1948 Bristol 400

First registered in 1948 and finished in an attractive colour combination of cherry red over a beige leather interior, this 400 has an incredible presence and grace about it that few other cars of the era can match, not to mention its sheer rarity value.

Purchased by the current owner at auction, it has been kept in a secure, dry garage as part of their personal collection (including another Bristol) and used sparingly during the current ownership, in part due to various travel restrictions put in place over the last couple of years.

That said, the car has undertaken a longer run out to the Forest of Bowland, along with enjoying regular shorter runs to keep the engine in good health, keep the fluids circulating and avoid any seizing up.

Interestingly, when the car was delivered to the current keeper, there was very little in the way of history. Strangely, the previous keeper was reluctant to hand over any paperwork or documentation, though they did talk through the work carried out to the vehicle whilst in their 20-year tenure as owner, which included the fitment of the following items:

• New cylinder head with hardened valves
• New water pump
• New distributor
• A new radiator
• New rear oil-filled dampers
• Clutch and thrust slave cylinder
• Rear axle refurbishment - carried out at Bristol Cars
• Overhauled gearbox, with an aftermarket overdrive system
• A new indicator timer switch
• Crown and pinion wheel
• Refurbishment of the instruments
• Significant other parts sourced from Nuttall’s of Nottingham.

In total, over £30,000 was spent on the car during the previous owner’s time with the vehicle, and as a result very little has been required during the current owner’s tenure, but more on that shortly.

Now, despite how fantastic the car is and how much the vendor cherishes it, a ridiculous 100% price hike in his storage fees has forced a downsizing of the collection, making this a rare opportunity for one lucky bidder to obtain a Bristol 400 in very good condition.

This is definitely a car that blurs the lines between artwork and mechanics. That might sound dramatic, but just take a moment and consider just how futuristic this 400 must’ve looked in 1948, when other cars on the roads were largely still pre-war designs or basic, stripped back vehicles for mass mobility.

It must’ve looked like something out of a movie.

Now that the admiration is over, we’re pleased to report that - on the whole - this 400 is in fantastic condition for its age, and certainly turns plenty of heads, even for those without any interest in post-war motoring.

The bodywork is lovely and straight throughout, with no sign of any obviously mis-aligned panels, dents or impact damage beyond the odd minor pin mark, and certainly no broken paint on any dents that we could see.

Similarly, the paintwork is in very good condition overall, though - naturally - there are some areas of wear visible, such as flat paint on the OSR wing, a couple of notable scratches and some more noticeable signs of wear.

Additionally, there are a couple of patches of bubbling which we need to highlight, such as on the lower edge of the driver’s door, bonnet and around the badging, along with some bubbles from what appears to be a paintwork reaction on the roof, though this is all documented in the gallery below.

From what we can see, all of the trims and chrome details are present and correct, and are in largely fantastic condition, showing only a charming patina in keeping with the car’s overall age and mileage, along with a slight dent noted on the OSR of the bumper.

Additionally, all of the glass is in excellent condition, as are the running boards and the non-standard stone guards fitted to the rear wheel arches.

All four wheels are in near-pristine condition, and are wrapped in matching period-look Michelin rubber.

Evidently cherished throughout its lifetime, the interior of this Bristol 400 is in astounding condition for its age and mileage, and is perhaps one of the best immediately post-war car interiors that our photographer and writer has ever seen, based on its condition alone.

The biggest signs of wear are the scuffs on the outer edges of the driver’s seat (largely caused by the difficulty of getting in through the rear-hinged doors in tight spaces) and a few other signs of very light wear & tear.

We should also note that the shelf / tray fitted around the gearshift is not original, though it’s certainly a welcome bit of extra storage for those that want to use and enjoy the car.

The wooden dashboard, door trims and window surrounds are all in fantastic condition, as are the various pieces of chrome trim scattered throughout the cabin, which - like the exterior - display only a mild but pleasing patina on their surface, and are all present and correct as far as we can see.

Up above, the headliner is in excellent shape and is taut throughout with no signs of sagging and no staining noted, whilst the carpets and mats are in a similarly fantastic condition, along with the rear bench seat looking as if its barely ever been used.

In the rear, the luggage compartment presents well with the floor showing only some light marks, though we did note a small water ingress issue after the car was cleaned, suggesting that the seal around the luggage compartment hatch is in need of replacement.

During our test drive, all of the instruments appear to be in full working order, with the exception of the fuel gauge which shows as empty, though upon removing the filler cap we can actually see the fuel level as being topped-off, so this will require some investigation.

Underneath the aeronautically-inspired bodywork, the frame and chassis of this 400 are in an equally impressive condition, and we’ve provided a plethora of photos and angles in the gallery below for you to make your own assessments. That said, we didn’t notice anything that would concern us, and what little corrosion we can see all appears to be commensurate and surface-only.

This notion would be reinforced by the fact that this 73-year-old car flew through its MoT exam on the 11 June 2021 with no advisories on the first attempt. This is impressive by any standard, but considering the cars age, we’re really impressed!

Out on the road, the car starts with ease, drives, stops, steers and rides like you’d expect from a car of this era, but does so with a reassuring confidence and impressive refinement. In fact, the only slight issue we did note is that the carb choke adjustment appears to be sticking, with minor adjustment all but impossible, causing some slight ‘bucking’ at slow speed, so a tune-up or cable adjustment would be suggested.

As we’ve already stated, the history prior to the current owner’s tenure is somewhat of a mystery, relying only on what the previous owner has told the current custodian of the car.

All of the history that has been supplied to us by the vendor has been photographed and is available to view in the gallery below, and we’d certainly encourage you to take a look through this, but here are a few highlights for you:

• The V5, showing only four former keepers
• The recent MoT certificate, showing no advisory items
• An invoice for new brake wheel cylinders and a brake fluid flush at a cost of £384
• Excerpts of history relating to the Bristol 400.

There is also an inspection report of the car’s condition in 2018, with the previous owner stating that any of the ‘address immediately’ items were rectified at the time.