Customer Reviews

Bristol Cars and Engines

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This book is as rare as the cars themselves. If you find one, buy it, Bristol owners covet them dearly. It was the first serious book written on the marque and is out of date now. It covers the six cylinder models and the V8's through the second or third series 411. Each chapter describes a separate model and there is coverage of the racing cars. Black and white illustrations only.

LJKS is the definitive Bristol author and is so closely linked with the cars that you really need to read one of his books to understand the lore around the cars. LJKS writes superbly though superciliously. He has pointed opinions on most topics and never really balances his arguments which could be a byproduct of his legal training as his fondness for latin obscurities certainly is. His prose is elegant and refined but not light. Despite its length, it's not an afternoon read.

The book has a number of factual inaccuracies so I would not rely on it for specifications. His later book - A Private Car - is so much better in many ways that it's hard to recommend the book whole heartedly. This book is short in length and in detail and covers, to my mind, the less interesting 6 cylinder models. But for that Bristol, AC, Frazer Nash owner, who wants to know about the Bristol engine, it's the only text out there!