1952 Arnolt-Bristol MG Bertone

SH Arnolt Inc. - Stanley H. 'Wacky' Arnolt's own company - was a licensed manufacturer in Chicago, Illinois, from 1953 to 1968. A confirmed car lover, it was not surprising that in 1949 Wacky Arnolt bought an MG TC, and in 1949 he set up S.H. Arnolt, Inc. to operate a retail foreign car showroom in Chicago.

At the 1952 Turin Auto Show Arnolt walked the Bertone booth and the two joined together to produce Italian-American hybrids - MG, Aston Martin, Bentley and Bristol mechanicals enveloped with Bertone bodywork, all specifically for the US market, MG shipped the TD chassis (with XPAG 54 HP, 4-cylinder) to Italy. If he had a larger purse, Bertone may have bought a Ferrari chassis, but it was the recognizable MG radiator that caused Wacky to be instantly taken by the two cars. Arnolt ordered one hundred of each. In the end, 65 coupes and 35 drop-heads were built before MG changed over to the production of the TF and the chassis was no longer available. In addition, the famous coach-building house of Bertone was saved from collapse.

These cars have room for four, with leather upholstery and bucket seats. The cars' aerodynamic styling and aluminum hood, trunk, and doors increase its top speed by 10 miles per hour, and the well-trimmed body is only marginally heavier than the TD. The vestiges of the TD are also visible on the hood and dash of the car. The suspension is 100% TD and the 1250cc engine, transmission, and rear-end are TD.

This example was given a restoration that was completed in 1998 and has since been driven over 23,000 miles.