Bristol – original vintage 1950s/ very early 1960s keyring – collector’s item

We have listed very few of these original keyrings over the years – they are very scarce items particularly as they are so small in comparison with most other car keyrings and and will have been so easily lost or misplaced .

This particular keyring is the most definitive Bristol keyring of all – Bristol always did things differently even down to the keyrings which it had made for use with it’s cars after 1955 when car keyrings first came into general use .

Since Bristol’s sad demise in 2020 we have seen a resurgence of interest in Bristol keyrings – quite remarkable actually .

We very rarely come across original examples of Bristol keyrings like this one to put into stock – the last one like this one was listed and sold in December 2024 .

This keyring has the particular ‘triangulated’ keyfob shape which Bristol used for it’s keyrings in the 1950s and early 1960s .

The badge ( which we understand to be plated in electroless nickel – the last plating works which carried this out to our knowledge was Letchworth Electro-Plating ) is mounted onto a keyfob in genuine goatskin leather although the characteristic ‘pebbly’ appearance of goatskin is no longer particularly evident as the keyring has had considerable use .

This keyring is in good serviceable condition and the badge almost appears brand new – it is as shiny as the day it was made !

The same cannot be said about the leather keyfob which is very well worn in like a comfortable pair of shoes but is still very well capable of doing it’s job for very many more miles .

Whilst the leather has worn almost to the edge of the brass eyelet through which the splitring passes through – the eyelet is still firmly fixed .

None of this matters much as the keyring is essentially a collector’s item and no longer likely to be subjected to daily use but is certainly well up to the restricted use which is to be expected in a classic Bristol car covering only moderate mileage annually .

We cannot be certain who made these keyrings for Bristol –but assume that the maker will most likely be Castles Unit Development Co. of Castle Gate, Leicester .

They were the only manufacturer using goatskin so far as we are aware .

The keyring has one of the smallest keyfob badges ever – with a diameter of just 16mm !

If Castles did not make this particular keyring then Bristol could have had the badges made independently and then commissioned a leather workshop to mount the badges onto these keyfobs.

This is entirely feasible as Bristol commissioned us to make some special keyrings for them some years ago – rather than have them mass produced in the Far East as most other manufacturers now do.

A former Bristol owner from British Columbia, Canada made contact some time ago to say that a similar pair of keyrings were supplied by Bristol in 1966 together with a new Bristol 409 shipped to Victoria B.C. Canada .

Those keyrings had ‘J.FRAY B’HAM ‘ on the badge reverse which had a pebbled background .

J. FRAY of Birmingham is a maker well known to us and could well have carried on making these keyrings for Bristol after Castles stopped making them .

Frays always marked the reverse of their badges with their details – so we think that this particular keyring in this listing  predates the keyrings made by Frays – particularly as the keyfob is in goatskin which so far as we know was not used by Frays and was only used by Castles.

We are very grateful to the Bristol owner from Canada for his contribution – without owners like him much of the ‘lore’ surrounding these early keyrings would by now have been lost forever .

This keyring is original & correct for use with any 1950s or early 1960s Bristol motor car and is a very rare item.

The keyring in the photos is the actual one which you will receive. SMOSO  00573(05733)0726