Bristol Beaufighter (car)

Bristol
Bristol Beaufighter from 1980
Beaufighter / 412 S3
Production period:	1980-1993
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Cabriolet
Engines:	Otto engine : 5.9 liters (235 kW)
Length:	4900 mm
Width:	1770 mm
Height:	1449 mm
Wheelbase :	2900 mm
Empty weight :	1746 kg
Previous model	Bristol 412

The Bristol Beaufighter  - sometimes referred to as the Bristol 412 S3 Beaufighter - was an open sports car produced by the British car manufacturer Bristol Cars Ltd. , which was presented in 1980 and produced until the summer of 1993. The Beaufighter was a further development of the Bristol 412 presented in 1974 , which it replaced. The main difference between the new model and its predecessor was the drive technology. The designation of the vehicle referred to the eponymous fighter-bomber of the (former) parent company Bristol Airplane Company , which was produced in large numbers during the Second World War. With this model, Bristol Cars turned away from the decades-long tradition of customizing its own vehicles with a number code (400–412, 603).

Model history

The exterior of the Bristol Beaufighter differed only in details from the 412, but the engine had been heavily modified.

The drive technology

The Beaufighter was the first mass-produced car from Great Britain to have a turbocharged engine. This engine was based on the well-known 5.9 liter eight-cylinder from Chrysler , which Bristol had used in the 603 since 1976 and in the 412 since 1977 . The first considerations for a turbocharged version of the eight-cylinder engine go back to Chrysler; there have been experimenting with such concepts since the mid-1970s. In the wake of the economic problems, Chrysler finally gave up the work. The project was taken over by Bristol, where engineers Dennis Sevier and Eden Holder brought it to series production.

In contrast to the American base engine, the engines used by Bristol had independent cylinder heads developed in Great Britain. The engines also had a four-way carburetor from Carter, which differed in dimensions from the American basic version. This engine was turbocharged by Rotomaster at Bristol's Filton factory . The turbocharger was not activated permanently; Rather, the engine had a system called "Priority Valve" that activated or deactivated the turbocharger depending on the position of the accelerator pedal. Bristol claimed the Beaufighter was the first European car to use such a technique. The engine block itself was not changed, nor was the compression, although some modifications were necessary around the engine. The electronic ignition system has been revised; also, the American-made Lean Burn System  - a lean mixture setting that helped Chrysler meet American emissions regulations in the late 1970s - was repealed. The engine received a high-performance fuel pump and the intake ducts were enlarged in cross-section.

In the course of upgrading the engine, the automatic transmission was also revised, as the version previously used was not able to cope with the increased torque of the engine. The regular TorqueFlite automatic was coupled with a torque converter that Chrysler had developed for the (long-discontinued) 7.2-liter eight-cylinder. The clutch was also adopted from this version.

Turbocharging significantly increased the engine's power and torque . As usual, Bristol did not give any specific values. Company owner Tony Crook said there was "more than sufficient power" available; the increase in power and torque amounts to 30 percent. Later newspaper reports put the engine's performance at around 320 hp. Tony Crook described the Beaufighter in his presentation as "the fastest accelerating and with the largest trunk equipped four-seater production car with automatic transmission".

The turbo engine and drive technology were used in the Bristol Brigand from October 1982 .

The body

The body of the Beaufighter largely corresponded to that of the Bristol 412 . It was still a "safety cabriolet" with a fixed roll bar and hard top over the driver's seats. In contrast to the 412, the hardtop above the driver's seats was permanently installed and not removable; the soft top over the rear seats, however, could be folded down as before.

The bodyshell continued to be manufactured at Maggiora in Turin. Some details had been modified; Zagato claimed the changes were developed in Italy. The main distinguishing feature was the four rectangular twin headlights, which replaced the previous headlight and indicator unit from the Vauxhall Viceroy . The Beaufighter's indicators were now under the front bumper. Unlike the 412, the Beaufighter had a significant bulge on the bonnet, which was due to the turbocharger. From 1983, the Beaufighter models were fitted with American-style side marker lights in the front and rear as standard, even when they were sold on the European market or in the Middle East (as is predominantly the case).

The body design continued to be the subject of criticism. When the model was introduced in 1980, the Beaufighter was described as “unmistakable, but certainly not beautiful”.

Interior with a traditional dashboard

The interior was also changed. Initially, a smooth dashboard was available that dispensed with the traditional oval bezel behind the steering wheel , which has been typical of Bristol since the 404 . This idea did not last long, however; Bristol quickly reverted to the classic layout. The idea of ​​equipping the Beaufighter with digital instruments was just as short-lived. Based on the conception of the contemporary Aston Martin Lagonda , Bristol experimented with similar solutions, but also encountered similar problems and came to the result that it would not pursue this path any further, since the advantages and disadvantages could not be brought into an appropriate relationship to one another.

The driving performance

The Beaufighter had significantly better performance than the Bristol 412 and the Bristol 603 produced at the same time . In a first test, it sprinted from 0 to 96 km / h in 6.7 seconds and reached a top speed of more than 240 km / h. In the first test drives, a consumption of over 30 liters per 100 km was noticed; In the following months, however, Bristol managed to reduce this value to around 25 liters / 100 km through fine-tuning. However, the performance suffered from the aerodynamically comparatively unfavorable body of the Beaufighter. The aerodynamically much better designed Bristol Brigand , which was produced from 1982, was again significantly faster with a comparable curb weight.

The production

The Beaufighter was produced for 14 years. Production ended in the summer of 1993 just before Bristol switched production to the new Blenheim model . Comparatively few models of the Beaufighter have been produced over the years. In 2014, Bristol Cars stated in a sales advertisement that a little over 20 Beaufighters had been manufactured from 1980 to 1993.

The Beaufighters were very expensive vehicles. The selling price was about the same as the Aston Martin V8 , but was nowhere near the price of a Rolls-Royce Corniche. When it went on sale in 1980, the Beaufighter was priced at £ 37,999. A Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible was more than £ 30,000 more expensive at the time.

Special models

The Bristol 412 USA

Under the name Bristol 412 USA , Bristol sold around 15 vehicles in the 1980s, which combined the body of the Beaufighter with the drive technology of the Bristol 412 S2 or the Bristol Britannia. For the background and details see p. there .

Bristol Beaufort

Another special model was the Bristol Beaufort presented in 1984 - a full convertible based on the 412 that did without the roll bar and the Targa roof. The mechanism of the lined roof was operated electrically. In addition to the independent roof structure, the Beaufort had a few other modifications to the body, such as changed door handles and a clad tank filler neck. The back seat of the Beaufort was shortened due to the large convertible top compartment and could only be used to a limited extent.

The Beaufort was a one-off piece that was produced on the initiative of company owner Tony Crook. Series production did not materialize. For one thing, Crook thought the space in the rear was insufficient; on the other hand, Bristol suffered from economic difficulties in the first half of the 1980s, so that a development for series production could not be financed.

Tony Crook first drove the Beaufort himself before selling the car to an Egyptian businessman. The car was idle in London in the 1990s before it was reconditioned by the factory. The Beaufort was for sale in the UK in 2008 and is occasionally shown at brand meetings.

Further development

In the course of the 14-year production period, the Beaufighter received only minor modifications. In the late 1980s, Bristol designed a shorter and lighter sports version of the Beaufighter, the length of which should be around 4,500 mm. The plans provided for a foldable rear seat, which should increase the luggage compartment volume. The work did not get beyond the stage of drawings; the death of the main developer meant the end of the project.

literature

• Christopher Balfour: Bristol Cars. A very British story. Haynes Publishing, 2009, ISBN 978-1-844254071 .
• Lone fighter. New model from one of the most exclusive car manufacturers in the world: Bristol Beaufighter. Presentation in Auto Motor und Sport. 24/1980, p. 230 ff.
• Return of the Beaufighter - Feature Test. In: Auto Car. January 12, 1980
• The Blown Bristol Beaufighter Turbo - Road Test. In: Motor. January 12, 1980
• Brian Palmer: Now on the road with a modern convertible that's breaktaking. In: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars. Issue 6/1981, p. 47 ff.
• Bristol Beaufighter. In: Road & Track Exotic Cars 2nd edition 1985.
• Gentleman behaving badly. Driving report Bristol Brigand in: Thoroughbred & Classic Sports Cars. Issue 12/2010, p. 94 ff.

Web links

Commons : Bristol Beaufighter  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• 1984 sales brochure with all Bristol models and technical data

Individual evidence

1. ^ Thoroughbred and Classic Cars. Issue 12/2010, p. 97.
2. ^ Thoroughbred and Classic Cars. Issue 12/2010, p. 97.
3. ↑ auto motor and sport. 24/1980, p. 232.
4. ^ Brian Palmer: Now on the road with a modern convertible that's breaktaking. In: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars. Issue 6/1981, p. 48.
5. ^ ^{A b} Brian Palmer: Now on the road with a modern convertible that's breaktaking. In: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars. Issue 6/1981, p. 47.
6. ↑ Sales advertisement of a Beaufighter from 1989 on the website www.bristolcars.co.uk  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on January 29, 2014).  
7. ^ Thoroughbred & Classic Cars. 6/1981, p. 48.
8. ↑ Brochure of a Bristol Beaufort
9. ^ Balfour: Bristol. A very British story. P. 343.
10. ^ Balfour: Bristol. A very British story. P. 343.
11. ^ Balfour: Bristol. A very British story. P. 347.
12. ^ Balfour: Bristol. A very British story. P. 347.