Bristol Cars Announces Significant Investments in New Products and London Facilities at 2014 Concours of Elegance
- First new Bristol car in more than a decade announced today
- 70th anniversary Project Pinnacle car set for launch in 2015
- Exclusive new Bristol merchandise range launched
- Several million pounds of investment in landmark Kensington High Street showroom and new Parts, Service and Restoration centre in West London
- Future Range-Extended Electric vehicle plans confirmed
Iconic British carmaker, Bristol Cars, announces significant new investments today at the Concours of Elegance held at Hampton Court Palace, London.
The first new Bristol car since 2003 will be launched at the Kensington High Street showroom in 2015 in the shape of an all-new 70th anniversary model, codenamed Project Pinnacle. An anniversary celebration, Project Pinnacle is a reference to Bristol Cars’ rich and exciting heritage, executed as a modern take on the best of British craftsmanship and engineered to excite as a high performance Bristol car.
Since the company was bought in 2011, millions of pounds have been invested in the business to re-establish its place as an iconic British carmaker for the connoisseur motorist, with craftsmanship, design, performance and unique character at its heart. A specialist new Parts, Service and Restoration facility in Brentford, West London was opened this year and has quickly established itself as the leading Bristol centre in the world with hundreds of cherished examples of the marque already passing through the workshop.
Plans are also underway to refurbish the landmark Bristol showroom at 368 Kensington High Street with further investment made across the street at number 375 for an additional showroom. From summer 2015, Bristol Cars will occupy both sides of Kensington High Street with a selection of meticulously restored cars for sale on the north side and new vehicles and a modern company ethos displayed on the other side of the street.
The company also confirms today that development work is underway on an all-new flagship Bristol Range-Extended Electric grand tourer. Frazer-Nash Research’s technology will underpin the Range-Extended Electric powertrain of this new design from Bristol Cars. More information will be released on this product as development progresses.
A new Bristol Luxury merchandise range including clothing, model cars, bureau items, accessories by Paul Smith and much more was also launched at the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance.
Speaking on behalf of Bristol Cars at the Concours of Elegance, Sir George White said: “2015 will mark Bristol Cars’ 70th year, and these announcements underline today’s very exciting times at the company. Project Pinnacle signifies the re-birth of the brand with a design and character respectful of the company’s rich heritage in Great Britain – in aviation, commercial and luxury automotive – delivered with a modern approach to performance and comfort. This car, along with the investments in Kensington and Brentford, not to mention the advanced development of an all-new super-luxury grand tourer, all make for a very bright and promising future for this company that I hold so dear.”
Bristol Cars’ General Manager, Julian Ramshaw, added: “Today’s announcements signify that we are nearing the completion of ‘Bristol is Reborn’ – phase 1. Investments in our new products and facilities spearhead our modern philosophy for the Bristol marque. We believe that the automotive landscape is changing, particularly in the premium and luxury sector. The definitions of luxury are changing. People’s expectations are changing. And Bristol Cars is changing too. This is just the start, and there is a lot more to come from us.”
The 2014 Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace is the third such automotive gathering in London, which, since the first event in 2012, has set a new global benchmark for classic car concours events; winning a number of prestigious awards and accolades. It is unique in the fact that the setting changes from year to year but with the consistent theme of always being held on the lawns of a Royal palace. Only the highest calibre of cars are invited to the Concours of Elegance, with the rarest cars in the world, from all over the world, painstakingly selected by the Concours’ team of respected and authoritative experts. The Concours of Elegance 2014 takes place at Hampton Court Palace from the 5th to 7th of September.