1954 Arnolt-Bristol Bolide

Stanley Harold 'Wacky' Arnolt II of Chicago made a fortune during World War II and used his wealth to indulge his love of automobiles. By 1952 he was a regional BMC distributor and US distributor for Bristol cars and following a serendipitous encounter with Nuccio Bertone at the 1952 Turin Motor Show, purchased a stake in the Italian-based Carrozzeria. Arnolt's eponymously named sports cars featured British running gear, Italian bodywork, and American sales and distribution.

The first Bertone-bodied Arnolt was based on the MG TD chassis and powered by an XPAG 54 horsepower engine. The styling was courtesy of Nuccio Bertone and Giovanni Michelotti. Although production was estimated to reach two hundred units, ultimately just 103 were built between 1953 and 1954, including 36 convertibles and 67 coupes.

The second Bertone-bodied Arnolt model was based on the Aston Martin DB2/4 chassis. Sold as the Arnolt Aston Martins, they wore a design courtesy of a newly hired designer at Bertone named Franco Scaglione. Only three examples were built.

A single Arnolt-Bentley was built using the chassis from a 1953 R-Type Continental. It was designed by Giovanni Michelotti (working for Bertone) and was a one-off vehicle commissioned as Mr. Arnolt's personal car, replete with monogrammed flasks and glasses.

The Arnolt Bristol
Arnolt's next model used Bristol components, specifically, those of the Model 404 which had entered production in 1953 of which only 52 examples were built. The Bristol Aeroplane Company had obtained the rights to BMW's automotive designs as part of Germany's post-WW2 reparations. Early post-war Bristol vehicles incorporated mechanical components and the bodyshell of the pre-war BMW 326, 327, and 328 models. These components and designs were retuned using Bristol's background in the aviation industry, and the bespoke hand-crafted automobiles they built were revered for their high-quality engineering and attention to detail. This level of craftsmanship was expensive, and Bristol production remained exclusive.

Thus, the Arnolt chassis was based on the Bristol which was based on the pre-war BMW. The 2.0-liter (1,971cc) six-cylinder Bristol engine was also based on the pre-war BMW 328, which featured a cylinder head designed by Rudolf Schleicher. It had Hemispherical combustion chambers, inclined valves, and a single block-mounted camshaft and pushrod valve actuation like the earlier BMW Type 319. There were two rocker shafts with one positioned above each bank of valves, resulting in an external appearance similar to that of a twin-overhead-cam design. BMW used Solex carburetors while the Bristol version used SU carbs.

The Bristol engine was highly-efficient and although it was very tall, Scaglionet created a sleek design for the sports car, initially using a bonnet scoop and later using sharply creased contours over the front wings to compliment the bonnet's tall center.

The Arnolt Bristol was offered as a minimalistic competition road racer, the Bolide - a better-appointed version of the competition road racer, and the Deluxe - a better-appointed version of the Bolide. Additional accouterments included a convertible top, side windows, a glove box in the dashboard, and instrumentation grouped in front of the driver. The Coupe had pop-up headlights. Most examples wore steel bodies with aluminum hood and trunk. Arnolt charged $3,995 for the competition model, $4,245 for the Bolide, $4,995 for the Bolide Deluxe, and $5,995 for the coupé.

Accommodating various needs and requests, the Arnolt Bristol was offered with several factory options including 11-inch Alfin drum brakes, a convertible top, a front sway bar, a remote shifter, Borrani KO steel wheels, various rear-end gear ratios, and bumpers. 12-inch bell-shaped Bristol drums became available near the close of 1959, and in 1961, Bristol front disc brakes were offered to retrofit to the Arnolt-Bristol.

The Bristol engine could be tuned to produce in excess of 150bhp. Among the accolades achieved during a short racing career included class victories at Watkins Glen, Sebring, and Le Mans in 1955. Three examples were entered in the 1955 Sebring 12-Hour race where they finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th in class, earning them the team trophy. A fatal accident that claimed the life of driver Bob Goldich resulted in the disbandment of the team. Privately owned Arnolt-Bristols dominated the SCCA E-Production classes for many years.

Production of the Arnolt-Bristol ended in 1959 after 142 examples were built. Following the 'race on Sunday, sell on Monday' mode of thinking, the Arnolt-Bristol was a combination of British chassis and running gear, Italian styling and construction, and American money, sales, and ambition.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2022