Makes › Arnolt › Bristol Bolide / Deluxe (Bertone) · Coachbuilt · 1954–1961 Extremely Rare
Arnolt
Bristol Bolide / Deluxe (Bertone)
Bertone-bodied roadsters on Bristol 404 chassis for US importer S.H. Arnolt
Still being researched: identification guide. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Sicnag · CC BY 2.0
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Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 142 Built
- Years
- 1954–1961
- Engine
- Bristol BS1 Mk II inline six, OHV, triple Solex downdraft carburettors · 1,971 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,971 cc
- Power
- 96.9 kW / 132 PSFactory: 130 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 177 km/hFactory: 110 mph · converted
- Body
- Bertone
- Designer
- Franco Scaglione (Bertone)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 80 (disputed)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Arnolt-Bristol was S.H. "Wacky" Arnolt's Chicago-marketed sports car, a Bristol 404 chassis and 2-litre engine with Bertone bodywork. It was a successful club racer and class winner at Sebring.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionapproximately 80 Arnolt-Bristols extant per RM Sotheby's; Supercars.net says fewer than 75 known survivors | 802,3 | Surviving examples | Disputed |
| Total model productionproduced 1954–1961 | 1421 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Arnolt met Nuccio Bertone at the 1952 Turin show and ordered Bertone-bodied MG TD cars, the Arnolt-MG, until MG stopped supplying chassis. He then bought Bristol 404-series chassis with tuned 1,971 cc engines from Bristol Cars; the cars were bodied by Bertone to a Franco Scaglione design and finished at the Arnolt factory. A team of lightweight cars finished first, second and fourth in class at the 1955 Sebring 12 Hours.
RM Sotheby's says 142 were built over seven years, with 130 sold and 12 destroyed in a Chicago warehouse fire; the roadster came in Competition, Bolide and DeLuxe specifications and only six coupes were built.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Bristol Bolide / Deluxe (Bertone).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Bristol BS1 Mk II inline six, OHV, triple Solex downdraft carburettors2,4 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 1,971 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,971 cc2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 9:14 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 96.9 kW / 132 PSFactory: 130 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource states bhp. |
| Power at | 5,500 rpm4 Independently researchedSupercars.net says 6,000 rpm. |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | four-speed manual2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Bristol 404 box-section chassis2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | double wishbone with transverse leaf spring2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | live axle, A-bracket, radius arm and torsion bar2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | four-wheel drum2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | steel body with aluminium bonnet and boot lid (aluminium bodies for racing cars)4 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | 2,440 mmFactory: 96 in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | 816 kgFactory: 1,800 lb · converted2 Independently researchedSCM gives a curb weight of circa 2,200 lb. |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 177 km/hFactory: 110 mph · converted2 Independently researchedRoad & Track recorded 107 mph per SCM. |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 0–60 mph | 8.7 s2 Independently researchedRoad & Track recorded 10.1 s per SCM. |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Postwarclassic – Arnolt-Bristol Deluxe Roadster Bertone 1957 Level C
- 142 produced 1954–1961
-
2
1954 Arnolt-Bristol Bolide Deluxe Roadster by Bertone (Monterey 2016, lot 158) Level C RM Sotheby's · 2016-01-01
- one of approximately 80 Arnolt-Bristols that remain extant today
- 130 bhp, 1,971 cc Bristol OHV inline six-cylinder engine
- four-speed manual transmission
- the box-section chassis used a transverse-leaf front suspension
- double wishbone front suspension with transverse leaf spring
- live axle, A-bracket, radius arm and torsion bar rear suspension
- four-wheel drum brakes
- Wheelbase: 96 in.
- Weighing only 1,800 pounds
- a top speed of 110 mph was possible
- 0 to 60 mph was quoted at 8.7 seconds
-
3
1956 Arnolt-Bristol Bolide Level B Supercars.net
- One of 142 built and fewer than 75 known survivors
-
4
1954 Arnolt-Bristol Bolide Level B Sports Car Market
- triple Solex downdraft carburetors
- 130 hp at 5,500 rpm on a 9:1 compression ratio
- Bodied in steel with an aluminum hood and trunk
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