When the American MG and Bristol importer Stanley "Wacky" Arnolt saw two prototypes of a sportscar on the Bertone stand during the 1952 Turin motorshow, he was so impressed that he ordered 100 examples of each. He arranged that MG shipped the chassis to Turin, where the cars were bodied by Bertone, and so the Arnolt-MG was born. Beside MG, the company S.H. Arnolt was also the American distributor of Bristol Cars, and following on the success of the MG derived Arnolt, he commissioned Bertone to make a bespoke body for the Bristol 404. Inspired by his famous BAT Alfa Romeo, Bertone-designer Franco Scaglione created a fantastic looking roadster : the 1953 Arnolt-Bristol. The car was built by Bertone on a chassis with 2,0 Litre straight six engine from Bristol Cars. In total 142 chassis were shipped to Turin, but twelve were destroyed in a fire. This means that only 130 examples of this gorgeous sportscar were build, and it is believed that only 38 registered cars remain.

This beautiful example is a rare Deluxe version, which had a slightly larger wind screen, soft top and bumpers. It is a full matching nrs car, and is one of only three ever made with a central fitted petrol filler cap and spare wheel in the boot. It has had 6 owners until now, and came out of the famous Gene Ponder collection, where it was completely restored in 2004. This is one of the most correct examples in the world, with correct bumpers and dashboard switchgear, and a guaranteed invitation ticket for Villa d'Este, Uniques Special Ones, Pebble Beach and of course Mille Miglia. An Arnolt-Bristol is becoming increasingly sought after, as it is extremely rare, and the perfect blend of British engineering and Italian design. An absolute must-have for every important classic car collection !