Description
After making his fortune during World War II, Chicago-based industrialist Stanley Harold “Wacky” Arnolt II was able to indulge his lifelong love of automobiles, and by 1952 he was a regional BMC distributor and U.S. distributor for Bristol automobiles. A visit to “Carrozzeria Bertone” in 1952 led to Arnolt purchasing a stake in the Italian company and arranging the manufacture of Bertone-bodied Arnolt MGs. Bertone's elegant coupe and convertible on the MG TD chassis were first exhibited at the 1951 Geneva Salon. These cars were enthusiastically received by Arnolt, who saw that the Bertone-bodied TD met the American market's requirement for a luxurious MG; a car with that all-important octagonal emblem, but blessed with something above the Spartan level of equipment usually associated with the Abingdon brand's sports cars. Two hundred cars were ordered, although production ultimately amounted to 65 coupes and 37 convertibles.
Arnolt's next venture utilized the Bristol connection, the British manufacturer's 404 chassis given the Bertone treatment in 1953 courtesy of newly arrived stylist, Franco Scaglione. Despite being based on a pre-war BMW design, the Bristol featured one of the best chassis of its time, and the 2,0-litre six-cylinder engine was one of the most efficient on the market. The 1.971 cc Bristol six was based on that of the pre-war BMW 328, which had an ingenious cylinder head designed by Rudolf Schleicher, with hemispherical combustion chambers and inclined valves without the use of overhead or twin camshafts. Instead, the single-block camshaft and tappet valve of the earlier BMW Type 319 engine were retained, avoiding an expensive redesign. Two rocker shafts were used, one above each set of valves, giving the engine an appearance almost indistinguishable from that of a dual overhead camshaft design. Downdraft intake ports contributed to the engine's deep breathing, and its tuning ability made it a popular choice for British racing car constructors, especially Cooper, in the XNUMXs. Externally, Bristol's clone of the BMW engine differed little from the German original, the most obvious difference being the adoption of SU, rather than Solex, carburettors mid-production. The main changes made by Bristol's designers were metallurgical; their use of the highest quality materials contributed to a significantly longer engine life and its tuning ability made it a popular choice for British racing car constructors, especially Cooper, in the XNUMXs.
The only drawback to the engine, from a packaging point of view, was its height. Nevertheless, Scaglione still managed to come up with a sleek-looking sports car, first by incorporating a hood scoop and second by using sharply creased contours across the front wings to draw the viewer's attention away from the unusually high center of the hood. Three open models were offered, ranging from the basic competition version through the better equipped Bolide to the fully equipped Bolide Deluxe. There was also an attached compartment. Arnolt charged $3.995 for the competition model, $4.245 for the Bolide, $4.995 for the Bolide Deluxe and $5.995 for the coupe.
The Bristol engine could be tuned to produce more than 150 horsepower, and it wasn't long before the beautiful Arnolts were making their mark in production sports car racing in the US. After class victories at Sebring and Le Mans in 1955, the works team was disbanded following the fatal accident that claimed the life of driver Bob Goldich. Arnolt-Bristol production ceased in 1963 after a total of 130 cars were sold.
One of the few survivors, chassis number '3065' was purchased from Bristol Cars London in 2014, as a unique restoration project. Bristol Cars had imported the Arnolt from California as part of a collection they were developing, but due to financial problems the car was put up for sale.
Experienced professional restorers began the restoration, with the intention of racing the Arnolt-Bristol in historic events such as the HERO Cup, Mille Miglia and Goodwood. The full restoration was carried out between 2015 and 2017 to period-correct specification, with all components completely rebuilt (not just cleaned and painted!). The bodywork has been fully repaired, retaining as much of the original paneling as possible and then repainted to concours standard in the correct shade of green, with traces of the original paint discovered during the restoration process, while the interior has been reupholstered in brown leather.
The engine is intended for use in an ex-Grand Prix Cooper-Bristol and has been built to racing specification by a leading engine specialist from Bristol. The maximum power is approximately 130 hp. The gearbox has been overhauled with all the adjustments required for racing, and the car also has an aluminum foam filled competition fuel tank; an aluminum cooling radiator; and an oil cooler. A full account of the restoration of this car can be found in John Simister's excellent article in Octane magazine (February 2018 issue, copy available).
This car is not only built to an exceptionally high standard, but also has very good driving characteristics. The clutch is light and progressive, the long, curved gear lever with its Bakelite knob clicks oily smoothly into its right gear. Precise steering, confident straight-line stability, good balance: the Arnolt has it all. It is an uncomplicated, talkative, transparent four-wheeled racer, which does what you ask of it and clearly enjoys every minute of it. This extremely rare, American-inspired, Anglo-Italian sports car comes with a V5C registration document, extensive file of invoices relating to the restoration.
