400 to Blenheim |
The bulk of the work, and hence our gratitude, belongs to Bob Charlton, whose book on the history of Bristol Cars was originally issued as a paper publication (the original preface appears below). Although the passage of time has resolved some of the conundrums and filled in some of the blanks in these pages – and hence, they should now be read subject to the information in the online chassis list – they represent the foundation of the Club's knowledge and as such they constitute an indispensable grounding in the history of the marque.
Because the original electronic documents perished in a hardware breakdown, your webmaster has used OCR software to scan the paper document, convert it to XHTML for reading online, proof-read, amended, inserted links to the online database, updated and generally re-jigged what was necessary to give this originally paper document a new lease of life as an online publication. In doing so, I am pleased to think that Bob Charlton's original project has at last found the form which, as the Club's first webmaster, he foresaw would best suit it.
(Where there is no page link, I haven't yet processed that section.)
“But Avon marched in a more stately path,
Proud of his adamants with which he shines
And glisters wide.”Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
The Bristol Car is one of the Adamants from the Avon, and the Club should be proud that we have such industrious Registrars to assemble this revised list of these gems.
When the First Issue Chassis List was published using such information as was available up to May 1991, it was realised by Bob Charlton that the flow of information about Bristol Cars would never cease. He hoped however that it might abate. But the flow has continued without check and it therefore seemed that the time for the Second Issue had come. It is perhaps a little premature, but to limit its fecundity we have sought advice from the Family Planning Clinic, who recommended that a ring binder be used so that future additions and correctinos to the family could most economically be incorporated.
We must again ask every member to check the vehicle details entered against their name. Will you please report any discrepancies to Bob Charlton.
We wish also to thank the Registrars for their continuing efforts which have led to this Second Issue and in particular to thank Bob Charlton for advancing our education — again!