Chassis 404X/3060
- Based on the sole remaining bare Arnolt-Bristol chassis,
acquired directly from the Arnolt family
- Hand-built coachwork built on a bespoke wooden buck
- Subtly revised styling inspired by the original Bertone Coupe
design
- Powered by a 2-liter Bristol inline-six
Before becoming the Midwestern distributor for MG, Riley and Morris
in the early 1950s, Chicago-born Stanley 'Wacky' Arnolt had already
proven himself to be a successful entrepreneur with a penchant for
showmanship. His famous nickname was coined by the local press
following a promotional stunt for Sea-Mite Engines. Stanely piloted
a 13-foot Sea-Mite equipped boat across a choppy, foggy Lake
Michigan from St. Joseph, Michigan to Chicago. Wacky Arnolt's
creativity didn't diminish as a car dealer, either. His fondness
for the MG marque saw him create a more luxurious version of the
plucky British sports car to appeal to American tastes, partnering
with Carrozzeria Bertone in Italy to build a series of coupe and
cabriolet bodies on the MG TD chassis. Styled by the prolific
Giovanni Michelotti, the Arnolt-MG was a handsome little GT
reminiscent of a scaled-down Ferrari 166 or 212.
Despite its high cost, Arnolt managed to shift 65 Arnolt-MG coupes
and 35 dropheads, and he soon turned his attention to more powerful
cars. Arnolt commissioned a few distinctive Aston Martin DB2s with
Bertone, but Newport Pagnell disapproved, so he turned to Bristol
and the new 404 grand tourer chassis, powered by the superb,
BMW-derived 2-liter inline-six. Arnolt arranged to ship chassis
directly from Bristol to Bertone in Italy to be clothed in a
svelte, swoopy 2-seat roadster body. Bertone was given free rein on
the design, and Michelotti created a purposeful form with sharply
creased lines, dramatic arches, inset headlamps, and steel panels
that looked to have been pulled taught over a tubular frame,
cleverly disguising the height of the Bristol 'six with curvy
fenders and a purposeful hood scoop.
Three roadster variants were offered, including the lightweight
Competition, the dual-purpose road/race Bolide, and the road-ready
Deluxe with quarter bumpers, side curtains, and a skimpy soft top.
A striking fastback coupe was also offered, but only a handful of
customers shelled out the extra $2,000 on top of the $3,995 base
price for one. Total production of the Arnolt-Bristol topped out at
142 cars, including the approximately six coupes and twelve
roadsters written off in a warehouse fire.
Of the 142 original Arnolt-Bristol chassis, one car, number
404X/3060, never received a body in period. It was retained by S.H.
Arnolt, Inc. and used as a display for auto shows and showroom
customers. After Stanley's death and the company's closure in the
early 1960s, the chassis was kept by the family and remained
unbodied and never registered. Decades later, a noted collector of
Arnot-Bristol cars connected with Stanley's son Michael Arnolt and
eventually arranged to purchase 3060 with the goal of creating a
unique, one-off coupe. Notably, the new owner of 3060 also owned
several roadsters and previously counted one of the surviving
original Arnolt-Bristol Bertone Coupes in his collection.
With the new, never-registered, never-bodied chassis in his care,
work commenced on the coachwork. The new owner took this
opportunity to make a few subtle but effective styling tweaks to
the original Michelotti/Bertone design, incorporating
roadster-style headlamps in place of the original pop-ups, and more
aggressive arches with deep cutouts behind the front wheels.
Bertone's signature fastback profile and sinuous curves were
retained for the full effect.
The body was constructed in traditional fashion on a wooden buck,
which was CNC milled specifically for this project by ADC
Enterprises of Ferris, Texas. Additional metal work and finishing
were handled by Red Car Restorations and Foster Vintage, both of
Texas. The result is a striking machine, compact and purposeful in
its dark red finish with polished accents on the wheel lips and
hood scoop. Details include period correct Borrani bi-metal
knock-off disc wheels, and Deluxe-style quarter bumpers.
The cozy two-place cockpit features bucket seats trimmed in biscuit
leather, with matching material on the door cards and panels.
Oatmeal square weave carpets add a touch of warmth and
period-correct feel to the cabin. The driver faces a body-color
dash, with a Bluemels three-spoke wheel and Smiths-style
instruments bearing the Arnolt logo, arranged in a tight binnacle
set in an engine-turned alloy panel. There's storage behind the
seats, while the boot has reasonable space to carry another soft
bag or two on a rally. The boot is also nicely detailed with carpet
and houses a spare Borrani wheel.
Under the bonnet sits the legendary Bristol six, properly presented
in sporting spec with a trio of downdraft carburetors. Befitting
the quality of the build, the engine compartment is beautifully
detailed with race inspired touches including dual ignition coils,
spare plug holder, and porcelain enamel manifolds. Authentic
decals, fittings and hardware maintain the period-correct
aesthetic.
Conceived by a passionate enthusiast and executed without regard to
cost, this striking Arnolt-Bristol Coupe presents an exceptional
opportunity to acquire a one-of-a-kind sports car built for carving
backroads on events like the Colorado Grand or Copperstate 1000,
and worthy of celebrating its unique design in New Coachwork
concours classes.
Offers welcome and trades considered.
