Bristol 400

Bristol
Bristol 400
400
Production period:	1946-1950
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 2.0 liters (55-66 kW)
Length:	4648 mm
Width:	1625 mm
Height:	1498 mm
Wheelbase :	2898 mm
Empty weight :	1130 kg
successor	Bristol 401

The Bristol 400 is a luxury car with which the British aircraft manufacturer Bristol Airplane Company after the end of World War II in the automobile production got in. Technically and stylistically, the vehicle was closely related to various pre-war sports cars from BMW . The 400 formed the structural basis for many later Bristol models. Even after the automotive division became independent in 1959 under the name Bristol Cars , essential elements of the 400 continued to be used. The chassis, for example, was found in a modified form in the Bristol Blenheim, which was produced until 2011 . How many copies of the 400 were made is not known. The Bristol 400 is a sought-after classic today.

background

After the end of the Second World War, the Bristol Aircraft Company, which until then had been dependent on armaments orders - similar to Saab in Sweden - saw automobile construction as a new field of activity geared towards the needs of civil society.

During the last years of the war, Bristol engineers developed two different prototypes, of which the second - the type 2EX - almost reached series production in 1946. These very complex projects came to an end when Bristol took over the majority stake in the British sports car manufacturer Frazer Nash in the course of 1945 . Frazer Nash had marketed individual BMW models such as the 320 and 326 in Great Britain as Frazer-Nash-BMW since 1934 . Immediately after the end of the war, Frazer Nash took over “a large amount” of construction drawings for the BMW models 326, 327 and 328 . In the fall of the same year, Harold John “H. J. “Aldington, the owner of Frazer Nash, also wanted to win over BMW engineer Fritz Fiedler , who is a British prisoner of war, to work with his company. The specific circumstances under which the construction plans were adopted - for example in the context of reparation payments or in return for financial consideration by Frazer Nash - has not yet been clarified.

Given the new relationship with Frazer Nash, Bristol stopped developing its own car in June 1945 and focused on adopting and adapting BMW's designs. This decision made it possible to set up its own automotive division quickly and inexpensively, but it also meant that Bristol would use a pre-war design instead of a new development.

Initially it was planned to offer a touring car model produced in larger series under the designation "Frazer-Nash-Bristol", while Frazer Nash a sports car derived from it under its own brand name, i. H. without the addition of Bristol, should sell. In April 1947, however, Bristol and Frazer Nash separated. Bristol continued the construction of the now "Bristol 400" called vehicle on its own responsibility; Frazer Nash, on the other hand, built independent sports cars, mostly using Bristol engines.

Technology and development history of the Bristol 400

Frame and chassis

Bristol 400 chassis

The structure of the Bristol 400 rested on a steel frame with longitudinal members and cross members, which contemporary reports attested an extraordinary strength. The chassis, which was tapered in the area of ​​the front end, became a trademark of all later Bristol models. The front wheels were independently suspended, at the rear Bristol used a rigid axle, which was provided with torsion bar springs and self-designed shock absorbers.

engine

The engine of the Bristol 400 was essentially a BMW design from the late 1930s. The basis was the in-line six-cylinder engine developed for the BMW 328.

Its special features included hemispherical combustion chambers with V-shaped hanging valves, which were controlled by the camshaft below via tappets , bumpers and rocker arms. The exhaust valves were operated by an additional bumper across the cylinder head and a second rocker arm. The steeply sloping inlet ducts were also unusual (the carburettors were in the middle above the engine), which among other things had a positive influence on the load change reactions. Bristol adopted these design features for the engine of the 400. The Bristol engine, however, was not designed according to metric dimensions , but in inches . According to the Bristol Owners Club, Bristol also used higher quality materials and generally applied higher quality standards than BMW.

The gasoline engine had a displacement of 1971 cc. Over the years, Bristol offered four power levels for the Type 400: Initially, the Types 85 (with 55 kW, equivalent to 75 hp) and 85A were available; The latter had three SU carburettors and developed 59 kW (80 hp at 4500 rpm). From March 1948 Bristol delivered an optional 62 kW (85 hp) version (type 85C), which was equipped with three Solex carburetors. The most powerful version was the 85C with 66 kW (90 hp). The top speed with the 85A engine was given as 94 miles per hour (about 150 km / h).

Bristol revised the engine several times in the following 15 years, including in 1959 the displacement for use in the Bristol 406 was increased to 2.2 liters (type 110).

body

The Bristol 400 was offered as a two-door coupé ("Saloon") at the factory.

The superstructure was designed by Dudley Hobbs, a long-time employee of the Bristol Aircraft Company, who was to design almost all future production models of the brand up to the Britannia (1982). When designing the body, Hobbs based himself on a structure that Peter Schimanowski had designed for the BMW 327 in 1938 and which was realized in the following year by the Autenrieth body shop in Darmstadt . The shape of the Bristol 400 was slightly different from the Autenrieth design, but largely followed this template. The bonnet was slightly higher than that of Schimanowski's design; Above all, however, the roof line in the area of ​​the rear seats was independent: it was raised compared to the BMW design in order to give taller people more headroom. On the other hand, Hobbs took over the kidney-shaped radiator grille from the BMW template and thus made the external appearance of the 400's relationship with the Thuringian prewar designs clear. In contrast to all of the following Bristol models, the body was manufactured using a composite construction method: the steel body panels were fastened to a wooden framework with nails; only the doors, the bonnet and the trunk lid were made of aluminum . This structure rested on the double tubular frame.

In the construction of the body, Bristol received support from the British specialist company The Abbey Panel & Sheet Metal Co. , which also built at least one prototype.

In addition to the coupé, Bristol also built two prototypes of a two-door convertible with the BMW 327 body in 1946. Plans for series production of this version were given up in October 1946. Apart from the standard body, various special bodies were created at the customer's request, which various British and continental European body construction companies produced.

Series 1 and 2

Identifies the second series of the Bristol 400 (from 1948): the spare wheel embedded in the trunk lid

The Bristol 400 was produced in its original form from spring 1947 to March 1948. At the 1948 Geneva Motor Show , Bristol presented a revised version that is now unofficially known as the Series 2 . Outwardly, the second series differed from the first series with straight front bumpers that replaced the earlier, curved units, as well as a spare wheel that was embedded in the trunk lid to enlarge the luggage compartment. There were also larger headlights that were provided with a curved lens. Almost at the same time as the introduction of the second series, the more powerful 85C engine was also available as an option.

In-house production

A special feature of the 400 was that Bristol manufactured practically every component itself, with the exception of the electrics ( Lucas ), the clutch and the brakes ( Lockheed ). What was occasionally ridiculed in the literature was, from Bristol's point of view, a contribution to quality assurance. Contemporary press reports confirm the high quality level of the car.

Bristol = BMW?

The Bristol 400		For comparison: a BMW 327 Coupé

In the specialist literature the question is repeatedly discussed whether the Bristol 400 is more than a modified BMW.

Some authors describe the Bristol 400 as “a balanced mixture of tried and tested BMW concepts”, others point out that it combined structural and design elements of the BMW models 326, 327 and 328 .

The relationship between the Bristol 400 and BMW designs was easily recognizable from the outside. The most striking feature was the kidney-shaped radiator grille typical of BMW, which Bristol adopted unchanged for its new model. The nomenclature also proved the relationship with the German manufacturer: By naming its first own car model "400", the company made it clear that it saw the car as a continuation or successor to BMW's pre-war models, which all included up to the BMW 335 of 1939 a three-digit number beginning with 3 as the model name.

This was countered regularly at the factory. Bristol endeavored to make the 400 appear as an independent model. Tony Crook , the largest Bristol dealer in the early 1950s and sole owner of the company from 1973, claimed in later years that the Bristol 400 was completely different from the BMW 326/327/328: it was more spacious equipped with the latest technical standards, built according to the standards of aviation and completely soundproofed. All in all, it was a shame that Bristol took over the BMW kidney grille on the front of the car unchanged. Even the contemporary automotive press either did not discuss the relationship with BMW at all or only discussed it cautiously.

Market positioning

The Bristol 400 was an automobile of the upper class . It was important to the factory that only selected materials were used and that the manual production was carried out with the utmost care. This was also reflected in its price. Selling price in the first year of production was £ 1,525 plus tax (£ 2,375 gross), the equivalent of nearly seven British-made Ford Anglias . A Jaguar Mark IV at the same time cost £ 1,263 and a standard-body Bentley cost £ 4,038. In Switzerland, Bristol's most important continental European export market, a 400 cost 33,000 Swiss francs at the end of 1947. It was 50% more expensive there than a 3.5 liter Jaguar.

Serial production

The first prototypes of the Bristol 400 were made in the autumn of 1946: two copies of the closed Saloon model and two prototypes of the open Drophead . The vehicles were thoroughly tested in the following months; Factory drivers made several long-distance trips across Europe. Most of them had Italy as their destination: Already at that time, Bristol established contacts with the Milanese coachbuilder Touring , which was to dress the successor to the 400.

Series production of the Bristol 400 began in spring 1947, and a revised version ( Series 2 ) was available from March 1948 . The 400 remained in the range until 1950. Its production thus overlapped for more than a year with that of its successor, the Bristol 401 , which was a revised version of the 400 and had a separate body.

The production numbers of the Bristol 400 are unclear. As with all later models, the factory did not provide any information. Various estimates can be found in the specialist literature, which differ greatly from one another. Some sources believe that a total of around 450 copies were made. Others give 474 copies or 700 copies, while still others consider a production of up to 1000 vehicles to be possible. Tony Crook stated in 1996 that none of the values ​​mentioned in the literature up to that point were applicable.

The first Bristol 400, built in 1946, is still owned by Tony Crook in 2012.

Special bodies

Bristol 400 Farina

Touring's prototype for the Bristol 401, built on a 400 series chassis

Bristol 400 with the body of the 406 Zagato (chassis number 568)

Several independent body construction companies produced their own bodies for the 400 chassis until 1951. They were mostly due to individual customer orders, and in rare cases to orders from Bristol dealers or importers.

The Bristol 400 Farina

The best-known special version of the Bristol 400 is a two-seater convertible version with a body by the Italian designer Farina .

Bristol reinforced the chassis of the 400 for the convertible body by welding additional steel plates in several places; at the same time, the tank, which was located above the rear axle in the production version, was relocated to the trunk to make room for the convertible top. The body of the cabriolet was independent. Farina designed a semi-pontoon shape with fenders that merged into the doors. Double headlights were installed at the front. Overall, the design of the car was reminiscent of the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Cabriolet, which was realized in 1939 .

The first Farina convertible was built in 1947 on behalf of HJ Aldington on the basis of the first mass-produced 400 chassis. According to contemporary press releases, Bristol initially planned to produce the Farina Cabriolet in small series. It is unclear whether this actually happened and how many copies were made. While in the 1990s the Farina convertible manufactured in 1947 was often viewed as a one-off item or the production of only two vehicles was assumed, recent studies suggest that Farina built at least four vehicles on a 400 chassis over the years. Four other, very similar-looking convertibles were also built on the basis of the Bristol 401.

Saloon from Touring

In the second half of 1947, the Milanese Carrozzeria Touring designed a hatchback sedan with emphatically aerodynamic lines based on chassis no. 129 of the 400 series. The car was a forerunner of the later Bristol 401 and looked largely similar to it. However, there were differences, especially at the front. The prototype had a narrow, high radiator grille in the shape of two "kidneys" that broke through the bumper in the middle of the front of the car. In the production models of the 401, however, the front bumper was not interrupted; the kidneys were lower here. The 401 also differed from the first prototype in the arrangement of the lighting units.

Station Wagon from FJ Hyde

In 1950 or 1951, two four-door station wagons with wooden paneling in the passenger area were built on the chassis of the Bristol 400 . Both vehicles were built by the British caravan manufacturer FJ Hyde in Hereford . Up to the B-pillar, the front of the car corresponded to the standard 400; however, the vehicles experienced changes at the rear and in the interior. The roof construction was new. In total, the vehicle could transport nine people.

The order for the first vehicle came from a butcher in Hereford, who used the converted 400 as a delivery truck at times. The vehicle has been with a British collector who is restoring it since 2003. Two years later, Hyde manufactured another, stylistically identical Station Wagon on behalf of another customer.

Cabriolet from Langenthal

In 1948, the Swiss bodywork factory Carrosserie Langenthal AG designed a convertible with a pontoon body at the customer's request. The vehicle was exhibited at the 1948 Geneva Motor Show. The front section was similar to the Farina structure; However, the car had a significant bulge above the rear wheels. Langenthal's cabriolet remained a one-off.

Belgian unique piece

The Bristol Owners Club and a brand biography report on a cabriolet with Bristol 400 technology, which had a body designed and built in Belgium and was exhibited at the Brussels Motor Show in 1950. A special feature was a large one-piece bonnet that encompassed the fenders. The design is attributed to PD Haveloose. It is unclear who was the manufacturer of the body. Several sources speculate about the authorship of the Belgian body manufacturer Van den Plas . The fact that the company had already ceased operations in 1935 speaks against this.

RGS Automobile Components

In the early 1950s, RGS Automobile Components offered an independently designed plastic body for the Bristol 400 chassis. The structure followed the pontoon style , had a passenger cell set far back and a sloping roof. At least one copy was completed in 1954.

Coupés from Zagato

Anthony Crook Motors Ltd., at that time the largest retailer Bristol Britain had, in 1960 by Zagato some used Bristol-400 chassis with a body style of the 406 Zagato new clothes. The Bristol Owners Club assumes that "at least three", possibly six, of these vehicles were made.

The Bristol 400 in racing

Bristol 400 at the Mille Miglia

Between 1949 and 1953, several private drivers took a Bristol 400 to British and international racing events.

For four years in a row, at least one Bristol 400 has been entered for the Monte Carlo Rally . The best result was achieved by the Czech drivers Zdeněk Treybal and František Dobrý, who finished the rally in 1949 in third overall.

In March 1949, Harold Aldington and Giovanni Lurani took part in the Targa Florio held in Sicily . You entered the race with a largely standard car and finished second in the touring car class. In the overall ranking they finished eleventh after a driving time of 14: 55: 41.0 hours. A month later, both drivers took part in the same car in the 1949 Mille Miglia , which they finished in thirteenth overall. In 1949 Aldington drove the first Bristol 400 at the Alpine Rally, which was equipped with a Farina body. He was ninth overall. Lurani drove the car in July 1949 at the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti in 21st place overall.

Tony Crook and numerous other private drivers contested a number of club races in Great Britain with their Bristol 400s until 1953, but also local events in France and Italy. Among other things, Francis Samuelson achieved 11th place in the 1953 Rouen Grand Prix for sports cars.

Cross Connections: Components of the Bristol 400 in other automobiles

Different components of the Bristol 400 were used by other automobiles in the years that followed.

Bristol Cars

Used the chassis of the Bristol 400: The Bristol Blenheim (1993-2011)

This applies initially to the later Bristol models. Up to the Blenheim (1993-2011), with the exception of the Fighter (from 2004), all Bristol used the chassis based on the BMW design, which has only been slightly further developed over the decades. Apart from the Bristol 404 and the Arnolt-Bristol based on it , they each retained the original wheelbase . Only for the - ultimately not realized - successor to the Blenheim , which was developed in the mid-1990s under the project name Bucaneer , did Bristol consider an extensive modification of the chassis.

The engine was also used for several decades. It powered all of the brand's production vehicles up to the 406 . It was also used in the Bristol 450 racing car - there with up to 155 hp - with which the plant achieved several class victories in endurance races such as the Le Mans 24-hour race .

other producers

Optionally equipped with a Bristol engine: The AC Greyhound (1959–1963)

In addition to Bristol, other automobile manufacturers also used the in-line six-cylinder engine from Filton. They included Frazer Nash and AC Cars from Thames Ditton , who delivered their Ace and Greyhound models with either the Bristol engines. Alternatively, the Coupé Greyhound was available with an AC power unit or with a 2.6 liter six-cylinder engine from the Ford Zephyr ; Observers agreed, however, that the lively Bristol engine alone was able to bring the Greyhound to "almost sporty performance".

Motorsport

Cooper T20 with Bristol engine (1952)

After all, the Bristol engine was also used in motorsport. Some models from the racing car manufacturers Cooper , Lister and Lotus were equipped with the six-cylinder engine.

The most successful design was the Cooper T20 , which was powered by a 130 hp version of the Bristol engine. It was designed according to the Formula 2 regulations . With him, the British company took part in the 1952 World Drivers Championship . Cooper's driver Mike Hawthorn finished the season in fifth place.

Market situation today

Today, almost 70 years after it was discontinued, the Bristol 400 is a sought-after classic. However, interest is greater in the British Isles than in continental Europe, where the Bristol brand is comparatively little known.

In the UK market, an excellent Bristol 400 will cost around £ 60,000. For the German market in April 2011 a price of 70,000 euros was quoted for a Bristol 400 in “neat condition”.

Trivia

In 1984 a 1-franc postage stamp in the Togolese Republic showed a Bristol 400.

Technical specifications

Bristol 400 Saloon
Engine:	Six-cylinder in-line petrol engine
Displacement:	1971 cc
Bore × stroke:	66 × 96 mm
Power:	75 HP (Type 85) 80 HP (Type 85A) 85 HP (Type 85C) 90 HP (Type 85B)
Compression:	7.25: 1
Mixture preparation:	1 × double carburetor Solex downdraft (type 85) 3 × double carburetor SU downdraft (type 85A) 3 × Solex downdraft (type 85 B and C)
Valve control:	chain driven bottom camshaft; Tappets, bumpers and rocker arms (outlet: 2 bumpers and 2 rocker arms)
Cooling:	Water cooling
Transmission:	Manual four-speed gearbox, gears 2 to 4 synchronized
Front suspension:	Wishbone above and transverse leaf spring below according to another source Double wishbone, transverse leaf spring below rack and pinion steering
Rear suspension:	Rigid axle on wishbones above (on the differential) and via short connecting rods on support levers with torsion bar springs installed lengthways
Brakes:	front and rear drum brakes
Chassis:	Tubular frame
Body:	Mixed construction (wooden framework clad with sheet steel)
Wheelbase:	2898 mm
Dimensions (length × width × height):	4648 × 1625 × 1498 mm
Empty weight:	1130 kg
Top speed:	150 km / h

literature

Brand monographs

• Christopher Balfour: Bristol Cars. A very British story . 2009 (Haynes Publishing) ISBN 978-1-84425-407-1
• Martin Buckley: Souls of discretion. Bristol has been in business for 50 years . In: Classic and Sports Car, issue 5/1994.
• RM Clarke: Bristol Cars: 132 Contemporary Articles Drawn from International Motoring Journals . Brooklands 2001, ISBN 1-85520-563-7 (English)
• LJK Setright : A private car . Palawan Press, London 1998, ISBN 0-9523009-6-6 (2 volumes, English)
• LJK Setright: Bristol Cars and Engines . Motor Racing Publications, Croydon 1974, ISBN 0-900549-22-X (English)
• Martin Buckley: Souls of discretion. Bristol has been in business for 50 years. In: Classic and Sports Car . Issue 5/1996, Haymarket Magazines, ISSN  0263-3183 , p. 116 ff. ( Brand history for the 50th anniversary of Bristol Cars)
• Simon Taylor: Soul Survivors . In: Classic and Sports Car . Issue 8/2006, Haymarket Magazines, ISSN  0263-3183 , p. 132 ff. (Portrait of the brand on the occasion of its 60th anniversary)
• A German-English classic. The history of the Bristol brand . In: Classic Cars Spezial - English classic cars . June / July / August 1994, p. 6 ff.

Contemporary press reports on the Bristol 400

• The Bristol 400 . In: Motor from November 6, 1946
• Bristol Enterprise . In-depth presentation of the plant and the automobile. In: Autocar of January 9, 1948
• Anglo-Italian Accord: Presentation of the Bristol 400 Pininfarina. In: Autocar of December 5, 1947

Retrospective contributions to the Bristol 400

• Chris (Christopher) Balfour: Bristol Sixes . In: Classic and Sports Car , issue 10/1990
• David Lillywhite, Halwart Schrader: Classic Automobiles . Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-613-02552-3
• Dieter Günter: You only live twice . Model history of the Bristol 400 and 401, in: Oldtimer Markt , Issue 9/1996, p. 228 ff.
• Frank Oleski and Hartmut Lehbrink: Series sports cars . 1983/1993 (Könemann), ISBN 3-89508-000-4
• Thomas Wirth: Fly & Drive . Restoration of a Bristol 400. In: Motor Klassik , issue 10/2004, p. 130 ff.

Web links

Commons : Bristol 400  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• The Bristol 400 on the Bristol Owners Club website - full presentation (accessed August 9, 2010)
• The Bristol 400 on the website of "oldtimer-tv" (accessed on August 9, 2010)
• The Bristol 400 on the conceptcarz website (accessed August 9, 2010)
• Overview of the racing results of the Bristol 400 on the website www.racingsportscars.com (incomplete, accessed on May 10, 2012)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ On the history of the prototypes: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars 3/1984, p. 48 ff.
2. ↑ Classic and Sportscars Issue 8/2006, p. 133
3. ↑ ^{a b} Oldtimer Markt , issue 9/1996, p. 230
4. ^ This is the assumption made by D. Günther, Oldtimer Markt , issue 9/1996, p. 230
5. ^ So Balfour: Bristol Cars , p. 48 f.
6. ^ Note in Motor magazine from July 19, 1950
7. ^ Illustration of the first sales prospectus at Balfour: Bristol Cars , p. 76
8. ↑ See Classic and Sportscars Issue 8/2006, p. 133
9. ↑ Description of the Bristol 400 in: The Bristol 2-Liter Model Mechanically Unchanged . In: Motor from October 13, 1948
10. ↑ For details see Engine from November 6, 1946
11. ↑ An unusual but well-proven arrangement of push rods . Description of the valve timing mechanism , in: The Bristol 2-Liter Model Mechanically Unchanged . In: Motor from October 13, 1948
12. ^ On the engine as a whole: Oldtimer Markt , issue 9/1996, p. 230
13. ↑ Purchase advice for Bristol's six-cylinder models on the website of the Bristol Owners Club ( memento of the original from January 9, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on May 20, 2012). 
14. ↑ Classic and Sports Car , issue 10/1990
15. ^ Autocar , January 6, 1948
16. ↑ The only exceptions were the models 401 to 403, which had been designed by Touring, and the 412 with a Zagato body.
17. ↑ ^{a b} Classic Cars Special: English Oldtimer , p. 6 ff.
18. ^ Souls of Discretion. Classic and Sportscar 5/1996, p. 117
19. ↑ History of Abbey Panels on the website of the parent company Loades Plc (accessed on October 13, 2019).
20. ↑ ^{a b} Model history on the Bristol Owners Club website (accessed May 30, 2012)
21. ↑ List of all features for differentiating the first from the second series on the website of the Bristol Owners Club ( memento of the original from May 1, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on May 9, 2012) 
22. ^ Note in Motor magazine from October 13, 1948
23. ↑ The author Hartmut Lehbrink commented on this with the words: "Why buy a part for 5 pounds when you can make it yourself for 50 pounds?" Cf. Oleski / Lehbrink: Seriensportwagen, p. 97
24. ↑ Jonathan Wood: Sports Cars - Fascination and Adventure . Bath (Parragon) 2005, ISBN 1-4054-4604-8 , p. 30
25. ↑ Classic and Sports Car , issue 5/1994
26. ↑ The fact that BMW, for its part, did not launch its own 400 series after the Second World War, but referred to the newly developed models as 501 and 502 , suggests a general agreement between BMW and Bristol.
27. ↑ Tony Crook in the foreword to Bristol Cars. A Brooklands Portfolio . ISBN 1-85520-563-7
28. ↑ 2 liter Bristol Type 400 Road Test . In: Auto Car from January 9, 1948
29. ^ For example, The Bristol 400 . In: Motor from November 6, 1946
30. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars . P. 83
31. ↑ Oldtimer Markt , issue 9/1996, p. 232
32. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars . P. 416
33. ↑ ^{a b} Oldtimer Markt , issue 9/1996, p. 231
34. ^ Wheels , issue 6/1988
35. ↑ Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies: A – Z of Cars 1945–1970 . Herridge & Sons Ltd, p. 32
36. ↑ Lillywhite / Schrader, p. 90
37. ↑ ^{a b} Autocar of December 5, 1947
38. ↑ Illustration of the Bristol 400 Pininfarina Cabriolet. (accessed on May 30, 2012)
39. ↑ The Bristol that wouldn't die . History of the restoration of the first Farina convertible with numerous illustrations, in: Classic Cars , issue 11/1998
40. ↑ On the whole: Balfour: Bristol Cars . P. 391 (with list of chassis numbers)
41. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars . Pp. 96 and 389
42. ^ ^{A b} Balfour: Bristol Cars . P. 389
43. ↑ Model history with images on the Bristol Owners Club website (accessed May 30, 2012)
44. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars . P. 389 with illustration
45. ↑ Model history with images on the Bristol Owners Club website (accessed February 24, 2018)
46. ^ Reproduction of the sales advertisement from 1954 with a picture of the car by Matthew Vale: TVR 1946–1982. The Trevor Wilkinson and Martin Lilley Years , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury 2017, ISBN 978-1-78500-351-6 , p. 12.
47. ↑ Bristol Fashion in: Classiccars Issue 9/2001, p. 104 ff.
48. ↑ Model history on the Bristol Owners Club website (accessed May 30, 2012)
49. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars . P. 397 f.
50. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars , p. 163
51. ↑ Complete list of all rally participations of the Bristol 400 at Balfour, in: Bristol Cars . P. 170
52. ^ Peter Grunert: Blenheim Palace . Presentation of the Bristol Blenheim 2, in: BBC Top Gear , August 1998
53. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars . P. 350 ff.
54. ^ Dieter Günther: Greyhound . Presentation of the AC Greyhound in: Oldtimer Markt special issue "Luxury performance and four seats - Gran Turismo: The big travel coupés", special issue 14, 1994
55. ^ David Hodges: Racing Cars from A to Z after 1945 , Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 . P. 62
56. ↑ The drivers' world championship was and is usually held with Formula 1 vehicles. The years 1952 and 1953 are an exception to this. Since not enough competitive Formula 1 cars could be brought to the start, the FIA ​​announced the drivers' world championship for Formula 2 in those years. Formula 1 with its independent regulations continued to exist on paper during these years; in fact, in 1952 and 1953, not a single race was held under the Formula 1 regulations. For this Hodges: Racing cars from AZ after 1945 , p. 273; also Adriano Cimarosti: The Century of Racing , p. 123
57. ↑ Thoroughbred and Classic Cars , issue 12/2010, p. 123
58. ↑ Motor Klassik , issue 4/2011, p. 79
59. ↑ Motor Klassik , issue 6/2012, p. 79
60. ↑ Illustration of the postage stamp (accessed on May 20, 2012)
61. ↑ Unless otherwise stated, the technical data was taken from Motor magazine on November 6, 1946.
62. ^ Engine from November 6, 1946
63. ↑ ^{a b} The Bristol Manuals ( Memento from July 31, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Section 7 front suspension (accessed May 30, 2012)
64. ↑ as above, Section 9 Steering gear

This article was added to the list of excellent articles on June 11, 2012 in this version .