Bristol body double: Restoration or Replication?

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During last Rétromobile we stumbled over this interesting exposition of two 1948 Bristol 401 Superleggera bodies by Touring. At first we thought it was one restoration nearly ready and one being prepared for the same. Not so! Both bodies shown are body # 3256. You can only wonder which is closest to original. The body in the background is a fully new skin over the old yet restored tubular framing. The body skin in the foreground was peeled of before and will be retained with the car after its full restoration.  

So we wondered what are we looking at? Why didn't they just restore the old body. Ok fine, the old body is in poor shape but it didn't look as if unsalvable. Nowadays also old and fatigued alloy can be welded and repaired. So what's the purpose? To save time? To save money? Or is it only done to give the 'restored' body a super-glitzy as new look for Concours (Touring is official sponsor of Pebble Beach)? Or what? Now to polish up reality the restoration comes with a 'Touring Certificate of Authentic Restoration'...... In our view you will loose something very essential when you disregard the orginal skin. Even when replicated by the craftsmen of Touring Superleggera themselves.
 

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