1950 Bristol 400 saloon

The 400 was designed to be a luxury car from the outset. It was the first car made by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. After the Second World War the BAC decided to diversify and formed a car division, which would later grow to be the Bristol Car Company in its own right. BAC subsequently acquired a licence from Frazer Nash Limited to build BMW car models.

Bristol chose to base its first model on the best features of two outstanding pre-war BMWs, namely the 328's engine, and the 326's frame. These were covered with a neat all-steel body inspired by BMW's 327. The Bristol 400 featured a slightly modified version of BMW's six-cylinder 1,971 cc engine (bore 66 mm, stroke 96 mm). This engine, considered advanced for its time due to being a true "Hemi" and very short inlet and exhaust ports, developing 80 bhp at 4,500 rpm, The 400 had a top speed of around 92 mph with impressive acceleration to match. In order to maintain a hemispherical combustion chamber, the valves had to be positioned at an angle to the head. In order to drive both sets of valves from a single camshaft, the Bristol engine used a system of rods, followers and bell-cranks to drive the valves on the far side of the engine from the camshaft. Owners soon found that setting and maintaining the numerous clearances in the system was difficult but vital to keep the engine in tune. The gearbox was a four-speed manual with synchromesh on the upper three ratios and a" Free-wheel" feature on first.

The model 400 was the only Bristol to be fitted with a steel body and had all flat glass, but for the curved rear window which was glazed in perspex, which in turn hinged at the top to allow improved ventilation. This feature was very welcome on warmer climate export such as the car offered here, where the sliding door windows provided only marginal ventilation to the passengers.

The 400 featured truely independent front suspension with a transverse leaf spring and a 'live' rear ale, located by an A-bracket over the diff case and longitudinal torsion bars coupled with transverse arms and brackets at the rear. It featured a lengthy 114 inch wheelbase and a very BMW-like grille at the front of its long bonnet. The passenger area was very short, with the spare tyre mounted inside the boot on the first cars, but eventually mounted on the rear hinged boot lid, inside an aluminum cover.

This wonderfull driving car was returned to the UK from Australia in only 2009. It had been shipped there on 17th August 1950 direct from Bristol Cars to the agents "Commonwealth Motors Ltd" of 111-115 A'Beckett Street, Melbourne. It was fitted with a wireless from new, along with extra sun visors and a modified rear seat. Since returning to the UK, it has had in excess of £7,800 worth of engine work with Spencer Lane-Jones, a recognised specialist in the Bristol engine. The car is currently taxed and MOT Tested and has been driven enthusiasticaly by this cataloguer. It is a stylish gentleman's carriage, launched at the same time as the Jaguar XK120 at the 1948 Motor Show and now, with less than 600 made, it is a far rarer and, arguably, more stylish conveyance, with the benefit of 4 comfortable seats.