News : Toby Silverton leaves Bristol

Toby Silverton
Toby Silverton

It has been announced today that Toby Silverton, the Managing Director of Bristol Cars, is stepping down in order to concentrate on his aviation businesses.

Toby Silverton said: “I am profoundly optimistic about Bristol’s future. The next-generation technology, engineering resource and investment that Bristol now has access to will ensure that the new cars live up to their high tech heritage. I am looking forward to returning full-time to head up my interests in the aviation industry and will be pleased to assist Bristol Cars in whatever way I can.”

William Chia, Director of Bristol Automotive Group and Group Director of Operations of Frazer-Nash, said: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Toby for helping us during the crucial transition period since we became guardians of the Bristol Cars marque in April and we’re delighted that we will still have access to his input should the need arise. This is an exciting chapter in the company’s history in which we are investing in the development of new Bristol cars adopting Frazer-Nash’s green technology as well as in the Kensington showroom, which will continue to sell the best selection of cars from Bristol’s magnificent 65 year history.”

The appointment of a new General Manager of Bristol Cars will be announced soon. In the meantime, it is very much business as usual.

[Source: Octane magazine]

Keith Adams

17 Comments

  1. I have no idea how they’re still in business, OK there’s being selective who you sell yours cars to, but it actually helps to sell more than Lotus to get by.

    Hell, they may even start to make decent looking cars now…

  2. I’d put money on him being kicked out. Not serious amounts of money, about 10p worth. But my belief still stands. Whatever his intentions, he still crashed the company in my eyes.

  3. I never knew that knew that they still made cars!
    Why dont they introduce a small 1300cc engine convertible for around £10,000?

    Isnt that what people want, cheap to run, cheap to buy fun cars?

  4. I’m not sure what to make of this news. I thought that Silverton would concentrate on the restoration side of the business and that FN would be responsible for the development of new Bristol-cars.
    In an interview for Octane-magazine Tony Crook told that Bristol would still be fine if they hadn’t decided to build the Fighter, which was Toby Silverton’s idea. Still: I like the Fighter though. I also like the old-school Bristols, although the styling of the Blenheim was an acquired taste. It’s much less in your face than a Bentley, Rolls, or -god forbid- a Maybach.
    Wouldn’t say no to a 411 S6 though. See: http://www.bristolcars.co.uk/series6.html

  5. Bristol. I hate that stuffy, pompous company that seems to have it’s head up it’s own rear oriffice for precisely the reasons stated above. Stuck in the 1950’s where the likes of Setright could brown nose a company that refuses to move with the times and seems to think they are important enough to chose their customers, where quite plainly, customers pretty much don’t want to chose them. At least with that new Jensen bunch they not anywhere near as pretentious about what they’re doing. Gah! The good ‘old’ British way to do things.. Gimme a McLaren ANY day…

  6. @Mikey C – the pipe is deeply ironic – I don’t think he even smokes!

    Got to say my money would be on him being pushed.

    Is there any news on where production will be going forward – I know they have confirmed UK but not where.

  7. Is that a Suzuki X-90 going by outside the window?

    Toby participated in a vintage car rally in an old Bristol where I co-drove a 300sl many years ago. He’s a complete and utter nutter. I wish him well.

  8. Is it true that they told James May to sod off because he was mates with Clarkson?

    If it is true, they got rid of their ideal punter. James, like Bristol Cars, is stuck in the 1950s.

  9. I hope Bristol continue to build luxury grand tourers in the traditional style although the problem is, like most enthusiasts, I can’t actually afford one.

  10. Toby Silverton should never have been allowed to take over Bristol…it was doomed right from the go. The company was living in some delusion that it was somehow going to ‘periodically’ make cars when it felt like it and it could not even establish a half decent website. Sad to see another iconic British company go into to foreign ownership but the only upside is the ‘brand’ may hopefully continue successfully and with a better leadership into the future. If Toby is tinkering around with aircraft then the best advice would be to steer clear of whatever he is doing.

  11. Hallo Toby

    Are you the Toby Silverton formerly at Schuler Presses Ltd. I am George Hees, now living in Germany. I have a problem relating to my time at Schuler Presses. Can I have your eMail adress please, if you the Toby I knew then,

    Thanks, regrads George

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.