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The History of Arnolt Bristol
The creation of the Arnolt-Bristol car was a blend of two different car companies that joined forces to manufacture a line of vehicles that offered four unique body styles. The coming years would see increased production throughout the 1950s, as well as an array of false impressions that involved production number errors and the ins and outs regarding the components of the Arnolt-Bristol cars.
Arnolt-Bristol cars represented a collaboration between two different car manufacturers - SH Arnolt Inc. and Bristol Cars. Situated in Chicago and Indiana, SH Arnolt Inc. was the brainchild of Stanley H. Arnolt, a Chicago industrialist, who made a living importing foreign vehicles during the 1950s to the United States. His company would go on to sell four different cars that showcased Bertone bodies (highly unique Italian style) between 1953 and 1968. SH Arnolt Inc. capitalized off of an international patchwork of car manufacturing with vehicles that showcased British mechanics and Italian bodywork, coupled with U.S. sales and distribution.
Bristol Cars Ltd became a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars that were produced close to Bristol, England. With a history of eliminating the distributors and car dealers, the company is known to directly wheel and deal with their customers. A showroom in Kensington, London displays their wares. Only a small number of cars have come from the company, often hovering around a little more than 100 cars produced on a yearly basis.
During the 1950s, Arnolt made a deal with Bristol Cars to purchase 200 of their 404 series chassis and 1971 cc, six-cylinder 130 hp engines. Soon after, the chassis were delivered to Carroszzeria Bertone, where a high-quality aerodynamic body with impressive design was added. Additionally, the hood height was adjusted to accommodate three two-barrel Solex 34 carburetors. SH Arnolt also facilitated a couple of design modifications.
When it comes to the Arnolt-Bristol car, there are many different misconceptions that the vehicle model was associated with. For instance, the production numbers for the car have often been the center of numerous reporting errors. This may have been a result of calculating only the number of Arnolt-Bristols sold in the United States and not in other locales, such as Spain or France. The model also became part of a rumor that hinted that some cars possessed a 283 Corvette engine instead of the Bristol engine. This was a grave misconception as all Arnolt-Bristol cars were originally fitted with the Bristol engine.
