Description
1977 Bristol 412 Zagato Series 1 for sale.
Last chance before the winter sets in. Priced to sell.
The car runs nice, there is nothing technical wrong with it.
VIDEOLINK: Bristol 412 Zagato on youtube. Filmed 29th August 2025.
First off, an eccentric british luxury car from the seventies with right hand drive is not the easiest car to sell in Norway .
That means the UK market is the logical option for selling, but then the problem is the distance. However, there are direct flights from London Gatwick to Trondheim most days of the week.
I will be happy to show the car to those from the UK who wants to take a closer look at the car.
The selling price is 17. 500 Euro, which I believe is very fair, and way below what I have spent on the car in total.
The car:
The Bristol 412 was designed by Zagato, and the aluminium body was made by the skilled craftsmen at Zagato. Since this is a Series 1 it has the powerful Chrysler 6, 6-liter Big Block V8, and not the smaller 383 that came with the Series 2 cars.
The Bristol 412 Zagato was one of the 10 most expensive cars in the world when new, and cost more than the most expensive Ferrari or Aston Martin. CAR Magazine described it as the best car in the world (together with the Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6. 9), and named the roadholding, the comfort, the build quality, the interior etc as reasons for this.
I bought the car five years ago here in Norway, and the car was in need for some basic maintenance and service. The driveline is now excellent after I have spent £6000 in total on engine parts and the overhauling job. (I have added two photos which shows one receipt for different parts, and one receipt for the crankshaft machining job) The whole engine was disassembled, the crankshaft has been made perfect, the new valve train adjusted, etc. With the new Edelbrock carburetor the car starts perfectly and the running is now silky smooth as it should be, while the V8 roars and gives lots of power if you put the foot down hard. The automatic transmission has also been flushed, and shifts beautifully.
The interior is quite nice with a new carpet, and doesn't really need anything done to it (depending on your standards) The car passed the mandatory Norwegian EU-control last summer (one photo of the EU-control check). This is a thorough test that involves everything from brakes and suspension, to rust in vital areas, malfunctioning electrics, leaky hoses etc. This means that technically there is nothing wrong with it, although cosmetically there is some work waiting.
Because the car do need some tender loving care, which I'm hoping the price reflects.
Underneath the car there is some surface rust here and there but nothing too serious. I have added some photos that shows the underside, as well as the boot which does not have any carpets. The paint is old and faded, the original Bristol rims are scratched and worn, and there is some light rust in the two storage rooms on either side of the engine. The electric stuff works (ligths, windows, horn, wipers), but the rev counter does not.
In short: Think of this as a rolling project car where the most expensive job has been taken care of, and if you want you can certainly just enjoy the car as it is. But to get it to be really nice there still is some work to do.
Update: 03. november 2025. The car has now been driven to a new storage location, where it rests alongside my Maserati Biturbo (see photo). This location is nicer than the old one, and it makes inspecting the car better for any potential buyer. The car was registered in Norway on the 17th of August 1984, and has been in Norway ever since. The first owner had it until 1995, the second owner had it until 2020, and I am the third owner.
