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1953 Arnolt Bristol (Bertone)

Bertone Arnolt-Bristol DeLuxe, 1953
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol DeLuxe, 1953
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol DeLuxe, 1953 - Interior
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol DeLuxe, 1953 - Interior
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol, 1953 - Nuccio Bertone
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol, 1953 - Nuccio Bertone
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol, 1953 - Photo: Ken Brown
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol, 1953 - Photo: Ken Brown
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol, 1953 - Photo: Ken Brown
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol, 1953 - Photo: Ken Brown
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Competition Model, 1953
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Competition Model, 1953
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe, 1954 - Only two were built
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe, 1954 - Only two were built
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe Mk.II, 1954
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe Mk.II, 1954
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe Mk.II, 1954
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe Mk.II, 1954
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe Mk.II, 1954
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Coupe Mk.II, 1954
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Roadster and Coupe, 1954
Bertone Arnolt-Bristol Roadster and Coupe, 1954
Arnolt-Bristol Advertising, 1956
Arnolt-Bristol Advertising, 1956
Arnolt-Bristol Advertising, 1955
Arnolt-Bristol Advertising, 1955
Bilder: Bertone; aldenjewell's photostream
Bewertung:  16    -0    +16
The Arnolt-Bristol was an interesting amalgam of contemporary Bristol chassis engineering and Bertone styling and body construction. The 96-inch-wheelbase chassis was basically the 404 platform, a sturdy box-section affair with transverse front leaf spring and a carefully located live rear axle.

However, the Arnolt-Bristol packed more power than the 404, carrying a tuned version of Bristol’s Type BS1 sports-racing engine, a six-cylinder unit that harked back to the prewar BMW 328. Output was 130 horsepower (Bristol touring-car engines were usually rated at 105 bhp in this period). Gearbox and brakes came from Bristol’s earlier 403 coupe-sedan. To use the modern vernacular, the Arnolt-Bristol was a real “parts bin” job.

Bristol sent rolling chassis to Bertone, which topped Arnolt-Bristols with either open two-seater or closely related fastback coupe bodies. Completed cars were then shipped to Chicago. The fastback would prove very rare (it is thought that only two were built). The open version was offered in two forms.

The stark $3994 Bolide, with cut-down windshield and no soft top, was essentially a ready-made “club racer.” An extra $750 bought a Deluxe model with more complete trim. The Arnolt-Bristol coupe, though still small inside, noisy, and somewhat uncomfortable to drive, had full weather protection and wind-down windows. The styling, all swooping curves with a rather pinched nose and mouth, was typical of Bertone in the Fifties.

Because Arnolt-Bristols were built mostly by hand in limited quantities (only 142 over seven years), specifications varied. Early examples had conventional steel disc wheels, but later cars were supplied with center-lock discs, presumably for faster changes at pit stops.

Though demand was never high, the Arnolt-Bristol was a remarkably long-lived specialty sports car. Light weight 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-liter class at the 1955 Sebring 12 Hours (repeated the following year), and Arnolt-Bristols were still winning races -- or at least their class -- well into the 1960s.

By that time, though, routine chassis supplies had ceased (Bristol was about to stop building its distinctive BMW-based six anyway) and even Wacky was gone (he died in 1960). With little impetus to develop a successor model, the marque disappeared, but not before a final Arnolt-Bristol was built from leftover parts and delivered in 1964.

Though 12 cars were lost to a warehouse fire, a high proportion of the remaining 130 Arnolt-Bristols survive today. Among them are two interesting “few-of-a-kind” variations: an aluminum-bodied semi-racer, of which five were originally built, and another four roadsters equipped with 283-cubic-inch Corvette V-8s.

Elusive, expensive, and immensely desirable, the Arnolt-Bristol remains a footnote in the pages of automotive history, but a memorable one. Like Chicago, it had a lot of class that was rarely appreciated.
Quelle: auto.howstuffworks.com
Designschmiede: Bertone
1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Coupe (Bertone), 1952 Abarth 1500 Coupe Biposto (Bertone), 1953 Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5 (Bertone), 1953 Arnolt Bristol (Bertone), 1953 Aston Martin DB 2/4 (Bertone), 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe (Bertone), 1953 Dodge Zeder (Bertone), 1953 Fiat Siata 8V (Bertone), 1954 Alfa Romeo 2000 Sportiva (Bertone), 1954 Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 7 (Bertone), 1954 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint (Bertone), 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Spider (Bertone), 1955 Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 9 (Bertone), 1955 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider (Bertone), 1956 Abarth 750 (Bertone), 1956 Abarth Record (Bertone), 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale (Bertone), 1957 Fiat Stanguellini 1200 Spider (Bertone), 1957 Jaguar XK150 (Bertone), 1958 Abarth Alfa Romeo 1000 (Bertone), 1958 NSU Sport Prinz (Bertone), 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Coupe (Bertone), 1959 OSCA 1500 (Bertone), 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Prototype EW (Bertone), 1960 Gordon-Keeble GT (Bertone), 1961 ASA 1000 GT (Bertone), 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet (Bertone), 1961 BMW 3200 CS (Bertone), 1961 Ferrari 250GT (Bertone), 1961 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe (Bertone), 1962 Iso Rivolta GT (Bertone), 1962 Simca 1000/1200S Coupe (Bertone), 1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint HS (Bertone), 1963 Chevrolet Corvair Testudo (Bertone), 1963 Iso Grifo (Bertone), 1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro (Bertone), 1965 Fiat 850 Spider (Bertone), 1965 Ford Mustang (Bertone), 1966 Jaguar FT (Bertone), 1966 Lamborghini Miura (Bertone), 1966 Porsche 911 Roadster (Bertone), 1967 Alfa Romeo Montreal Expo Prototipo (Bertone), 1967 Fiat 125 Executive (Bertone), 1967 Jaguar Pirana (Bertone), 1967 Lamborghini Marzal (Bertone), 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo (Bertone), 1968 Bertone Panther, 1968 Lamborghini Espada (Bertone), 1968 Lamborghini Miura Roadster (Bertone), 1969 Autobianchi Runabout (Bertone), 1969 BMW 2800 Spicup (Bertone), 1969 Fiat 128 Coupe (Bertone), 1969 Iso Lele (Bertone), 1970 Bertone Shake, 1970 BMW 2200 TI Garmisch (Bertone), 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero (Bertone), 1971 Lamborghini Countach (Bertone), 1971 Lamborghini Urraco (Bertone), 1971 Lancia Stratos HF (Bertone), 1972 Citroen Camargue (Bertone), 1972 Fiat X1/9 (Bertone), 1972 Maserati Khamsin (Bertone), 1972 Suzuki Go (Bertone), 1973 NSU Trapeze (Bertone), 1974 Fiat 127 Village (Bertone), 1974 Lamborghini Bravo (Bertone), 1974 Maserati Quattroporte II (Bertone), 1975 Fiat 131 Abarth (Bertone), 1975 Fiat Visitors Bus (Bertone), 1975 Fiat X1/9 Dallara (Bertone), 1976 Alfa Romeo Navajo (Bertone), 1976 Ferrari Rainbow (Bertone), 1977 Jaguar Ascot (Bertone), 1978 Lancia Sibilo (Bertone), 1979 Volvo Tundra (Bertone), 1980 Lamborghini Athon (Bertone), 1981 Mazda MX-81 Aria (Bertone), 1982 Citroen BX (Bertone), 1983 Alfa Romeo Delfino (Bertone), 1984 Chevrolet Ramarro (Bertone), 1986 Citroen Zabrus (Bertone), 1988 Lamborghini Genesis (Bertone), 1989 Bugatti EB 110 Proposal (Bertone), 1990 Chevrolet Corvette Nivola (Bertone), 1991 Lotus Emotion (Bertone), 1992 Bertone Blitz, 1992 Fiat Cinquecento RUSH (Bertone), 1994 Bertone ZER (Zero Emission Record), 1994 Fiat Punto Racer (Bertone), 1994 Porsche Karisma (Bertone), 1995 Lancia Kayak (Bertone), 1995 Opel Maxx (Bertone), 1996 Citroen Berlingo Coupe de Plage (Bertone), 1996 Fiat Enduro (Bertone), 1996 Opel Slalom (Bertone), 1997 Alfa Romeo Sportut (Bertone), 1998 Bertone Pickster, 1999 Alfa Romeo Bella (Bertone), 1999 Mazda Neospace (Bertone), 2000 Bertone Slim, 2001 Oldsmobile O4 (Bertone), 2001 Opel Filo (Bertone), 2001 Saab 9X (Bertone), 2002 Bertone Novanta, 2003 Alfa Romeo GT Coupe (Bertone), 2003 Bertone Birusa, 2003 Opel Insignia (Bertone), 2004 Aston Martin Jet2 (Bertone), 2005 Cadillac Villa Design Study (Bertone), 2006 Bertone Suagna, 2007 Chery A6CC Coupe (B23) (Bertone), 2007 Fiat Barchetta (Bertone), 2008 Bertone B.A.T. 11, 2009 Bertone Mantide, 2010 Alfa Romeo Pandion (Bertone), 2011 Jaguar B99 (Bertone), 2011 Jaguar B99 GT (Bertone), 2012 Bertone Nuccio, 2013 Aston Martin Jet 2+2 (Bertone), 2022 Bertone GB110
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1953 Arnolt Bristol (Bertone)
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