HOW TO GET ONE IN YOUR GARAGE

An expert says RICHARD HACKETT, SLJ HACKETT

“My father bought a Bristol from Tony Crook’s showroom in Hersham when I was a boy, and that started the affair for me. I then worked for Bristol Cars for over two decades. The Fighter is an exceptional car. It’s amazingly fast, easy to drive and beautifully made – it handles superbly. I think it’s actually got better looking as it’s got older, too. The good news is that it’s very dependable and most parts are still easy to come by. Prices are definitely on the up, too.”

Buyer beware…

■ ENGINE

The front-mid-mounted V10 (from the Dodge Viper and modified by Bristol) is clever and reliable. It weighs just 239kg, which is remarkable for an engine that makes 525bhp and can just as easily give a lot more. Indeed, the ram air effect at high speed gives it another 25bhp. Everything in the engine bay has been designed to allow easy access for maintenance, so parts such as the spark plugs and starter motor are all accessible. Reliability reports so far suggest no obvious problems, with good spares supply and easy servicing. Its long gearing in the Fighter gives it just 1500rpm at 70mph.

■ BODY

Among hundreds of clever features, the exhausts run through the door sills to keep the underside smooth. There are no spoilers to ruin the airflow, and the Fighter has ground clearance that no rival supercar can match. The Max Boxstrom-designed two-seater has a rigid all-steel boxsection frame with an integral front bulkhead, windscreen surround and rollover protection. It got honeycomb flooring, doors and a hatchback of carbonfibre, plus wings, a roof and a bonnet if aluminium. The highly stressed suspension parts were all steel. The Fighter also has a usable boot that holds a full-size spare tyre.

■ TRANSMISSION

Fighter customers could choose from either a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic gearbox, although it’s thought that only one automatic car was made. Bristol fettled the manual gearbox from the Viper for a shorter, sweeter change. All Fighters are rear-wheel drive. No faults have been reported here so far.

■ STEERING

The Fighter has an exceptionally tight turning circle, rare in its class, thanks to its front wheels’ ability to turn up to 41deg – not far off that of a London taxi. This is an exceptional figure for a car with such wide front tyres, too.

Also worth knowing

Because of Bristol’s legendary secrecy, the exact number of Fighters produced and sold originally is a matter of speculation. There seem to have only ever been nine registered in the UK. Richard Hackett of Bristol specialist SLJ Hackett reckons that a total of 20 Fighter chassis were made, of which 19 are accounted for. It seems 13 were finished by Bristol.

SLJ Hackett recently purchased a selection of certified chassis in various states of completeness from the previous owners’ chattels, and it now has two of them nearly complete and already sold. If you fancy a ‘new’ continuation Fighter, or indeed any other type of Bristol, you had better address yourself to the firm pronto.

When the Fighter first went on sale in 2005, the price was £229,000 for the regular 525bhp car or £256,000 for the 628bhp S version. A Bugattirivalling, 1012bhp, twin-turbo Fighter T was initially listed, too, with a top speed of 225mph. It doesn’t look like one was ever made, but SLJ Hackett has the only Series 2 Fighter constructed by Bristol Cars ready for completion, and that was specifically designed for the twin-turbo engine.

How much to spend £200,000 AND ABOVE

Prices are on the cusp of taking off, and you’ll certainly get back what you paid. Fighters start at about £200k. For this, you’ll get a car with up to 40,000 miles, probably sold through the specialist dealer network. Pay upwards of £230k for most or nearer £350k for barely used/continuation examples in mint condition.