Before becoming the Midwestern distributor for MG, Riley and Morris in the early 1950s, Chicago-born Stanley ‘Wacky’ Arnolt had already proven himself to be a successful entrepreneur with a penchant for showmanship. His famous nickname was coined by the local press following a promotional stunt for Sea-Mite Engines. Stanely piloted a 13-foot Sea-Mite equipped boat across a choppy, foggy Lake Michigan from St. Joseph, Michigan to Chicago. Wacky Arnolt’s creativity didn’t diminish as a car dealer, either. His fondness for the MG marque saw him create a more luxurious version of the plucky British sports car to appeal to American tastes, partnering with Carrozzeria Bertone in Italy to build a series of coupe and cabriolet bodies on the MG TD chassis. Styled by the prolific Giovanni Michelotti, the Arnolt-MG was a handsome little GT reminiscent of a scaled-down Ferrari 166 or 212.

Despite its high cost, Arnolt managed to shift 65 Arnolt-MG coupes and 35 dropheads, and he soon turned his attention to more powerful cars. Arnolt commissioned a few distinctive Aston Martin DB2s with Bertone, but Newport Pagnell disapproved, so he turned to Bristol and the new 404 grand tourer chassis, powered by the superb, BMW-derived 2-liter inline-six. Arnolt arranged to ship chassis directly from Bristol to Bertone in Italy to be clothed in a svelte, swoopy 2-seat roadster body. Bertone was given free rein on the design, and Michelotti created a purposeful form with sharply creased lines, dramatic arches, inset headlamps, and steel panels that looked to have been pulled taught over a tubular frame, cleverly disguising the height of the Bristol ‘six with curvy fenders and a purposeful hood scoop.

Three roadster variants were offered, including the lightweight Competition, the dual-purpose road/race Bolide, and the road-ready Deluxe with quarter bumpers, side curtains, and a skimpy soft top. A striking fastback coupe was also offered, but only a handful of customers shelled out the extra $2,000 on top of the $3,995 base price for one. Total production of the Arnolt-Bristol topped out at 142 cars, including the approximately six coupes and twelve roadsters written off in a warehouse fire.

Of the 142 original Arnolt-Bristol chassis, one car, number 404/3060, never received a body in period. It was retained by S.H. Arnolt, Inc. and used as a display for auto shows and showroom customers. After Stanley’s death and the company’s closure in the early 1960s, the chassis was kept by the family and remained unbodied and never registered. Decades later, a noted collector of Arnot-Bristol cars connected with Stanley’s son Michael Arnolt and eventually arranged to purchase 404/3060 with the goal of creating a unique, one-off coupe. Notably, the new owner of 3060 also owned several roadsters and previously counted one of the surviving original Arnolt Bristol Bertone Coupes in his collection.

With the new, never-registered, never-bodied chassis in his care, work commenced on the coachwork. The new owner took this opportunity to make a few subtle but effective styling tweaks to the original Michelotti/Bertone design, incorporating roadster-style headlamps in place of the original pop-ups, and more aggressive arches with deep cutouts behind the front wheels. Bertone’s signature fastback profile and sinuous curves were retained for the full effect.

The body was constructed in traditional fashion on a wooden buck, which was CNC milled specifically for this project by ADC Enterprises of Ferris, Texas. Additional metal work and finishing were handled by Red Car Restorations and Foster Vintage, both of Texas. The result is a striking machine, compact and purposeful in its dark red finish with polished accents on the wheel lips and hood scoop. Details include period correct Borrani bi-metal knock-off disc wheels, and Deluxe-style quarter bumpers.

The cozy two-place cockpit features bucket seats trimmed in biscuit leather, with matching material on the door cards and panels. Oatmeal square weave carpets add a touch of warmth and period-correct feel to the cabin. The driver faces a body-color dash, with a Bluemels three-spoke wheel and Smiths-style instruments bearing the Arnolt logo, arranged in a tight binnacle set in an engine-turned alloy panel. There’s storage behind the seats, while the boot has reasonable space to carry another soft bag or two on a rally. The boot is also nicely detailed with carpet and houses a spare Borrani wheel.

Under the bonnet sits the legendary Bristol six, properly presented in sporting spec with a trio of downdraft carburetors. Befitting the quality of the build, the engine compartment is beautifully detailed with race inspired touches including dual ignition coils, spare plug holder, and porcelain enamel manifolds. Authentic decals, fittings and hardware maintain the period-correct aesthetic.

Conceived by a passionate enthusiast and executed without regard to cost, this striking Arnolt-Bristol Coupe presents an exceptional opportunity to acquire a one-of-a-kind sports car built for carving backroads on events like the Colorado Grand or Copperstate 1000, and worthy of celebrating its unique design in New Coachwork concours classes.

Offers welcome and trades considered.

$375,000

Stock number 8035