The Brigand's turbo lifted it to a claimed 150 mph, but the number was gearing-limited, not engine-limited.
Lead trim: Brigand Chrysler V8 with Rotomaster turbocharger
Bristol 603S3 · 1982–1994
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Bristol 603 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Brigand's turbo lifted it to a claimed 150 mph, but the number was gearing-limited, not engine-limited.
The third series of 603, introduced in 1982 and continuing until 1994, saw Bristol adopt the names of famous Bristol Aeroplane Company models for the first time, with a smaller radiator grille, more modern mirrors, the rectangular headlamps of the Volkswagen Scirocco II and tail-lights borrowed from the Bedford CF2 van mounted vertically. The Bristol Britannia was the standard version, while the Bristol Brigand had a Rotomaster turbocharger added to the Chrysler V8 and a torque converter originally used on the 440 V8 to cope with the extra performance, making it capable of a gearing-limited 150 mph (241 km/h); it could be told from the Britannia by the bonnet bulge for the turbocharger, and had alloy wheels as standard. The Owners Club lists 19 Brigands and 16 Britannias.
Collectors Spotted in the Bristol 603 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Bristol 603 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigand Chrysler V8 with Rotomaster turbocharger | 1982–1994 | V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The Brigand's turbo lifted it to a claimed 150 mph, but the number was gearing-limited, not engine-limited.
Bristol's hand-built 603 wasn't just about luxury — at motorway speed it could hit 22mpg, matching a Jaguar XJS despite its huge American V8.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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The humble Tagora spawned a one-off concept, the Présidence, decked out with Connolly leather and electronics way ahead of 1981 — a built-in telephone, dictaphone, text-message receiver and a TV with VCR.
Talbot fed the Tagora's V6 old-fashioned triple carburettors instead of fuel injection — and the extra power briefly made it the most powerful French car on sale. Only 1,083 were ever built.
Switching the 96 from a two-stroke to a Ford V4 was such a closely guarded secret that Saab invented a fake company, Maskinverktyg AB, just to buy the new engine's parts without its own purchasing department finding out.