Bristol 408

Bristol
Bristol 408
408
Production period:	1963-1965
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Petrol engines : 5.1-5.2 liters (186 kW)
Length:	4910 mm
Width:	1730 mm
Height:	1500 mm
Wheelbase :	2900 mm
Empty weight :	1626 kg
Previous model	Bristol 407
successor	Bristol 409

Rear view of the Bristol 408

The Bristol 408 was a two-door sedan produced by the British car manufacturer Bristol Cars Ltd. produced in small numbers between 1963 and 1965. It was the successor to the Bristol 407 .

Model history

The Bristol 408, presented in September 1963 on the occasion of the Earls Court Motorshow, was largely based on the previous model, from which it only differed in design details. With the Series 2 introduced in 1964, technical innovations also found their way.

The body of the 408 continued to be based on the Dudley Hobbs design presented six years ago for the 406 . For financial reasons, a completely new design was out of the question; Hobbs therefore had to limit himself to easy-to-implement modifications with the 408. The 408 received a completely new, lower front section, which now had two recessed main headlights, a lowered bonnet and a large, wide grille in which two additional headlights were embedded. The larger radiator opening compared to the predecessor improved the thermal behavior of the engine. At the rear, the round lights used since the Bristol 406 had been replaced by elongated, upright units borrowed from an older Humber Scepter . At the same time, the curvature of the roof was reduced so that the car was slightly lower overall than the 407. A second decorative strip in the area of ​​the front fenders was also new.

The drive technology remained unchanged. Bristol continued to use a highly customized eight-cylinder Chrysler engine . On the chassis side, the 408 received telescopic shock absorbers from Armstrong for the rear axle, which were individually adjustable by the driver using a device on the dashboard and were supposed to keep the level of the vehicle even if the trunk was loaded with different loads.

The 408 was created in two series, which differed from one another in technical details:

• The first series, produced from 1963 to 1964, corresponded completely to the 407 on the drive side. Like this one, they used a Chysler engine with a displacement of 5130 cm³, which was connected to a conventional Torqueflite automatic. The engine's output was given as 250 hp. The top speed was 196 km / h (122 mph) according to the factory, while Car Illustrated magazine determined a value of 206 km / h in a test.

• The 408 Mk. 2 was presented in the autumn of 1964. It received a revised engine, the displacement of which had been increased slightly to 5221 cm³. At the same time, the performance increased. The automatic transmission was also new. It was lighter and had a modified translation. It enabled Bristol to choose a higher rear axle ratio. The performance did not change as a result; However, the speed level could be reduced, so that u. a. the consumption reduced.

Reception in the market

The Bristol 408 had to prevail against some vehicles that had been designed according to a similar pattern. Its strengths were flawless workmanship and very good driving characteristics. His peculiarity lay in his conservative appearance, through which he differed from his competitors. Its driving performance corresponded to that of established sports cars; a British test in 1964 indicated that the Bristol 408 could outperform a Ferrari 250 GT 2 + 2 when accelerating over a quarter mile.

distribution

Bristol Cars published - as usual - no production figures for the 408. The information in the literature varies widely. The journalist LJK Setright , who has been a brand chronicle for decades, assumed around 80 copies, while an American publication claims that 280 408 vehicles had been produced in two years.

Unlike the Bristol 406 and 407, the new 408 no longer had any special bodies from Zagato or other manufacturers. The Bristol 408 was replaced by the Bristol 409 in September 1965 .

literature

• Christopher Balfour: Bristol Cars. A very British story . 2009 (Haynes Publishing) ISBN 978-1-844254071 .
• LJK Setright: A private car , 2 volumes, UK 1999.
• RM Clarke: Bristol Cars: A Brooklands Portfolio: 132 Contemporary Articles Drawn from International Motoring Journals , UK 2001.

Web links

Commons : Bristol 408  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Introduction and brief description of the Bristol 408 on the Bristol Owners Cub website
• Prospectus for the Bristol 408 from 1964 (accessed February 29, 2012).

Individual evidence

1. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars. P. 269 f.
2. ↑ Car Illustrated 12/1964.
3. ^ Balfour: Bristol Cars. P. 271.
4. ^ Autocar, September 27, 1963.
5. ↑ Car Illustrated 12/1964.
6. ↑ In a publication from 1964 a "Bristol 408 GT Zagato 2 + 2" was announced; however, such a vehicle was never realized. See Word Car Catalog 1964.