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Joint Continent Collaboration
1954 Arnolt-Bristol Roadster by Bertone

Chicago-based industrialist Stanley Harold ‘Wacky’ Arnolt II started turning his love of automobiles after WW2. Starting from being a US distributor for Bristol cars, his visit to Carrozzeria Bertone in Italy resulted to being a stakeholder, and subsequently getting Bertone’s new stylist Franco Scaglione working on a  Bristol 404 in mid-1950s.

1954 Arnolt-Bristol Roadster featured the aforementioned Bristol chassis, a BMW-inspired 1,971cc Bristol six engine, and sleek bodywork created by Scaglione. The Arnolt-Bristol version incorporated a bonnet scoop and sharply creased contours over the front wings, shifting the attention from the unusually tall centre of the bonnet (because of the tall engine). The Chassis number 3033 pictured here is one of the 130 examples made and one of the very few that survived. Fully restored to concours standard between 2016 and 2018, the vehicle is now back to its original peacock blue body with grey leather interior. It will be available at Bonhams’ Zoute auction on 5 October with an estimate of € 340,000 – 380,000.