Don’t rule out a Britannia bargain
Ican’t be the only one to think that H&H’S 1986 Bristol Britannia knocked down for £25,875 in December was cheap. One of only 31 built it was in gorgeous nick with 114,000 miles, a continuous Bristol history from new, ten factory stamps in the book and was bought as a used car in 1997 from the iconic High St Kensington showroom for £36,000. Add up that inflation-adjusted purchase price, the cost of all the past servicing – including the most recent one at £4800 – and you have a sensational, ocean-going bargain. Wonderfully wellkept and finished in genteel Beaufort Blue with light grey Connolly hide, it was an impressive car.
Britannias, Brigands and 603s (the preceding model) don’t come up at auction often but back in 2016 Bonhams sold a tired project Britannia from a deceased estate for £17,825 while in September last year Historics sold a restored 1977 Turbo for £33,960. And I know these Eighties Bristols aren’t as pretty or wellproportioned as the earlier 411s and 410s but at half the price I still think they’re undervalued given their performance, quality and extreme rarity. This was one with impeccable provenance that had spent its life in the bosom of its maker, sold twice from the hallowed Kensington showroom and serviced continuously in the now long-gone Chiswick Bristol workshop. Anthony Crook, Bristol’s irascible boss – who was actually charming once you got to know him – would’ve been proud that this Britannia spent 14 years being fettled and maintained by the company he had built and loved. This was very well bought indeed.