The first Arnolt-Bristol, the prototype

Whether a company produces 142,000 of a particular model or just 142 in this case, there’s only one first. This is it, the first Arnolt-Bristol, the prototype.

The automaker fitted the prototype originally with am FNS (Frazer Nash Specification) Bristol engine, but promptly replaced it with a BS1 Mk II-type engine. While the Arnolt-Bristols didn’t sell well at the time, they were racy, so the dealer competed with it while it awaited an owner. After the Arnolt-Bristol’s second private owner bought it in 1957, he installed a fuel-injected Chevrolet V8 and four-speed manual, and also raced it. Several owners later, it fell into disuse and had its engine removed.

In the mid-1990s, an enthusiast bought it and the Arnolt-Bristol underwent a restoration that lasted more than 20 years and cost more than $220,000. That owner found the Bristol engine the Arnolt-Bristol came with and reinstalled it. The subsequent owner then continued bringing it back to its original glory, where the Arnolt-Bristol now appears as thoroughly restored example of one of the most notable cars that Stanley “Wacky” Arnolt was behind.