1955 Arnolt-Bristol DeLuxe Convertible
A transatlantic collaboration between Chicago industrialist Stanley H. Arnolt, British automaker Bristol, and Italian coachbuilder Bertone produced one of the 1950s’ most distinctive sporting machines, with the DeLuxe positioned as the best-equipped roadgoing version rather than the bare-bones competition car.
The DeLuxe represented the most refined variant, featuring side windows, a proper folding convertible top, and padded bucket seats upholstered in high-quality leather to make the car more practical for street use than the stripped Bolide and competition models.
Franco Scaglione at Bertone designed the aerodynamic bodywork with flowing lines, sharply creased fenders, and inset headlamps that clearly reflected his experience with Alfa Romeo’s B.A.T. studies, although production Arnolt-Bristols were predominantly steel-bodied with aluminum hood and trunk panels rather than fully aluminum shells.
The low hood profile required careful work around Bristol’s tall engine and triple-carburetor installation, leading to the characteristic hood scoop and sculpted front fenders that visually mask the engine height while feeding air to the three Solex carburetors.
Built on the Bristol 404-derived chassis, the car utilized a 2.0-liter inline-six producing about 130 horsepower, an engine whose architecture traced directly back to the prewar BMW 328 design and was renowned for its bottom end and strong specific output for the period.
With a 0-60 time around 8.7 seconds and a top speed in the 110 mph range, the 2,100 pound DeLuxe provided very lively performance by mid-1950s standards.
Between roughly 1954 and 1959, a total of about 142 Arnolt-Bristols were built for the American market, with approximately 12 chassis lost in a warehouse fire, leaving a very small surviving population spread among Competition, Bolide, DeLuxe, and a handful of coupes.
The DeLuxe was priced at $4,995 in 1956, substantially more expensive than a $3,149 Corvette, which helped ensure exclusivity but also limited sales to committed enthusiasts who understood the car’s race-bred pedigree and Italian-British-American pedigree.
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