Bristol 400 - A Brief History

The Bristol 400, a sporting 4-seater saloon, was the car that launched the Bristol marque. It went into full production late in 1946 after being unveiled to the press a few months earlier. It featured a two door mostly steel body that was constructed around an ash framework and mounted onto a sturdy box-section steel chassis.  The door panels, bonnet and boot lid were fashioned from aluminium, which in later Bristol models was used for nearly all of the bodywork. The engine was a 2-litre six-cylinder unit that Bristol had developed from an earlier BMW design. In the early cars this was fitted with a single carburettor but this was soon replaced by a triple carburettor arrangement which gave an increase in engine power from 80 to 85 bhp.  The interior was very well appointed and reflected the high overall quality of the car. Production ended in 1950.

Years Produced

1946 - 1950

Body Type

2 door saloon, steel & aluminium bodywork on steel chassis

Length

15ft 3in

Width

5ft 4in

Weight

2579lb

Engine

6 cylinder inline 1971cc

Power

85 bhp @ 4500 rpm

Torque

Not disclosed

Gearbox

4 speed manual with freewheel on first gear

Driven Wheels

Rear

Brakes

Drums front & rear

Front Suspension

Independent, transverse leaf spring & wishbones

Rear Suspension

Live axle, torsion bar

Bristol Owners Club

Bristol Cars - books at Amazon.co.uk

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