Bristol Cars, the British motoring institution, goes into administration - Telegraph.co.uk

The current models on offer at its sole showroom, on High Street Kensington, West London, range in style from the Fighter – top speed more than 200mph, 0 to 60mph in less than four seconds – to the Blenheim, which offers "authoritative performance, elegant understatement and imperturbable stability at speed". They are priced between £150,00 and £250,000.

Toby Silverton, the jet spares entrepreneur who is the current owner of Bristol Cars, insisted: "It has not been possible for the company to continue to trade in its present structure. While the decision has been taken regretfully, I am confident that a future for the business will be found."

The firm was a spin-off from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which made the RAF Blenheim bomber, and produced its first model in 1946.

Among those made redundant was Syd Lovesy, 91, the works director.

Tony Crook, the former RAF pilot and Grand Prix driver who was the owner for decades, allegedly insisted on personally vetting all potential Bristol buyers to ensure they were the right sort of person.

Recent customers have included pop stars Bono and Liam Gallagher and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.