Bristol Owners' Club
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Bristol Owners’ Club THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE BRISTOL OWNERS ’ CLUB Autumn 2016, No. 155 Inside: Bristols triumph on the Beaujolais Run, p12 Peking to Paris Rally, p32 2016 BOC Events, Trips & Tours, SIX-PAGE SPECIAL members’ survey Bristol Cars results, p34 unveiled Bullet PLUS, News, Views, from Ian Wallace at BCL, p22 Letters & More FORMERLY THE CAR DIVISION OF THE BRISTOL AEROPLANE COMPANY BRISTOL CARS SERVICE, PARTS AND RESTORATION Bristol Cars is committed to preserving the heritage of our proud marque. Our team have over one hundred years of combined experience, exclusive to our models. We are determined to ensure that only the highest standards of service are upheld and are pleased to offer the following from our West London workshops: • Servicing • Restoration • Parts manufacture and supply • Classic upgrades and modernisation • Paintwork and trimming • Technical advice 400 to Fighter, direct from the manufacturer. Collection and delivery by arrangement. Bristol Cars Services Ltd Unit 17-19 Shield Drive, Great West Road, Brentford TW8 9EX [email protected] / [email protected] 020 8560 3300 • www.bristolcars.co.uk BOC_152_May 2015.indd 2 29/06/2015 14:52 Service Dept BOC Bulletin A4 FPG.indd 1 15/05/2015 16:30 Bristol Owners’ Club Autumn 2016, No. 155 Contents 3 From the Editor 32 BOC Australia Dear members Peking to Paris Rally 4 From the Chair A Peking-to-Paris first and a Another busy season celebratory lunch By Mark Alford 34 The BOC’s Events, 7 London Classic Car Show Trips and Tours A summary of the 2016 8 The BOC Concours 2016 - survey findings Shelsley Walsh by Geoffrey Herdman 41 Le Mans Classic Car Show 2016 12 Bristols triumph on the The clock is turned back in Beaujolais Run time By Dr Hannah Goodman 42 BOC Heritage Trust 19 The Concorso d’Eleganza Heritage Trust Update at the Villa d’Este Progress on the BOCHT A letter from the concorso 5-year plan By Stefano Pasini 46 Club Information 20 The Schloss Dyck Weekend Schloss Dyck goes from strength to strength 22 From the Manufacturer Bristol Cars unveiled Bullet 28 FHVBC Report An update from the FBHVC FEATURE Bullet unveiled At long last, the wait is over. On July 28th, Bristol Cars unveiled BULLET. p22 4 From the Editor ny telephone conversation with the Chairman its management and staff have been extremely helpful which begins “Anthony, you know you said in the production of this current edition. Marc was Ayou’d be happy to help the BOC in any way instrumental in deciding the new layout and design you could...” is bound to raise an instantaneous and formats for the Bulletin, in conjunction with Quorum, profound sense of suspicion. And so it was a couple so his legacy continues. of weeks ago when Mark Alford rang to ask if I’d Needless to say, BCL’s recent Bullet announcement take on the temporary editorship of the Bulletin. features strongly in this edition. Everyone within the The Chairman explained the difficult time that Bristol Owners’ Club wishes the company well with editor Marc Atkinson is currently going through and, its current initiative and with the alternative-engine appealing to my better nature, asked me to help out. vehicle planned for the future. We all benefit if the manufacturer succeeds and we wish them well with As many of you may know, Marc Atkinson has recently this endeavour. A number of recent and high-profile experienced some severe spinal problems. Whilst he club events are also described in this current Bulletin looks incredibly fit and healthy (indeed he appears and I’m grateful to all the members who have written bronzed, slim, chiselled and toned!) the reality is that his hands and fingers in particular are causing him and contributed articles recently and over the past acute problems. The result is that he has become few months. The Bulletin only succeeds if there are increasingly unable to use that everyday staple of sufficient articles of general interest for the members modern commercial life: the computer keyboard. It to enjoy - so do not be surprised if a future Editor goes without saying that Marc remains positive and should get in touch with you and asks for a write-up or upbeat, as always, but is frustrated that he has not been photographs or an article of some sort! able recently to produce a Bulletin for the Club. I suspect that, along with most other members, The Club owes an enormous debt of gratitude to I really look forward to receiving my copy of the Marc. Over the years the BOC has been blessed with Bulletin and to catching up with the major events, Bulletin and Newsletter editors who have ensured news and goings-on of the BOC. I view the Bulletin as quality, variety and substance in our publications. a reflection of the BOC membership itself and thus the Marc, during his time at the helm, has moved the priorities, values and traditions of our fine Club. Long Bulletin to the point where it regularly ends in the may it so remain. top three of the Car Club magazine awards each year. Finally, if the content, layout, graphics and general His eye for detail and design has set the editorial editing quality of this edition are not up to Marc’s bar very high and Club members, I’m sure, will join exacting standards, you must put all this down to me me in thanking Marc for his contributions to date and the haste with which this copy has been created. and in wishing him a speedy and full recovery from his current travails. This edition of the Bulletin has We have been most anxious to get a Bulletin out to the been pulled together in a short couple of weeks with membership as quickly as we could. Notwithstanding the invaluable help of the Chairman, the President, the circumstances under which I have come to this task a number of members both here in the UK and - the unfortunate medical condition of the Bulletin overseas and by Marc Atkinson himself. This is the editor and the Machiavellian arm-twisting tactics of first edition we have created with our new publication our esteemed Chairman - I have enjoyed putting this partner, Quorum Print Services Ltd. Quorum has an edition together and sincerely hope you enjoy it too. excellent reputation within the car club fraternity and Anthony Spooner, temporary Editor From the Chair 5 ANOTHER BUSY season Firstly, an apology: you should by now have had two Bulletin’s already this year but I am afraid that, due to illness (see Anthony’s editorial), this has not happened. e now have plans in place to rectify this for attended the Concours will now have seen it in the the future however and I am hopeful that flesh (as it were). Let’s hope it’s a success, as its success Wwe will get at least one more edition to you can only reflect well on the brand as a whole, and of between now and the end of the year. course on our cars. Finally, there will be a number of changes taking It has been a busy year in the club and there are still place in the Committee over the coming months, more events to come. One of these events is new and and I will detail these to the membership in due not in the calendar - a “Chairman’s Dinner” in the course. Suffice to say we have recruited some new North. This is currently in the planning stages, but blood and have expanded the committee to give us will take place in the Leeds/Harrogate area in late November and, subject to the response this year, we the opportunity to split current roles, and indeed to would like to make it a fixture for future years. This create a couple of the new roles which we now need. event will be in addition to the regular Chairman’s These changes again are taking place as part of the Dinner held each year at the RAC in Pall Mall, with the Futures Project and are a response to feedback from aim of giving members a choice of venue. the membership on what you want from the club in You will all be pleased to hear that work has the future. finally started on the development of the new website. So it’s all positive news. We have now appointed and are working with a Mark Alford, Chairman Manchester-based web development company called Adapt Studios. It is planned to have the “public” pages up and running before Christmas, along with the renewals section of the membership pages, and then with other functions to follow in the New Year. I would like to mention here the hard work that Christopher Smithies has put into the club’s website over the years, and his continued support and help now that the site is being redeveloped. His knowledge of how the club functions has been invaluable to the new developers. Due to financial constraints we will be continuing the development of the site over the next couple of years, gradually adding additional functionality. This will allow us to spread the cost over three years rather than absorbing it all into one. Adapt Studios will also be taking over the day to day running of the website and will deal with any maintenance and software updates as required. Of course the big news this year has been the launch by Bristol Cars of the new car, the “Bullet”.