FROMANES ROMARIANNE Famous aeroplane maker enters car industry

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS OFTEN alter the course of history, and there were two that gave us the fascinating story of Bristol Cars. The first was in 1909, when George White, chairman of The Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company, was visiting France and met Wilbur Wright, who was demonstrating his and his brother's invention: the aeroplane.

- KRIS CULMER

White immediately recognised the business potential so on his return founded The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, run out of an old tram shed in Filton.

Having failed to get airborne a biplane bought from French firm Zodiac, the Bristol team improved on a Farman design they had seen detailed in Flight magazine, and so in July 1910 the Boxkite took to the clouds above Salisbury Plain.

It proved a great commercial success and became the British military's first plane - and when the First World War broke out, Bristol's Scout and Fighter were vital for the Royal Flying Corps.

When conflict with Germany broke out once more 20 years later, the now Bristol Aeroplane Company again provided several key types.

However, as it expanded to meet wartime demand, Bristol realised it would need to diversify in a postwar economy. As early as 1941, an internal planning document suggested car making, citing BMW and Lancia as examples to follow.