1984 Bristol Brigand For Sale

1984 Bristol Brigand

The Brigand’s cabin is high compared to most cars on the road so one is imbued with a feeling of quiet dominance and superiority as one views the world across the seemingly endless bonnet, an impression only heightened when one really puts one’s foot down. It will roar from standstill to 60mph in 10 seconds dead and the ease with which it built up to an indicated 145mph suggested to us that the quoted top speed of 152mph might be on the conservative side. Loping along at 100mph, the Brigand’s V8 is ticking over at 3, 600rpm and the atmosphere within is akin to a West End club, being at least the equal of anything produced by Rolls-Royce” – Motorsport, January 1984.

Launched in 1982, the Brigand was the third series of Bristol’s 603 model, being a turbocharged version of the otherwise almost identical Britannia, only alloy wheels and a bonnet bulge differentiating the one that housed the blower. Both cars were named after ground attack aircraft manufactured by Bristol Cars’ former parent, the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The performance Brigand model used a factory-tuned version of the 360ci (5. 9-litre) Chrysler V8 engine equipped with specially developed camshafts, a four-barrel downdraught carburettor, electronic ignition and a Rotomeister turbocharger. Transmission was by means of a Chrysler Torqueflite gearbox with torque converter.

Chassis Number: 8530101
Registration Number: B485 ETW

First registered in December 1984, this fine Brigand was acquired by its current fastidious owner and early Bristol enthusiast in 2011. Since then it has gone through a series of constant improvements and upgrades by Bristol Cars and marque specialist ACCS in London to make it “near perfect while respecting its originality”.

This has included a factory respray in 2015 in the original Zaffiro Blue; thorough Waxoyl treatment to the underbody and cavities; Harvey-Bailey handling kit and Bristol Blenheim wheels to refine handling; re-Connolised grey leather trim and colour-matching; re-foamed seats for comfort using original craftsmanship; new inertia belts all round (x5); cruise control, Lucas fog lights, heated front seats, remote doors and boot locking all retrofitted; all wiring looms in the detailed engine bay protected with heat-resistant materials; overhauled air conditioning;
bodyshell selectively treated with modern anti-drumming material to reduce road and engine noise plus an audiophile-grade hi-fi system fitted by a high-end audio specialist in Switzerland.

The engine has been overhauled by a marque specialist including the following new parts; head gasket; four-barrel Carter carburettor; water pump; thermostat; performance hoses and dual exhaust lines. As is the case with other Brigands, the turbo had been removed at some point in time and the owner was advised by Bristol Cars themselves not to retrofit it for improved reliability.

The axle/ transmission has also been fully serviced by Bristol Cars with new parts in 2015. All electrical components (including window motors) and wiring loom have been tested/ improved for absolute reliability during continental journeys to and from the vendor’s second home in France – hence the comforts of the cruise control, air-conditioning and sound-proofed interior.

In 2017 the Brigand was purchased by life-long Bristol enthusiast Rod Taylor of Brighton, UK. Rod had a collection of both vintage cars and motorcycles people could only dream of. He purchased the Brigand especially as at this time his driving days were behind him due to an illness and the Brigand would be able to chew up the miles with ease whilst visiting multiple restorations he had underway at the time. One of his most treasured cars was his early Bristol 401, modified in such a way Bristol aficionados would not totally agree with, however, it perfectly resembled Rod’s eccentricity which we will truly miss.