NOVEMBER 9, 2006

Former F1 man builds fastest ever road car

Anthony Crook may be 86 years old but he is still a key figure in Bristol Cars, which claims to be Britain's last remaining luxury car company. Crook, a former Battle of Britain fighter pilot, took part in the first post-war motor race at Gransden Lodge in 1946 and was a regular competitor in the years that followed, including racing in the British GPs of 1952 and 1953. When he stopped racing Crook built up his car business and became a dealer for Bristol Cars, which had grown out of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, one of Britain's most famous aviation companies. In 1960 the aviation company was taken over by what is now British Aerospace and Bristol's owner Sir George White bought the car division in league with Crook. White eventually sold out in 1973 and Crook was the sole owner until 1997 when Toby Silverton, an aviation spares magnate and a Bristol enthusiast bought into the company. Crook stayed in charge and in 2003 the company announced plans to build a new model called the Fighter. This was designed by former Brabham engineer Max Boxstrom and is being built at Bristol's factory at Filton, near Bristol.

The $600,000 Fighter T is the latest version of the car and boasts a twin-turbocharged 8-litre V10 which pumps out 1012hp. The car has a top speed of 270mph which make it faster than the Bugatti Veyron and the Ferrari Enzo.