Bristol Cars has announced its return to car production, beginning with the completion of five Bristol Fighters from original unused chassis, drawings and parts.
The first completed car was unveiled at Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace on September 2, 2026, during the marque’s 80th anniversary celebrations. Four further Fighters are planned, with production to take place in the UK in partnership with an as-yet-unnamed British manufacturing company.
The revived Bristol Cars is owned by Paul King, while Richard Hackett has been appointed chairman. Hackett previously worked closely with former Bristol boss Tony Crook during the period in which the Fighter was conceived and produced.
Rather than beginning with an entirely new model, the company has chosen to complete a programme that was left unfinished when Bristol’s original manufacturing operation ceased in 2011. The first new car uses an original Fighter chassis and has been finished in black with a tan interior.
Launched in the early 2000s, the Fighter was Bristol’s final production model before the company entered administration. The two-seat coupé was designed around an 8.0-litre V10, with gullwing doors and an aerodynamically developed body reflecting Bristol’s aviation heritage.
The newly completed cars will be offered with 525bhp as standard or an optional 600bhp specification. Bristol quotes a top speed of up to 210mph. The four remaining cars can be built in right- or left-hand drive, with pricing available on application. Bristol says as few as 15 Fighters are known to exist worldwide.
The four remaining Fighters are due to be offered for sale over the coming months, each built around an original, unused chassis. Bristol says buyers will be able to specify individual cars to their preferred configuration, with pricing available on application.
The cars right- or left-hand-drive configuration opens the programme to customers outside the UK as well as to domestic buyers. Bristol also says the Fighters can be exported to major international markets, including the US. For America, the company says the Fighter is eligible under the federal Show or Display exemption.
The latest revival follows several attempts to restart the marque. After Bristol Cars entered administration in 2011, Kamkorp Autokraft acquired its intellectual property and goodwill. The Bristol Bullet roadster was unveiled in 2016, but did not reach series production. Kamkorp Autokraft continued until 2022.
King said the latest project was intended to reconnect the company with its previous manufacturing history before moving on to future products.
“Bringing Bristol Cars back is about far more than reviving a name; it is about bringing back the spirit of a marque that has always stood apart,” he said. “We want to honour that heritage while giving Bristol a future that is every bit as distinctive.”
Hackett added: “Bristol has always been about doing things differently. It was never a mass-market manufacturer. It built exceptional cars in small numbers for people who appreciated their individuality, engineering and character.”
More details can be found here.
