Bristol Cars : Frazer-Nash Group takes over

Bristol Fighter
Bristol Fighter

Kamkorp Autokraft Limited, part of the Frazer-Nash Group, has announced that it has acquired the assets and goodwill of Bristol Cars Limited, the luxury car manufacturer, from its Administrators. This acquisition will re-establish the connection between Bristol Cars and Frazer-Nash which dates back to Frazer-Nash’s close involvement in the foundation of Bristol Cars 65 years ago.

William Chia, the Group’s Director of Operations, said: ‘Bristol Cars is a British institution and an important part of our national motoring heritage. Over the next few months we will start to reveal the details of our plans to combine Bristol Cars’ tradition and iconic marque with Frazer-Nash’s pioneering technology to showcase our cutting-edge electric and range-extended powertrains.

‘British engineers are globally recognised for their inventions and the quality of their innovation – and these attributes are inherent in all our systems and products. Mindful of Bristol Cars’ rich heritage and our responsibility as custodians of the brand, we are certain that our technology will blend seamlessly and successfully with the Bristol Cars tradition of engineering integrity.

‘Owners and enthusiasts of the cars should be assured that, even though these are early days in our tenure of the brand, we are committed to providing them and their cars with the highest levels of quality, technology and service.’

[Source: Bristol Cars Limited]

Keith Adams

12 Comments

  1. Good news – I hope that they can keep Bristol going. Personally, I like the cars and the ethos of the company. Tally Ho etc.!

  2. This is great news – Bristol Cars has been purchased by a company which understands the quality, engineering knowhow and the traditions of the brand. I hope that the Frazer-Nash Group can keep this excellent car company going in the years to come.

  3. That is a better outcome than I expected or could have imagined. My best case scenario was that some eccentric billionaire would buy the company as plaything.

  4. Bristol and Frazer-Nash – that’s a suitably eccentric pairing. I do not have any information about the Frazer-Nash Group’s (FNG) current financial position so the only thing that worries me is whether this might, in the end, pull down FNG and take Bristol back down with it.

    However, as has already been said, it’s a good thing that some rich idiot hasn’t got his hands on the company to muck around with until he’s bored with it. Heaven forfend that it had been taken over by one of the Facebook reptiles for example…

  5. @Jemma
    I have just Googled the Frazer-Nash Group: £35 million a year turnover, 25% year on year growth, specialist engineering in defence systems, nuclear engineering etc. I reckon that Bristol Cars is in pretty safe hands for now.

    Anyway, that does, at least, mean that no 18 year old dot com billionaire’s off spring will be using the acquisition as a toy for the Easter Holidays!

  6. OMG, that will cause James May to have a trouser accident. Bristol bought by the Frazer-Nash Group – it is an ideal combo. A flying hat, goggles and leather flying jacket will be required for all owners. Pimms all round, with a game of croquet. Indeed, if they went for Jaguar engines instead of the horrid Yank affairs, it couldn’t get more British if it tried. Chocks away! 🙂

    Seriously, this is something I am chuffed about: proper British cars, not fake Chinese ones pretending to be British. I wish the new venture all the best.

  7. That is really really good news. I hope the new owners have enough money to invest in Bristol because, to be honest, that was the root of their problems, methinks.

    A Dutch paper this week stated that some Chinese company would buy Bristol. That sent shivers down my spine but, luckily, it proved to be a false rumour.

  8. This is absolutely brilliant news and I wish all parties every success.

    However, without wishing to sound pedantic, Fraser Nash Research is part of the Kamkorp Autokraft Group and is a spinoff from Nash and Thompson, an engineering company founded by Archie Frazer-Nash after he had ceased manufacturing motor cars. Hence, while Bristol has been reunited with the Frazer Nash name, it is not being reunited with the Frazer Nash Trademark, which now belongs to Porsche, as that company had a brief involvement with Bristol Cars in 1946.

  9. @Arttidesco
    The above article is, in fact, a mildly edited version of a Press Release issued on behalf of Bristol Cars Limited and AROnline’s subsequent Internet-based research to verify the precise relationship between Kamkorp Autokraft Limited and the Frazer-Nash Group proved inconclusive.

    The position concerning the ownership of the IPRs to the Frazer Nash name and badge would also appear to be rather more complicated than you suggest. See this Search Result from the Intellectual Property Office’s website:

    Trade Mark Enquiry
    Search Results
    Your search found 4 results.
    Trade Mark No. Mark Text File Date Status Nice Classes
    1) 2510146 FRAZER-NASH 02/03/2009 Withdrawn 09 12 42
    2) 1497604 FRAZERNASH 15/04/1992 Registered 12
    3) 2534928 FRAZER NASH 21/12/2009 Registered 12
    4) E5713524 FRAZER-NASH 25/02/2007 Registered 12 14 28 37 42

    Interestingly, only the FRAZERNASH badge at 2) above appears to be registered to Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft of Porscheplatz 1, 70435 Stuttgart, Germany…

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