Worst looking production road car!

[IBrake4Rainbows]

That doesn't make it any less ugly.

[Ferrer]

It's not ugly. Just old.

[MoW]

I believe they still make them. It's the feeling of exclusivity what people buy. Can't be the looks.

[Kitdy]

The Bristol Blenheim is a great car.

Read.

[TheScrutineer]

The Bristol Blenheim is a great car.

Its got a cool image, but its a heavily outdated chassis bolted to Chysler V8 and sold 'as new'.

[clutch-monkey]

Read.

par for the course for UK build quality. i don't know why the author acts suprised?

"What are the two things that can be seen from outer space?" the owner asked rhetorically. "The Great Wall of China and the panel gaps of a Bristol." True enough, despite the fact that this particular Blenheim had recently enjoyed a body-off restoration– to eliminate rot. Which was discovered after the car's paint had cracked (necessitating a total re-spray). Whereupon the owner's mechanics addressed a veritable laundry list of mechanical ailments: inoperative air conditioning, "inappropriate" shock absorbers, a failed exhaust system, two blown window motors, axle whine, insufficient engine cooling and more.

[henk4]

par for the course for UK build quality. i don't know why the author acts suprised?

the mechanical failures there point heavily at neglected maintenance...also a Bristol needs servicing.

and for what it is worth, it looks so much better than a current 6-series BMW.

[Kitdy]

par for the course for UK build quality. i don't know why the author acts suprised?

I think the author acts surprised because this is a car that costs over 150k pounds.

Par for the course UK build quality - sure, maybe when you'd consider Rovers and BL products, but for boutique luxury manufacturers? You'd figure you know, that they'd have shit down or they wouldn't sell.

If you were the hardestcore Britophile, why would you buy this over the XJ? Is it one of those veblen goods?

[TheScrutineer]

If you were the hardestcore Britophile, why would you buy this over the XJ? Is it one of those veblen goods?

Further exclusivity and badge snobbery I suppose.

[clutch-monkey]

Par for the course UK build quality - sure, maybe when you'd consider Rovers and BL products, but for boutique luxury manufacturers? You'd figure you know, that they'd have shit down or they wouldn't sell.

i think it's just something in the water though. i notice when the germans get involved things seem to work a little better (MG debacle aside)

[Ferrer]

If they made LHD versions and I had the money I'd love to have a Blenheim.

It doesn't matter that it's a bad car or that it is outdated. That's completely missing the point. Judging this car for its objective abilities is like judging a porn film for its plot. There isn't any a no one cares.

What the Blenheim is, like the old Morgans, the Arnage or the Murcielago, is a representative of the old way of doing cars. It's particularly great when the journalists speaks with Bristol's owner and says what does the S have over the standard car? "Bigger canshafts and things like that", he says. Brilliant. No ECU reflash, no electronics, just old-school tuning for an old-school car.

Of course, if you are the one who things that all that matters with cars is go fast it can go, how does it turn and stop and this sort of things, the Blelnheim isn't for you. It'll be a complete disappointment, as it would any 50 year old car. But if you judge a car by how it makes you feel, then Blenheim might just do the trick for you.

[TheScrutineer]

What the Blenheim is, like the old Morgans, the Arnage or the Murcielago, is a representative of the old way of doing cars. It's particularly great when the journalists speaks with Bristol's owner and says what does the S have over the standard car? "Bigger canshafts and things like that", he says. Brilliant. No ECU reflash, no electronics, just old-school tuning for an old-school car.

The S actually does have a remapped ECU, but I understand your point about 'ruggedness'. The Blenheim is solid well understood engineering which means super-long lifespan if looked after. But because of that it certainly is not cutting edge.

[MoW]

i think it's just something in the water though. i notice when the germans get involved things seem to work a little better (MG debacle aside)

Not so sure about that. I used to have a Range Rover, the one with the BMW 4.4, thinking at least the germans parts should work but the opposite was true. Engine oil, cooling system, aircon everything was leaking, not mentioning the electrics, steering and suspension.

[Commodore GS/E]

The '99 Hyundai Coupe looks just awful. I can't imagine what they were thinking of when they designed it. Maybe a monkey's ass.

[franfran]

The '99 Hyundai Coupe looks just awful. I can't imagine what they were thinking of when they designed it. Maybe a monkey's ass.

It sort of bears a passing resemblance to a wombat............