Cooper Racer Warrior Bristol Special

• 1954
• Cabriolet / roadster

+39

PRO

ExceptionalCarBroker

  United States

---

• 1954
• Cabriolet / roadster

This car is arguably the earliest purpose-built Sports racing car in existence and admirably represents the type of car developed in the mid 50s in England such as the Cooper Jaguar, Tojiero Bristol, Lister Monza, etc.,

This fascinating historic race car was in its lifetime a Cooper Bristol, A Jaguar Bristol Special and the Warrior Bristol Special. It supremely represents the one off race cars in the mid 50s in England such as the Cooper Jaguar, Tojiero Bristol, Lister Monza, etc.… > lire la suite These cars defined the maverick spirit of the 50’s where racers combined mechanical mastery and superior English body building skills to develop race cars that constantly evolved to remain competitive. In the case of the Warrior Bristol that has been a storied race career that has spanned 70 years and Four Continents (UK, Asia, Australia and the US).

While raced in Asia by Bernard Arnold between 1956 - 1963 Arnold put the Warrior Bristol in First position 151 times, scored 50 second places and 25 third positions. Many more years of racing came next on Australian soil and since 1999 the Warrior Bristol has resided in the US with the present owner who continues to uphold its legacy at premier events like the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, competing in the Del Monte Trophy and Spirit of Pebble Beach groups

Origins of A Racer
In 1953, a number of race car drivers—including Chase, Wharton, Brown, Girard, Nuckey, and others—were competing across England and Europe in Formula 1 Cooper Bristols. That same year, Chase’s Cooper Bristol was completely rebuilt as a sports car, arguably becoming the first to establish a new trend: building sports racing cars not as road-going vehicles, but as thinly disguised Formula 1 machines. The transformation was carried out by Chase’s mechanic, Bernie Rogers, who also designed and fitted the car with a handsome full body.

Following this project, Rogers went on to design what was possibly the first purpose-built sports racing car from the ground up: the Warrior Bristol.

Rod Nuckey, a young English driver from the family behind the Warrior Tap & Die Company, acquired a Cooper-Bristol Formula 2 Mark II (chassis CB Mk23153) in 1953. Racing it under the Ecurie Richmond banner, he secured several wins that season before a serious crash at Snetterton wrote off the chassis. The salvaged engine and transmission were set aside for a new sports car project.

That project became the Warrior-Bristol, designed by engineer Bernard “Bernie” Rogers. At 35, Rogers was already a seasoned talent: he had apprenticed at Alta Car and Engineering, served as chief mechanic for Mike Hawthorn and Ecurie Richmond, and—crucially—had already designed and built the first Cooper-Bristol sports car in 1953. The Warrior is regarded as his first complete, ground-up design.

To meet Nuckey’s brief for a dedicated sports racer, Rogers constructed an entirely new, lightweight tube-frame chassis of the Superleggera type. Though conceptually similar to John Tojeiro’s contemporary H-frame design (which later evolved into the AC Ace), Rogers’ chassis stood apart with its De Dion rear suspension using torsion bars, a lighter frame, and Cooper 4-lug wheels. The aluminum body was crafted by Williams and Pritchard of North London—a coachbuilder that also clothed the Tony Crook–Jack Walton Cooper and the Bristol 450 racers. Initially fitted with a front transverse leaf spring, the car was quickly updated with front torsion bars. The gorgeous swooping body was designed by William Pritchard. A head fairing and wrap-around screen were added in 1955, and the car carried the registration SAR 336.

UK 1954 -1955 (not a complete list)
In 1954 the Warrior Bristol made her first public outing at Crystal Palace. The car raced with a measure of success in the British Sportscar series, driven by Rod Nuckey himself and then by Roger Biss, and J. D. Lomas at Goodwood, Snetterton, Aintree, etc.

Its standout achievement came at the 1954 British Grand Prix for sports cars, where Nuckey drove to 9th overall and 3rd in the competitive 2-liter class, finishing behind legends like Peter Collins, Roy Salvadori, and Carroll Shelby.
April 11 1955 u200b Roger d Blissu200b raced the u200bWarrior Bristol in the National Brands Hatch Sports Cars Unlimited race.
u200bMay 14 1955 u200bDe Bliss races at the MMKMC Silverstone Formula Libre race
u200bAugust 13, 1955 J. D. Lomasu200b driving the Warrior Bristol was the winner at the u200bBARC Aintree

Singapore, Malaysia 1956-1963 Bernard Arnold (not a complete list)
Bernard Arnold of Malaysia buys the Warrior Bristol.
1956 Macau Grand Prix registration plate and NA3. Finished 10th overall due to damage to the front nose. However they finished second in the 15 lap team relay.
March 24 1957 Lim Chu Kang Half-Mile Sprint debut. Dnf due to choked carburetor.
May 5 1957 Lornie Kilo in Kuala Lumpur Arnold took a class win in a 2, 250 cc and underclass with a 31. 00 second time.
Keith R. Baker had a go in the Warrior winning the Racing Cars 2000cc class.
Dr. Freddy Marshall drove the warrior to a second class finish and finely Captain Elwyn Jones had a crack in the car as well finishing third in the Racing Cars Unlimited class.
June 1957 Changi Circuit Race: front wheels get stolen two days before the race but miraculously recovered.
In practice runs the Bristol engine starts to give them trouble and Elwyn Jones Baker and Arnold work frantically on the 142 BHP bs4mk2 motor for three hours which Awards them with a third place finish.
Hill climbs and sprints filled Arnold's Malaya weekends.
July 6 1958 princess Elizabeth Estate Sprint The Warrior Bristol took the unlimited sports cars class win in one minute 46. 72 seconds.
He finished third in the Racing Cars unlimited class and third in the 2000cc and over sports car class.
November 26 1958 Macau Grand Prix. The warrior Bristol finished the race in the top 10 (of 13 of the 24 who started the race).
February 22 1959: Peak Motor Club: Arnold enters an organized grass track autocrats event at the Polo grounds of Kula kangsar in the warrior Bristol period he was the only outstation competitor. He finished first in the 1500cc and over sports cars class.
March 15 1959 Lim Chu Kang Half Mile Sprint. The Warrior finished second in the 3, 000cc and Under class and first in the 2000cc and Under Sports Car Class.
April 12 1959: Malacca Half Mile Speed Trial. There were 119 entries for this event. The Warrior finished third in the Sports Cars Unlimited class and won the Racing Cars 2, 500cc and Under class and finished second in the Racing Cars unlimited class.
May 24 1959 Gap Hill Climb winning the sports cars 2000cc and under class.
June 14 1959 Sembawang Speed Trial. This was the first set event at the tough and hazardous is 1. 25 miles circuit and consisted of a flying start sprint. The warrior Bristol finished second in the Racing Cars class.
July 19 1959 princess Elizabeth Estate Sprint the car was damaged while attempting to avoid a major catastrophe. Front end suspension damage.
September 6 1959: The Sembawang Sprint. Arnold lent the car to his friend Chia Eng Quee a very competent driver who nevertheless could not control the warrior Bristol on this very tricky and dangerous circuit. An accident saw him hitting a banana tree and turning over after leaving the track.
October 4th 1959 Gap Hill Climb. The remodeled Warrior won its class for Sports Cars 2000 cc and under.
1960 Johore Coronation Grand Prix. Arnold won the Grand Prix support race. This would be the last occasion the car would run with a 1991cc Bristol BS4 motor. (Shortly after this Arnold installed what was said to be a special straight six Jaguar motor turning the car into the Cooper Jaguar.)
October 9th 1960 Dunlop Gap Hill Climb: achieved Runner Up in class.
February 26th 1961 The Old upper Thompson Road Sprint achieved a second place finish in the sports cars 2700 cc and Over class.
June 24th and 25th 1961 Johore Grand Prix: Arnold was in second place on the 57th lap of 70 when he entered the pit for gas and the Mechanics accidentally put 13. 6 liters of water in his tank.
September 16th 17th 1961 Orient Year Grand Prix: Arnold finished second in the Sports Cars 15 Lap race entered in the 2001-3000cc class.
October 22nd 1961 Gap Hill Climb in Singapore Arnold finished third in the 2700cc and Under Sports Car class.
1962 Malaysia Grand Prix. Arnold finished second overall.
January 14th 1962 The Forces Motoring Club's New Year Sprint. Arnold won 1st in the Sports Cars 2001cc and Over class.
April 1962 Malaysia Grand Prix Singapore entered in the sports in GT race as well as the 60 lap Grand Prix. In the Sports and GT Cars 1600cc and Over class Arnold and the Cooper Jaguar finished an impressive second. Arnold also secured the class win.
September 23rd 1962 the RAF Seletar Auto Club's Quarter Mile Sprint Arnold finished second in the Racing Cars Unlimited class.

More to come

1964 Arnold died from cancer at 47 and the Warrior Bristol was purchased by Brian Stock. Fitted with disc brakes and Jaguar engine the car proved too much for Stock and it was sold to Singapore resident Jim Watkins. Watkins drove the car vigorously in club events.
1969 Singapore Grand Prix.. Driven by Eric Cooper. Fitted with a rare Jaguar 2. 4-liter engine, (correct engine replaced later)
1970 Singapore Grand Prix.

Australia 1970 - 1999
WB goes to Australia with Robertson and is sold to Doug Young who planned to road register the car and drive it for pleasure. The project languished until 1978.

1978 Sold to Ian Boughton in Western Australia who restored the car to its 1955 configuration and replaced the Jaguar engine with an original spec Bristol motor. Letters, photographs and magazine articles to substantiate the early existence and configuration of the Warrior Bristol were used in the exact rebuilding and replication of the original body.

After restoration in 1980, the Warrior embarked on a second competitive life in intensive historic racing across Australia

1999 - Present
The Warrior Bristol was sold to the present owner who continues to uphold its legacy at premier events like the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, competing in the Del Monte Trophy and Spirit of Pebble Beach groups. Serious amounts of history and documentation accompany the car.

Thank you to Eli Solomon of Rewind Media. For the full story of the Warrior Bristol in Asia click the blue link and to Ian Boughton who restored the car and supplied letters and documents.
This car is sold on a Bill of Sale. Highly documented. Email for additional information including a video walk around and cold start.