To anyone interested in automotive history, the late 1940s and early ‘50s was a fascinating period of time, especially in the UK. With Britain still suffering the effects of an extremely costly war, it wasn’t until July 1954 when all rationing came to an end. Mostly the rationing affected foodstuffs such as tea that was in short supply from 1940 through to 1952. Industry was also severely affected by the rationing of metals.
The automotive industry was particularly impacted, with government approval needed for the use of reasonable quantities of steel right through to the early 1950s. Such approvals would be more forthcoming if the manufactured vehicles were destined for export.
Austere times indeed, but the immediate post WW2 years were probably the most successful and prolific for the UK automotive industry. For instance, with the combining of the Nuffield and Austin in 1952 the resultant British Motor Corporation was soon the largest exporter of motor vehicles in the world. It was also a period during which a number of new manufacturers entered the scene, such as Lotus, Healey and Bristol. Three manufacturers that appealed to very specific areas of the market—and in particular, Healey and Bristol to the higher end where buyers were prepared to pay large amounts as new cars were in very short supply.
Eccentric
While large organizations such as BMC, Vauxhall, Hillman and Ford were manufacturing vehicles for the mass market, it was companies such as Bristol which would produce motor vehicles that in the eyes of the contemporary motoring public were bordering on the eccentric. Not in the negative sense, of course, but in a way that stood them out from the masses.
While the first Bristol car did not appear until 1946, the company itself had its origins back in the 19th Century when George White moved to the southern English city of Bristol and founded Bristol Electric Tramways in 1875. Then in February 1910, to take advantage of the growing aeronautical industry, White founded the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company. Its first aircraft was the Bristol Boxkite, based on a French design by Gabriel Voisin who would later go on to manufacturer some of the finest motor vehicles in the world.
During World War One the Boxkite continued in production as a trainer, and the Bristol Fighter become the mainstay of the Royal Air Force. With the end of hostilities in 1918 came cancelled war orders and, faced with insufficient work for the company’s workforce, contracts were received for the building of coachbuilt bodies for buses and Armstrong-Siddeley cars. In 1920 the name of the company was changed to the Bristol Aeroplane Company Limited.
Between the wars, Bristol moved into engine production with their Jupiter nine-cylinder radial engine, the most popular being fitted to more than 70 different types of aircraft.
When the world found itself once again at war, the Bristol Aeroplane Company was pressed into the war effort. From June 1939 through to the end of 1945, the company produced over 100,000 aero-engines and more than 14,500 aircraft.
Post-War
With the cessation of fighting, Bristol once again found itself with a large workforce and not enough work to keep it occupied. Initially it turned itself to the construction of pre-fabricated dwellings to assist with the graphic housing shortage caused by enemy bombing. Success followed and the company was soon making pre-fab buildings for schools, hospitals and whatever else was in demand.
During WW2 Bristol engineers experimented with the construction of a prototype motor vehicle. Keeping with their area of expertise, the engine was a radial design above the rear axle, a positioning that really did not favor practical weight distribution. It was not a success, but did fuel imaginations for the future.
Just a month after the end of the war in Europe, Bristol executives met and reached agreement to enter the quality motor vehicle market.
Frazer Nash-BMW
To look forward from the end of WW2, it is necessary to go back to before the war to another British manufacturer named Frazer-Nash. In the 1934 Alpine Rally, Frazer Nash executive H.J. Aldington found his team severely beaten by a team of new BMW 328 sports cars. Not one to miss an opportunity, Aldington soon made arrangements to import BMW motor cars and sell them in the UK as Frazer Nash-BMWs.
The arrangement was a success with 707 Frazer Nash-BMWs sold, but understandably the commencement of WW2 proved to be a commercial disaster for the British company.
In something that would only happen in the British automotive industry where everyone had a brother, cousin or relative in every other company, there was soon to be a connection between the Frazer Nash-BMWs and Bristol.
H.J. Aldington’s brother Don was an engineer in the British Ministry of Aircraft Production, and was posted to Bristol. He soon found out that Bristol was looking to enter the quality car market and let his brother know. H.J. Aldington soon set up a meeting with the Bristol board who agreed that the new Bristol should be based on the pre-war Frazer Nash-BMW.
After the war, Bristol retained generous stocks of aero grade alloy sheeting and quality steel and as part of the reparations the War Reparations Board agreed that the Bristol Aeroplane Company would acquire the manufacturing rights to not only the BMW 326, 327 and 328 models, but also the BMW two-liter, six-cylinder engine.
As a consequence in July 1945, Bristol purchased a majority shareholding in Frazer Nash and, not long after, government approval was received for the Bristol Aeroplane Company to commence work on the first Bristol car.
Engine
As you would have read, the Bristol engine is derived from that fitted to the BMW 328 and its design is of interest. Being of two-liters means it is a relatively compact design with its block in cast iron. The cylinder head is of light alloy with hemispherical combustion chambers. Externally it has the appearance of a double overhead camshaft engine, but it has a low-mounted, single chain-driven camshaft. From this an ordinary set of vertical pushrods actuates the inlet valves, while the exhaust valves are actuated by additional pushrods contained within alloy tubes set across the top of the engine. The drive from the vertical pushrods to those across the engine is by bell cranks.
Complicated? Yes, but it was effective and worked well. The Bristol engine also proved to be a popular fitting for such a diverse selection of cars ranging from AC to Cooper, as well as being highly successful in many competition cars.
The Bristol 400 was launched at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show with a body style that borrowed heavily from the post-war Autenrieth-bodied BMW. However, two cars were built with bodywork by Superleggera Touring of Italy using their technique of attaching body panelling over lightweight tubular supports welded to the chassis.
The association of H.J. Aldington with the Bristol board could best be described as tempestuous, with the highly impatient Aldington finding difficulty with many steps in the manufacturing process. This came to an end in April 1947 when the Bristol Aeroplane Company dissolved its connection with Frazer Nash, but continued to supply engine and gearboxes to the smaller company through to 1958.
Aerodyne
Toward the end of 1949 Bristol released the 401 with bodywork designed by Touring, which in time became known as the Aerodyne body styling. While the styling of the 401 was a complete departure from that of the 400, it was still possible to see the carryover of styling cues from the earlier model. The grille, for instance, was very similar to that of the 400, which was a take on the BMW style of the day. Priced at £3,213, it was not a cheap motor car, but between its release and mid-1953 a total of 605 Type 401 Bristols were produced, making it the most popular of all Bristol models.
The Aerodyne shape was continued through to the Bristol 402 which was basically a two-four seater convertible. Interestingly, the 402 was priced the same as the 401, but it is thought that just 21 were built, making it the rarest of all of the two-liter Bristol cars.
While the 401 was a popular car as far as Bristol numbers were concerned, it did carry a few problems such as excessive oversteering, less than satisfying brakes and inadequate heating/ventilation.
The 403
These concerns were allayed in mid-1953 with the release of the 403. Actually priced less than the 401 (£2,976) Bristol went on to produce 275 examples. Other enhancements to the new model were an increase in power from 85 bhp to 100, and a new Bristol four-speed gearbox fitted with closer ratios and Borg Warner synchromesh.
The contemporary motoring press praised the high-speed touring capabilities of the 403, not only its outright velocity, but also its lack of wind and road noise.
Also introduced in mid-1953, the Bristol 404 was a complete departure from the earlier models. Fitted with a two-door coupe body over a shorter chassis, the 404 had an overall length at 14 feet, 3.25 inches, and was considerably lighter at 2,290 pounds. It proved to be very popular for those interested in high-speed touring, and many ordered their car fitted with the improved Bristol engine developing 125 bhp. It became known as the “Businessman’s Express.” Just 51 Bristol 404s were built.
No story of Bristol cars is complete without the mentioning of American Stanley Arnolt, who preferred to be known as “Wacky.” A successful businessman, Arnolt in 1950 established showrooms in Chicago selling MG, Aston Martin, Bentley and Bristol cars. Soon he was selling the Arnolt-MG, which was a MG Midget fitted with an Italian Bertone body.
Arnolt became aware that Bristol was about to market a shorter chassis car in the guise of the 404. Seeing an opportunity to market another car using his own name, a deal was made with Bristol for the supply of 404 rolling chassis. These were then sent to Bertone for the fitting of the body, before shipping to the U.S. In total 142 Arnolt-Bristols were built.
Busy Factory
During 1954 the Bristol factory must have been busy as there were three separate models under construction. The 403, 404 and the new 405 four-door saloon that to the casual observer looked like a stretched 404. Built through to 1958, the 405 was the only four-door Bristol model, of which 340 were made. The 405 was also available in drophead form. The last Bristol 403 built in 1955 marked the end of the aerodyne body styling.
The final Bristol fitted with the six-cylinder engine was the 406. By the time it was introduced in 1958, the engine had grown to 2.2 liters, which in standard form produced 105 bhp. While a bit underpowered, the 406 saloon was regarded by those who knew about it, as a beautifully made luxury car.
V8 and the Future
With the demise of the Bristol six-cylinder engine came the Type 407 in 1961 with its 5,130-cc V8 engine sourced from Chrysler in Canada, along with the Chrysler Torqueflite automatic transmission. But as they say in the classics, that is another story.
In 1960 the Bristol Aeroplane Company was nationalized and became part of British Aerospace. As could be imagined, there was no place for a small upmarket motor vehicle manufacturer in the organization and Bristol Cars was sold to Sir George White and his partner Tony Crook.
Crook was a WW2 fighter pilot who after the hostilities was involved in motor racing and went on to form a chain of garages selling various sporting cars. He later became a successful agent for Bristol and the partnership with White proved to be a great success.
Due to failing health, White sold his share of Bristol Cars Ltd to Crook in 1973, leaving the latter in full control. It stayed under the complete management of Tony Crook until the mid-1990s when part of the assets were sold off, but Crook stayed in control. Bristol Cars continues to produce British upmarket cars through to the present day using Chrysler drivetrains.
In March 2011 it was announced that Bristol Cars had gone into receivership. Within a short time the company was reorganized and purchased by the Kamcorp Group which, by a quirk of fate, also owns vehicle drivetrain company, Frazer-Nash Research.
403 Owner – Vic Smiley
You certainly don’t find Bristol cars on every street corner, so when Vintage Roadcar met with Vic Smiley the owner of our featured Bristol 403 we needed to know why he owned such a ubiquitous British car.
“I bought an Iso Lele like a friend of mine has.” Vic said. “He was a member of the Bristol Car Club and talked me into coming along to meetings. I joined the club as an associate member, and not long after joined a group of fellow members on a driving holiday in New Zealand.
“There were ten cars that went across to New Zealand, two Isos and eight six-cylinder Bristols. Over the month we would change cars just to see what everyone was driving. One of the Bristol owners took our Iso and I drove his 403. Very soon my Iso disappeared into the distance while I got used to the Bristol.
“It would have been just ten minutes into driving the Bristol that both Pattie and I fell in love with it. The car was so old-fashioned that it was like learning to drive all over again. The roads were very rough and I thought the Bristol’s suspension handled this without a problem. After the 350 Chev engine, I did have difficulty getting used to a 2-liter engine that you had to stir along. In fact I found myself lacking in this and held up the convoy until I got used to keeping the revs up to around 3,000 especially when approaching hills.”
I also had to get comfortable with drum brakes.” Vic added. “As well as changing back through the gears—an experience I had almost forgotten. Taking a line through a corner was something I had completely forgotten. The whole thing was a love affair right from the start. In fact, you could say that I fell in love with driving again, and not just motor cars.
“The Bristol club is quite small, with just 90 members throughout Australia, but through the trip to New Zealand we became quite good friends with owners in other states. I let it be known that we were interested in finding a car that could be restored. I had my heart on a 400 Series, but was advised that we would probably be better off with a 403 model as its preferable for touring with larger luggage space and a more refined engine than the earlier 400 model.
“Then I heard of a car in Victoria state that might be available.” Vic said. “It was a well-known car within the club that the previous owner had bought from his father when he turned 21. The years had passed and sadly his health had started to fail and he was unable to complete the restoration. The car had been stripped and painted and left in his garage.
“It is a 1953 car that featured in Melbourne’s main newspaper back in 1953 when it was applauded as a 105 mph car. Bristols weren’t cheap either, and would cost about the same as an average house of the period. So doctors, lawyers and those on the land were likely purchasers.
“In finding the car I consider myself as very fortunate. It’s virtually a one-owner car, and I have all its history including documentation, log books, workshop manual and even photos of the seller standing next to the car when he was young. He just gave everything to me when we bought it. Members of the club were very supportive during the assembly of the car. Not only by answering my thousands of questions, but when we would attend events I would also go with a fully charged camera to take as many photos as possible. I had a garage of sheet metal objects and bits and pieces in jars and boxes and no real idea of where they went.”
Complex Cars
“They are very complex cars designed and built by a company that also built aeroplanes.” Vic continued. “I found when putting parts together that there were actual tightening sequences, for example the rear bumper bar, which I thought was going to be easy. It took me a week to fit it to the car and that was working 12 hours every day. Having said that, I found it very exciting putting the car together.
“Mechanically, the previous owner had spent a lot of money. All the brakes had been done, the engine had been rebuilt, gearbox, new radiator and so on. However, because it had sat for such a long period of time I later ended up rebuilding the engine again due to low power and high oil consumption. I’ve had the car for about six years, and it took me just over two years to get it on the road. I’m a keen golfer and the clubs fit in the boot quite comfortably.
“We are both active members of the Bristol Car Club of Australia and not only attend all the meetings, but still love the touring part of it. Last year we went to Western Australia and 15 cars were loaded on the Indian Pacific train for the trip to Perth, some 2,600 miles. We had our own dining car and two sleeper carriages for us and two car-carrying carriages for the Bristols. We drove back taking four weeks stopping at all the points of interest along the way. It was a wonderful trip as it also gave us a chance to meet other Bristol owners along the way. There are only about 45 registered Bristols in Australia.”
By this stage Vic was showing his enthusiasm. “There certainly are some interesting aspects with the cars, such as there are no external door handles. Being aircraft engineers, Bristol was one of the first car manufacturers to be concerned about turbulence and air drag efficiency. There are many old photos of Bristol engineers driving the cars down their own runway with little bits of wool taped to them so they could watch the effect of wind on the car at high speed. They designed the sheet metal bodywork to turn under the car, such as the doors don’t finish with the sill as it actually folds underneath. At the front the bodywork goes under the car to divert the air away from the front suspension so there is less wind drag. Behind the grille the sheet metal ducting takes the air through the radiator and on to the engine to help it keep cool.
“There is one key to open the car. The fuel cap is opened from inside the car as is the boot. The bonnet does as well, and to access either side of the engine you just open that side of the hood. Behind the engine there are a couple of storage areas for oil, water and tools. It’s quite a clever car.
“It’s so unusual and apart from being in a car from the 1950s that has a whole romance in itself, there is a strong German and Italian influence with the car. The grille is from the association that Frazer Nash had with BMW before WW2. This contact continued after the war, and first Frazer Nash and then Bristol used BMW engineering that started with the BMW 328. Our model, the 403 has the carryover of the BMW grille and the Italian influence and the superb engineering which improved the original BMW 328 engine.
“We would like to keep the Bristol for as long as we can. For all our trips and holidays we take the Bristol. Actually the holiday starts when we sit in the car and start it up.”
Behind the Wheel
I have had the pleasure of driving a few Bristols in the past, but in what I suspect is somehow connected with gaining extra grey hair and wisdom I have looked at each very differently. The first was a Bristol 404 or the “Businessman’s Express” and quick it certainly was while satisfying a younger person’s need for speed. However, I approached Vic and Pat Smiley’s 403 somewhat differently as I was looking for comfort as befitting a car of its stature.
I wasn’t disappointed right from pushing a button to gain entry through to the highly comfortable bucket seats. The styling of the 403 could be best called individual, and there is no mistaking its aviation background. In a way you can say the same for any of the early Saabs. However, walking around the body of the Bristol I found my eyes attracted by nothing that would be out in the air flow. When you think of the cars available in the early 1950s the Bristol would have been startling to say the least.
Push the button and the door clicks open, revealing a very wide and easy entry. As said, the seats are extremely comfortable and everything falls easily to hand. The timber dash just typifies the early ’50s and Vic points out how the needles of the speedo and tach start at about 2 p.m. and rotate in a clockwise direction—aircraft style. Vic also points out that everything to gain entry to elsewhere, such as the trunk and under the bonnet are located within the car. This means that once the driver’s door is locked, the boot, bonnet and fuel filler cap are also locked. Being a fan of the period I just love it, all except the curvature of the Bluemel steering wheel spokes, which I must admit I’m not too sure about.
Driving
Sitting in the seat, as expected, everything works perfectly. There is something about a timber dash that provides a feeling of warmth and comfort. Probably a bit silly, but I feel very much at home. The Bristol engine starts readily from cold and is then allowed to warm for a few minutes.
Into first and with a few revs we are away. Something to think about here as I meant it when I said “a few revs.” The Bristol straight-six, while a lovely engine, is just under two-liters while delivering 100 horses in 403 form. At 2,788 pounds the 403 is not a light car, so as Vic said it is really necessary to make full use of the gears. Thankfully, both the engine and the Bristol-built 4-speed gearbox revel in the use of higher rpm and frequent gear changes. It does take me ten minutes or so for it to sink in that this is a car that has to be worked with to drive properly and enjoy. Once it was in my grey cells, I found that despite its almost 16-foot length, the 403 is the sort of car that you can really throw into the corners and drive through with the obligatory smile on your face. This was ably assisted by the confidence provided by the efficient four-wheel drum brakes.
I found Vic and Pat’s Bristol 403 an absolute delight and a wonderful example what could only be called a quintessential eccentric English car of the early 1950s. Yes, I would have one, but there were only 275 Bristol 403s built and in total just 2,090 six-cylinder Bristols built between 1946 to 1959. The V8-powered Bristols are a very different story and as mentioned you can buy a new example if you had sufficient coin of the realm.
SPECIFICATIONS
Body: Coupe with aluminum panelling over steel hoops
Chassis: Steel deep channel tapering to the front
Wheelbase: 9ft 6in
Track: 4ft 3.75in (front) 4ft 6in (rear)
Weight: 2,788 lb
Length: 15ft 11.5in
Steering: Rack & Pinion
Suspension: Front: Independent by transverse leaf spring and telescopic shock absorbers. Rear: Longitudinal torsion bars with telescopic shock absorbers
Engine: Cast iron six-cylinder in-line; alloy head with inclined overhead and pushrod and rocker operated valves
Displacement: 1,971 cc
Bore/Stroke: 66 mm x 96 mm
Compression: 8.5:1
Induction: Triple Solex Carburetors
Power: 100 bhp @ 5,000 rpm
Torque: 138-lb/ft
Transmission: Bristol 4-speed and reverse with freewheel on first gear
Brakes: Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes on all four wheels
Wheels: 16in x 5in
