Highlights 

• One of 287 produced
• Comprehensively restored in the late 1980s and newly recommissioned for £17,000
• In single ownership since 2000 and believed to have had only six owners from new
• Only 4,400 miles covered since 1989
• Bespoke wire wheel conversion
• Extensive history including original buff logbook
• Recent £8,400 rebuild of the rear axle

The Appeal

 
The post-war British motor industry produced some of the best sports saloons the world has ever seen. Six-cylinder Bentleys and Alvises were typical of a breed of car built for the discerning motorist who sought to enjoy comfort, luxury and performance in a single elegant, well-engineered package. There was one manufacturer above all, however, whose products were the last word in exclusivity and sophistication: Bristol.
 
Bristol Cars was created as an offshoot of the Bristol Aeroplane Company very shortly after the Second World War, and its first model, the 400, was introduced in 1947. A combination of advanced design, which owed much to Bristol’s experience of producing aircraft, and a two-litre, twin-cam straight-six developed from a leading pre-war BMW design resulted in a car which, in the family-sized saloon class, offered unrivalled performance. It was joined in 1948 by the aerodynamically-styled 401, which notably borrowed Touring of Milan’s innovative tubular-framed Superleggera construction method, and that in turn led to the 403 in 1953.

The 403 retained the 401’s otherworldly bodywork but boasted various mechanical improvements, including enlarged valves and main bearings which increased overall power from 85 to 100bhp, improved the 0-60mph acceleration time from 16.4 to 13.4 seconds, and gave a top speed of 104mph. The increased power led to Bristol fitting an anti-roll bar to the front suspension and aluminium-finned ‘Alfin’ drum brakes. Undoubtedly, the 403 represented the zenith of Bristol’s earliest ‘kidney-grille’ models, but it was also significantly rarer than the already very low-volume 400 and 401; just 287 403s were produced between 1953 and 1955.

Bristols, and the 403 in particular, have always held a special place in the vendor’s heart, as he remembers seeing a 403 for the first time in 1954, as an impressionable eight-year old walking round the car park of a point-to-point race on the North Yorkshire Moors, and thinking that it looked “like a spaceship.” Ownership of a 403 was an ambition he finally realised in 2000, when he bought this car. He has cherished it ever since and is only letting it go very regretfully now that a change of circumstances forces the sale.

 

The History and Paperwork

• Originally supplied in red and registered OVM 888 on March 13th, 1954, to the prestigious dealership of William Arnold on Upper Brook Street, Manchester
• Subsequent ownership history includes Cedric Rawlinson Sexton of Marple, Cheshire, from March 27th, 1954; Antony John Midgley of High Legh, Cheshire, from October 7th, 1966; Peter G. P. Brain of Wem, Shropshire, from May 4th, 1972; Mr. and Mrs. N. G. Clayton of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, from April 20th, 1978; David Alan Hodson of Market Drayton, Shrosphire, from May 17th, 1986; the present owner from September 1st, 2000
• The Claytons entered the 403 into the Bristol Owners’ Club Concours d’Élégance in 1978, 1979 and 1982, finishing second in the 401-403 class in 1982
• Between 1986 and 1989, Mr. Hodson undertook a complete restoration of the Bristol to “concours condition”
• In the 1990s, the original registration was taken off the car and it was reregistered MFO 984
• The vendor purchased the Bristol in 2000 from a Manchester classic car dealership and drove it home to Hampshire
• He subsequently enjoyed it on a number of long-distance tours, including to France, for a period of 10 to 15 years, but took it off the road when it developed a noise from the gearbox
• The Bristol remained dry-stored in the vendor’s substantial car and motorcycle collection until January, 2023
• Between January and November, 2023, it was entrusted to a number of specialists to comprehensively recommission it and install a new gearbox with overdrive, the total cost of the work coming to £16,700
• The large history file includes the original buff logbook and copies of two more recent logbooks, a very extensive collection of restoration and maintenance invoices from the 1980s and 1990s, a set of invoices pertaining to the recent recommissioning, some historic photographs, an original Type 403 Instruction Manual and an immaculate Type 400, 401, 402 and 403 Workshop Manual purchased by the vendor from Bristol Cars
• Bidders should be aware that the private number VNM 6 is not included in the sale, and the car will be sold with the registration MFO 984

 

The Interior

• Fully reupholstered during the 1986-89 restoration
• Wooden dash in excellent condition, retaining the original supplier’s plaque
• Extremely well-appointed, with all gauges working
• Seatbelts installed in 1980s or 1990s

 
In building an upmarket sports saloon, Bristol was up against some stiff competition, but it managed to produce a car that felt far sportier than rival models without loss of comfort or luxury. To enter the 403’s interior is to step into a world of sophistication, handsomely styled and sumptuously appointed. Supple leather and soft carpets enhance the passenger experience, while the dash is supremely well-stocked with switches and gauges which serve to remind the occupant of Bristol’s aeronautical output.
 
The interior was completely reupholstered with new leather and carpets as part of the car’s concours restoration in the late 1980s, but it is difficult to believe that the upholstery is 35 years old. It barely gives away its age at all, with the leather remaining in excellent condition throughout, but that is perhaps not surprising if one considers that the car has only covered 4,400 miles since the restoration’s completion.

There is only the slightest patina in evidence on the dash and steering wheel, while the headlining appears unblemished save for just a few light marks. The gauges have been photographed with the engine idling to demonstrate that they are all functional, and that the engine is in good health.
 
Inside the boot, everything is very clean and well-presented, as one would expect. Bidders will note the spare wheel is housed in the boot floor, rather than in the underfloor spare wheel tray. This is as a consequence of the conversion to wire wheels—the wheel centre projects further outward and does not fit into the tray.
 

 

The Exterior

• Extremely well-preserved paint and chrome from 1988/89
• Unique conversion to wire wheels for a sportier look
• Set of original Bristol wheels to be supplied with the car
• Correct original wire wheels present
• New tyres fitted in 2023
• Working trafficators on both sides

There is something rather Italianate about the styling of the Bristol, which would have looked as much at home cruising down to Lake Como as it was motoring around the lanes of Cheshire when new. Indeed, this may owe something to Bristol’s earlier dalliance with Touring of Milan, for it looks very much like a close relative to Touring’s Ferrari 166 Berlinetta and Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 coupé, but the likeness with this particular car is greatly enhanced by its dazzling metallic red paint and sporty wire wheels.
 
As hard as it is to believe, both the paint and the chrome on this car are no less than 35 years old, the plating having been completed in 1988 and the paint the following year, as the finishing touches to the concours restoration. With only light use, they have aged exceptionally well, and in its present condition the Bristol would be sure to attract admirers at any historic vehicle rally.

There are a few minor blemishes in the paint, namely a few very small scratches here and there and some instances of bubbling underneath, but we have endeavoured to identify all of these in the photographs and, we are sure you’ll agree, the Bristol still appears close to perfect from almost every angle.

It is the wheels, however, which are arguably the car’s most special and attractive feature. While many would say that the original design for the 403 could not be improved upon, the vendor felt that its qualities as a sports saloon would have been further enhanced if only it had been offered with wire wheels.

As an accomplished engineer, he produced his own drawings for the hubs, and had them specially made by Orson Equipment. The wheels are of the same type as used on Jaguars of the 1950s, such as the vendor’s old XK150, and give the Bristol a 3in. wider track, filling the available space very nicely. The vendor also had the knock-off caps specially made without the Jaguar legend. The change does wonders for the Bristol’s appearance, but bidders with a preference of originality should know that a set of standard steel wheels is to be included with the car.

While the car has not been touched cosmetically since 1989, new tyres were fitted in 2023 as part of the recommissioning. Underneath, the car appears to be very solid and clean.

 

The Mechanics

• Only 4,400 miles covered since late 1980s engine rebuild
• Extensive recommissioning works totalling £16,700 undertaken throughout 2023
• Brakes completely overhauled during recommissioning
• Newly fitted with a rebuilt overdrive gearbox
• Recent professional rear axle rebuild

Firing up on the button and idling away with a deep, sonorous exhaust note, this Bristol exhibits all the signs of having a happy, healthy engine. So it ought to, for it has only covered 4,400  miles since it was rebuilt in the late 1980s (the mileage at the time was recorded as 67,520). As has been mentioned, the car spent some 10 years or so off the road prior to 2023, but it was then presented to Mitchell Motors Restoration, Ltd., for extensive recommissioning works, which included the rebuilding of the fuel pump, among various other tasks.
 
While work went on with the engine, the gearbox was perhaps the centre of attention, since it was a defect there which had caused the car to be laid up in the first place. With the help of Racing Car Restorations, a new gearbox was sourced and rebuilt with new synchro rings and overdrive, improving its specification. The rear axle was also taken apart and refurbished, and a new prop-shaft was installed to accommodate the overdrive.
 
As the brakes were binding, the whole brake system was completely overhauled, with new pipes, linings, and wheel cylinders, and a new master cylinder. One of the other major jobs was the construction for £840 of an all-new aluminium fuel tank to the original pattern. The rear axle has also been rebuilt at a cost of £8,400.
 
Unfortunately, due to health reasons, the vendor has not been able to test the Bristol on the road since the work was completed, but Mitchell Motors reported that it performed impeccably every time they ran it. We have seen the 403 being driven only around the vendor’s driveway, from which it seems to our eyes that the engine, gearbox and brakes are all working just as they ought to.
 

 

The Summary