1999 Bristol Blenheim

Bristol Blenheim (Saloon), 1994-2009

The Bristol Blenheim was in production from 1994 until 2009. A development of the 603 styled by Dudley Hobbs, it is a front engined, rear wheel drive saloon seating four adults.

The Blenheim was an update of Bristol's existing Britannia model, which itself had been a thorough reimagining of the 603 of 1975. It represented the thinking and desires of then boss Tony Crook, who had persisted in producing old school cars for gentlemen with taste and money when the rest of the world had advanced beyond the concept. One of the last true grand tourers, rather than a softened sports car, the Bristol Blenheim continued in production until 2009 - though it's widely accepted that serious production stopped around 2003. We say serious - at no point has the DVLA recorded more than fifteen examples in the UK, with many years showing as zero production.

All Blenheims used a 5.9 litre Chrysler V8; the LA series as also used in the Dodge Durango. This was mated to a three speed automatic, four speed from 1998, taken from the same manufacturer.

Bristols have always been anachronistic to drive, with a feeling perhaps better suited to the 1960s than the present day. They're oddly narrow, a legacy of their design intention to fit down the narrowest of London streets, yet long and tall in a bid to carry four adults. Performance is certainly comfortable courtesy of more power than the outgoing Brigand turbo, but ride and handling would be shown up by the Ford Mondeo launched around the same time. To criticise a Bristol for how it drives is to miss the point, though - this is an exclusive motor car, not some mere transport.

They can rust, one of the first signs being cracking paintwork - and don't be worried by large panel gaps, they're just part of the Bristol's charm. Air conditioning compressors can fail, exhausts can blow, diffs can whine, and minor electrics are less than reliable. Some cars have been known to suffer poor engine cooling too, which can lead to head gasket issues if not caught in time.

With so few around, and such a "Marmite" reputation, we don't really need to tell you to be careful accepting or ruling out any Bristol you might see for sale, but we must urge anyone interested in purchase to find and take a specialist along to view. Many cars are sold by such specialists, and we would say that the peace of mind is often worth the extra over a private sale. But remember these are handmade cars, and that this can mean more issues than a mass produced model. Don't just look for "known" trouble spots, but examine the whole car closely. One useful benefit of such low scale production is that many items are off-the-shelf units - the rear lights, for instance, are Vauxhall Senator - which may help with sourcing any parts you should need further down the line.

Alternatives to the Blenheim are few and far between. If the idea of a handbuilt two door Brit really appeals, the Bentley Continental R is a good choice, though perhaps too flashy for the Bristol driver. He'd perhaps consider a Jaguar XJ12 - never an XJR, as despite the power it's too flash. We find it difficult to accept that a Blenheim fancier would accept something so overt as a Ferrari 412, but perhaps a Mercedes CL could be considered unobtrusive enough - even if a little mass produced. At the opposite end of the spectrum, something like a Wood and Pickett Mini would be just as good with London's narrow streets, and was built to its owner's exacting specification when new. You'd lose the power but all other Bristol attributes might remain. A Bitter SC would be similarly appealing.