BRITAIN’S BIGGEST BRISTOL STASH
The late Brian May’s collection of Bristol cars and parts is heading to auction on 12-13 April
rightwells ‘Brian May – A lifetime of Bristols’ auction contains 28 cars from Brian’s extensive collection, ranging from a 1948 Bristol 400 to 1960 406s and plenty in between.
There is also a 1959 Wingfield Special, which saw extensive race, sprint and hillclimb action in the late ’50s and early ’60s.
Brian, well-known within Bristol circles for his generous spirit and warmth towards fellow Bristol enthusiasts as much as his cars, passed away three years ago and his daughter Fiona planned to continue his work via bristolsbristolsbristols.co.uk.
She told CCW: ‘I was going to continue my dad’s work but the enormity of it has meant a change in plan, hence deciding to auction everything, although I am keeping a few special cars in the collection.
‘I went with Brightwells because they have the capacity to store the
Bvolume of cars and parts. My father lived on a small holding in Solihull and had been working on Bristols for more than 50 years, restoring them and amassing parts.’
Fiona was still sorting through Brian’s haul of parts and memorabilia as CCW went to press and had already filled one articulated lorry trailer with plenty more to come.
She added: ‘My father just loved seeing how things are put together. One day someone asked if he would like an aluminium car that doesn’t rust and he my mother had a bit of money so she had a new washing machine and my father got a Bristol.
‘The Brightwells auction represents his life’s work and they have said that a collection of Bristols like this has never come up for auction before and we’ll never see a collection like this come to auction again.’
❚ brightwells.com