Bristol - Bristol 603
The Bristol 603 model was available from 1977. The 603 model was built totally in house. For many years bodywork had been supplied from outside suppliers, and now that bodies were to be built in house it was advantageous to have a simpler straightforward design without without any complex curvature. The result was a shape that some say was very of the period. The new Bristol 603 was a 4 seater and available in 2 specifications : a Bristol 603E (E for economy) with 5.2 litre "318" engine, or a Bristol 603S (S for Sport) with the larger Chrysler 5.9 litre "360". The choice was as a result of the prevailing oil supply issues, Bristol reasoning that their economy version at only 5.2 litres may be useful to help sales! Soon the smaller 5.2 litre engine option was no longer offered, and the new 603 S2 was only available with the larger engine, now fitted with different wheels.
Bristol 603 tyre fitment was originally 205VR15 . We would suggest today fitting a Blockley 215/70VR15 size designed specifically for these period cars, not only because of the huge cost saving, but because the 603 will handle better. In any case the Bristol 603's from 1982 onward were fitted with the 215/70VR15 tyre size. See full details of this tyre below:
