Description
Coming to auction at the Castle Combe Autumn Classic on Saturday 12th September, full catalogue now online, search Dore & Rees Motoring for further info.
1948 Bristol 400 2+2 Fixed Head Coupé
Registration Number: JYO 300
Chassis Number: 400/ 1/ 341
Engine Number: 400/ 85A/ 1184
Recorded Mileage: 30, 484 Miles
- Directly from the estate of Mr. Charlie and Mrs. Shirley Watts
- Subject of older restoration, recently stored as part of a larger classic car collection
The Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts possessed a remarkably eccentric and sophisticated appreciation for the motor car, all the more charming for the fact that he never learned to drive. His fascination was rooted not in speed or performance, but in design, engineering, history and, above all, the evocative sound of a great engine. In a 2018 interview, Charlie revealed that he owned four vintage cars despite being unable to drive any of them, explaining that he simply enjoyed sitting behind the wheel and listening to their engines. His collection reflected this wonderfully unconventional perspective. He was drawn to beautiful, historically significant and occasionally downright eccentric automobiles, with a particular affection for pre-war British machinery. Rather than assembling a conventional collection of valuable or fashionable marques, Charlie appeared to seek out cars with character and stories to tell. His garage was less a collection in the traditional sense and more an automotive cabinet of curiosities - a fascinating cross-section of motoring history, spanning decades of changing design, engineering and craftsmanship.
We understand this handsome 1948 Bristol 400 2+2 Fixed Head Coupé, chassis number 400/ 1/ 341, joined Charlie Watts’ collection in around 2009. The Bristol was previously stored since the late 1960s before being the subject of an extensive restoration in the 1990s, later to be offered for sale at auction in 2000. Finished in dark green with a cream leather interior, pipped in brown, the Bristol presents well overall, with minor signs of aging to the paintwork and trim.
A rare early example of considerable historical importance, combining aeronautical engineering with BMW 328-derived mechanicals and elegant 2+2 coachwork, this is a great opportunity to acquire one of the earliest and most distinctive products of Bristol's fledgling car division, and with an illustrious ownership history.
