1956 Arnolt-Bristol Deluxe S Coupé/Roadster with Hardtop (coachwork by Bertone)
- Engine
- BMW-designed inline-six, 130 bhp (tunable beyond 150 bhp), BS1 Mk2 specification
- Colour
- Candy Red metallic
Chassis 404X3119 is a unique Arnolt-Bristol Deluxe, originally constructed as a coupé before being converted by the factory into a roadster with a detachable hardtop — the only such example — retaining the coupé's retractable headlights. Built to a higher specification than the standard Deluxe, it was exhibited at the 1956 Paris Motor Show in custom Candy Red metallic over beige Connolly leather with red piping. Narrowly escaping the Chicago warehouse fire of December 1956, the bodyshell survived and was eventually subject to a six-year concours-level restoration completed around 2019, returning the car to its Paris show appearance.
Ownership
- 2020-10-11Auction saleEstimate €850,000 – €850,000
- 1956 → 1956Factory deliveryS.H. Arnolt Incorporatedpartial documentation
Car was built as a one-off Paris Motor Show exhibit, then shipped to the Chicago showroom. It was damaged in a warehouse fire in December 1956 and the engine was subsequently removed and lost.
- 1956 →Private saleDick Braundpartial documentation
Friend of Stanley Arnolt who acquired the salvaged body and remaining components following the Chicago fire, minus the engine which had gone missing.
- 1987 → 2013Acquisition unknownDave Knaackpartial documentation
Acquired the disassembled components and kept them in storage at his warehouse for approximately 26 years without undertaking any restoration work.
- 2013 →Private saleLieven Goemanpartial documentation
Prominent collector of these cars who commissioned a full concours-level restoration back to 1956 show specification, a process that took over six years. Sourced rare period-correct components including Borrani bi-metal wheels accumulated over many years.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1956ModificationS.H. Arnolt Incorporated
The originally constructed coupé body was converted by Arnolt into a roadster configuration with a detachable hardtop, while retaining the coupé's distinctive retractable headlights — a unique modification not carried out on any other example.
This conversion was undertaken specifically to create a bespoke show car for the 1956 Paris Motor Show.
- 2013Restoration
A comprehensive concours-level restoration lasting over six years was carried out, returning every component to as-new condition. A replacement BS1 MkII engine of the correct specification (number 258) was fully rebuilt and installed, and rare Borrani bi-metal wheels were fitted. The car was refinished in its original Candy Red metallic colour scheme with beige leather and red-piped interior.
The original engine was lost following the 1956 Chicago fire and could not be recovered; the replacement unit had covered only a minimal number of shakedown kilometres at the time of cataloguing. The restoration was commissioned by Lieven Goeman and took until approximately 2019 to complete.
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