Having been sold by BAE Systems, the old airfield at Filton is slowly disappearing beneath housing and other developments, but Aerospace Bristol serves as a powerful reminder of this site’s illustrious past.
As you’d expect, the emphasis is on aircraft, but there’s also a nod towards its motoring heritage.
Occupying one of the former hangars in the north-east corner of the airfield, the museum opened in October 2017 and is adjacent to the section used for the Bristol Aeroplane Company Motor Sports Club’s October 1945 sprint – only the second motorsport event to take place after WW2. The first had been at Naish Hill that August.
The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co had built a group of sheds in Filton in 1908, and two years later its MD, Sir George White, leased a couple of them when he founded the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company. The other major local employer at that time was Shield’s Laundry – its large building on the opposite side of the A38 would become the home of Bristol Cars in 1951.
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
