable of well over 200 miles an hour.

The ergonomics of driving a Bristol have always been exemplary so it was interesting to learn that the process of designing the Fighter started with a full size mock-up of the driving position with the car taking shape around it. The result is a car that is supremely elegant but with a steely hint of aggression - a perfect example of the beauty that inevitably results when form exactly follows function.

During the lecture we learnt that the gull-wing doors are a practical solution to access in tight spaces, that the aerodynamics are not only shared with aircraft (as you would expect) but with submarines, and that at 1012 bhp and with a potential maximum speed of more than 270 mph the Fighter T is the most powerful and fastest production car in the world.

There were comparisons with the Bugatti Veyron, which the popular press would have you believe holds that title, which highlighted the difference in approach taken by Volkswagen when trying to design the most powerful car in the world (I don’t think Bristol set out to do this – it just happened because some of their customers simply wanted more than the standard Fighter’s 550 bhp).

When compared to the Fighter T the Veyron, at 3 times the price, is a ridiculous car; the first (and cheapest) service costs £13,645, the tyres need to be changed at only 2,500 miles at a cost of £6,325 each, the wheels themselves then need changing at every third tyre change at a total cost of £29,900, the sump swallows 42 litres of oil, and it has the drag coefficient of a brick at 0.42 (a Ford Mondeo is 0.31 and the Fighter T is only 0.25).

Many thanks to Dave Alan, Michael Barton and the trustees of the Heritage Trust for setting up the event.

Anti-wind Noise

Neil has always found wind noise an irritation even after having the anti-wind noise kit fitted by Bristol Cars in 2007. That reduced the problem slightly but there was still an incomplete seal around the doors that resulted in a roaring noise above 70mph. Perhaps things seemed better in 1967 when judged by the standards of the day, but in comparison to modern cars – well there is no comparison.

Neil has been pondering the problem on and off, trying various secondary seals without much success, but recently found self-adhesive neoprene strips which he has fitted around the tops of my door frames. The strips are 15mm wide and 5mm deep and quite effectively fill the gap between the top of the door and the door opening.

The roaring noise has now been greatly reduced but Neil still thinks further improvements can be made and will carry on experimenting, but for now high speed travel has become more comfortable. One side effect is that the noise of my engine can be more appreciated and enjoyed by those occupying the cabin.

Nelson's Revenge

Neil has gone off to Norfolk and left me behind (something about logistics) but he has sent me a brief and baffling text message probably brought on by a combination of alcohol and sunstroke; Place - Old Hunstanton, Family - in bed, Pub - The Lodge, Beer - Woodforde's Nelson's Revenge, mood - relaxed!

Cars Raise Cash at Summer BBQ

Today the East Anglian section of the Bristol Owners’ Club held their summer Barbeque although the weather was definitely autumnal. 9 cars were in attendance comprising 4 Bristol engined cars and 5 V8s; from left to right 405, 403, 401, 411 S4, 410, 405, 410, 409, 407.

As well as the opportunity to catch up with old friends and new, talk about cars and eat delicious food (thank you to our hosts Nick and Carol for the BBQ, and to everyone who brought food) the main objective of the day was to raise money for the Lymphoma Association. This is the only specialist UK charity that provides accurate medical information and support to lymphatic cancer patients, their families and friends. Closer to home they are helping to keep one of our members healthy and active and our gratitude today raised over £300 for the charity.

Bristol Owners' Club Concours

The National Trust’s Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire was the setting for this year’s concours. The general consensus was that this was probably the best yet and this was certainly true for the East Anglian section with 3 prizes being awarded. Ivan Cunnington (405), Nick Challacombe (407), and Barry Naunton (410) all picked up trophies in their respective classes. There was some very stiff competition so the prizes are all the more deserved and reflect all the hard work put in to the preparation of their cars.

I did not enter the concours competition but lined up with the other cars along the approach to the Hall. Next to me on one side was a newly refurbished 411 and on the other was a 412 I had last seen at the Albert Memorial gathering in 2006. There was good representation from Bristol Cars with an upgraded Blenheim and an Arnolt-Bristol in attendance.

1 Spitfire, 2 Hurricanes and 3 Bristols

Rougham airfield was constructed in 1941/42 and brought into service as a USAAF airfield accommodating 3,000 personnel. Having being built with a 2,000 yard main runway it was suited to larger aircraft and became the home of the 94th Bomb Group flying B-17s. Between 1943 and 1945 the 94th flew more than 300 missions from Station 468, as Rougham was officially known.

Each year the Friends of Rougham Airfield hold many events, one of which is the Air Display and Classic Car Show. In 2005 the 407 (pictured right) was awarded best car in show, and in 2006 I was awarded runner up for the best post-war saloon, but this year, despite having a 407, a 410 and a Beaufighter to choose from, the organisers overlooked the Bristol marque completely.

Never mind; Neil, Nick and Carol (407), and James and Caroline (Beaufighter) were quite happy watching the many air displays or visiting the well-stocked beer tent.