1955 | Arnolt-Bristol The Bolide

1955 Arnolt-Bristol Bolide

Body by Bertone

Chassis Number: X404-3005

Engine No. BS1 MKII 291

1,971 cc OHV Bristol 6-cylinder engine

Triple Weber carburetors

130 hp at 4,200 rpm

4-speed manual transmission

Hydraulic 4-wheel drum brakes

THE ARNOLT-BRISTOL

Chicago-based industrialist Stanley Harold 'Wacky' Arnolt II, who made his fortune during World War II, was able to indulge his lifelong love of automobiles and was a regional BMC dealer and US dealer for Bristol cars in 1952. A visit to Carrozzeria Bertone in 1952 led Arnolt to purchase a stake in the Italian firm and arrange for the production of Arnolt-MGs with Bertone bodywork. Arnolt's next venture utilized the Bristol connection, the 404 chassis from the British manufacturer, which received the Bertone treatment in 1953 with the help of newly arrived stylist Franco Scaglione. Although the Bristol is based on a pre-war BMW design, it had one of the best chassis of its time, and its 2.0-liter six-cylinder was one of the most efficient ever. The 1,971 cc Bristol Six is based on the pre-war BMW 328, which features a brilliant cylinder head designed by Rudolf Schleicher, incorporating hemispherical combustion chambers and inclined valves without resorting to overhead or dual camshafts. Externally, Bristol's clone of the BMW engine hardly differed from the German original. The main changes primarily involved metallurgy, with the use of the highest quality materials contributing to a significantly longer engine lifespan. Three open models were offered, ranging from the base competition version to the better-equipped Bolide and the fully equipped Bolide Deluxe. There was also a coupe variant. Arnolt priced the competition model at $3,995, the Bolide at $4,245, the Bolide Deluxe at $4,995, and the coupe at $5,995. The Bristol engine could be tuned to over 150 hp, and soon the attractive Arnolts made a name for themselves in series sports car racing in the US. After class victories at Sebring and Le Mans in 1955, the factory team was disbanded following a fatal accident that claimed the life of driver Bob Goldich. Production of Arnolt-Bristol ceased in 1963 after a total of 130 cars were sold. Twelve cars were destroyed in a warehouse fire in Chicago, and it is believed that only 90 survive.

THE OFFERED MOTOR VEHICLE

This Arnolt-Bristol Bolide serial number 3005 was the sixth built example, the fifth serial number, setting aside serial number 3000, which represents the prototype of the model. Little is known about the car's history between 1955 and the early 1980s. A logical assumption would be that the car was driven like most Bolides of the time. Racing is exactly what the car did in the 1980s after being purchased in 1981 by a gentleman named Chuck Weber. Thanks to a blog post by Mr. Bill Watkins about his personal experiences with various Arnolt-Bristol cars, it seems that 3005 was discovered in 1982 at the Monterey Historic Automobile Race with Chuck Weber behind the wheel. Mr. Weber then sold the car in 1986 to Fantasy Junction in Emeryville, CA, where it quickly found its new buyer—Mr. Marvin Johnson. During his ownership, Mr. Johnson regularly drove the car in SVRA and had it fully restored. The restoration, led by Bristol specialist Steve Krinsky from St. Paul, MN, included, in particular, a completely rebuilt engine, as well as an acid dip of the chassis and body. Mr. Krinsky was then appointed to find a new owner for the car, which officially happened in March 1992 when the current seller acquired the vehicle. The previous owner bought the car in 1992 and maintained it in dry and shiny copper condition over the last 30 years. During his ownership, the car has remained unchanged from its restored state. No race miles have been accrued, only road miles—exactly 4,000. The car notably participated in the 1992 Copperstate event. From a visual standpoint, some differences from the original appearance of the car can be noted. Firstly, as the trim plate shows, the car was originally light green but was painted red during restoration. The upholstery was also changed from brown to black, while the original Italian seats were retained, known for their high comfort. Additionally, the car was equipped with extra front lights instead of the usual smaller lights around the grille. Technically, the Solex carburetors were replaced with Webers. Weber carburetors are slightly larger than Solex. The foremost carburetor was fitted with a thinner Vokes air filter to fit properly under the hood. Since these engines are known for their fragility on cold starts, it was decided to weld the water jacket around the freeze plug while the engine was being rebuilt. As part of the last maintenance, the water pump and transmission were rebuilt, with the latter receiving specially new rods and shifter stops from IN Racing in Nottingham, UK. This Arnolt-Bristol has been very well maintained over the last 30 years and just enough used while being serviced and maintained as needed. The car can participate in several prestigious automotive events worldwide and is expected to be competitive on racetracks or concours lawns alike.

Of course, a new customer service will be performed at our Mercedes-Benz dealership before delivery, and the vehicle will be presented for re-approval to the TÜV. Delivery within Germany is free! We are happy to accept your well-maintained used car as part of the deal and create a suitable leasing or financing offer for you.

We are available for you personally at the following times, looking forward to your visit, but please make an appointment in advance to have the necessary time for you. Monday - Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Friday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM Viewings and test drives are also possible outside of our opening hours, by appointment.

All offers are non-binding; changes may occur at any time. Intermediary sales and errors for this offer are expressly reserved!

All text references to history and model details are excerpts from Wikipedia contributions. Details of the vehicle's equipment are according to the manufacturer's specifications, for which no guarantee is taken for completeness.