The prototype of the Bristol 400 was built in 1946, soon after the end of World War II, and made its official debut at the Geneva Show the following year.
This model was developed in-house by Bristol under the leadership of company owner Sir George White, but with the cooperation of Fritz Fiedler, a renowned designer recruited from BMW, it used a frame very similar to the 326 touring car that the company had produced until just before World War II. The main structure is made of steel with a box section and steel floor members added for torsional rigidity, a basic structure that would be carried over to the final Bristol powered by a V8.
The suspension is an independent transversely mounted leaf wishbone type in the front. The rear is a live axle (fixed axle) with torsion bar springs, and it has advanced BMW-style rack-and-pinion steering. This resulted precise handling which would later become the hallmark of successive generations of Bristols.
The body of the 400 was also heavily influenced by BMW, and it features the "kidney grille," which is still a characteristic of all BMW models to this day. The basic framework of the body is steel, while the doors, bonnet, as well as the fenders, are made of aluminum alloy.
The 1,971cc Bristol 6-cylinder engine has the same 80Hp specification as the pre-war BMW masterpieces, the 328 and 327/80, while the 326 on which it was based made only 50-60 hp, making the Bristol 400 clearly a sporty luxury touring car.
Even after the debut of its successor, the 401, production of the 400 continued until around 1950, and it is believed that 487 cars left the Filton factory.
This 400 was manufactured in 1949, at the end of the model's life. This is the very example that was exhibited at the Olympia Motor Show in the UK that year, and it is believed to be the only Bristol 400 that was manufactured in an off-white body color.
The body paint remains original and in excellent condition, while the interior, with its luxurious leather and wood finishes, exudes typical British luxury while embodying a "beauty with age" concept that we advocate.