(first posted 11/27/2018) Britain is about to embark on some major change, courtesy of the Brexit phenomenon. We don’t know where we’re going, the route, or when it’ll actually really impact us, but change is coming. Is looking back at a car that in 1959 was starting to look anachronistic likely to help, or just give a confusing suggestion?
In 1959, a car like the Bristol 406 seemed more at home. CC has covered the history of Bristol before, so I won’t go over the details again, but just celebrate this wonderful example of an older Britain (and probably older Briton) doing the supermarket shopping. Somehow, I suspect the original owner didn’t use it for the weekly shop, not least because he didn’t have access to a supermarket car park.
The 406 was the final Bristol to use the Bristol straight 6 engine, itself fairly openly based the pre-war BMW OHV design. In this instance, the engine was bored and stroked out to 2216cc to give around 110bhp and 129lbft at 3000rpm, with a four speed manual gearbox. Performance was 107 mph top speed. Setright declared it “a delight to drive.”
Suspension was independent at the front, with wishbones working on a transverse leaf spring. At the rear, the live axle was controlled by a Watts linkage, a new feature for Bristol. Steering was rack and pinion, and disc brakes all round were another new feature for Bristol.
Bodywork was the traditional aluminium over wood framing, with the full English wood and leather interior. Sales and production were limited, principally by capacity and the price, and whether Anthony Crook, owner of Bristol Cars, liked you or not.
This was the last Bristol with the six cylinder engine. In 1961, the 407 used the Chrysler 5130 cc V8 in a visually very similar body, albeit with a new coil spring front suspension. This resulted in a car with a very different character.
And my favourite detail on this car? The indicator repeater on the edge of the roof, rather than on the front wing.
There are now just 7 Bristol 406 registered on the road in Britain, and fewer than 300 Bristols in total, on and off road. Delightful, beautiful, impressive craftsmanship without doubt, but not really the ideal car for shopping in the rain?
Very nice, although yes not the best weather for alloy over wood construction. I am familiar with the 406 although I’ve never seen one, my childhood car encyclopedias both showed them, so I had thought this was a “normal” car.
I’m conflicted on the roof mounted indicator, on the one hand it is different and clever, on the other hand there is some goofiness about it as well….
Nice find
“I’m conflicted on the roof mounted indicator, on the one hand it is different and clever, on the other hand there is some goofiness about it as well….”
And it is one more place for water to get in so as to play havoc with the car’s wooden structure.
Say for instance, if you were to cut a record with Stan Kenton backing Nat “King” Cole. It’s kind of like that 😉
A very interesting car and post! Aluminum over wood and disc brakes?
That’s……….quite the proboscis there, lots of room for the six or Chrysler V8. Lovely car, I’ve always been impressed how Bristol could offer what appears to be fully developed cars in such small quantities.
Some other boutique makers doing this ended up with glorified kit cars. Maybe it was the abundance of craftspeople able to make and shape bodies, interiors and chassis by hand that made the difference.
I miss the national character so evident in different cars. This morning’s Kizashi could have come from almost anywhere. This car could have come from nowhere but England.
The proportions are fascinating. Are we sure the car was not designed for a straight 8? 🙂
The proportions have to be that way – don’t forget about the spare wheel, concealed between the L/H front wheel and door. Hate the roof mounted indicator though.
I didn’t realise they were still using a wooden frame in ’59.
Pre war underpinnings?
The roof mounted indicators make it look like it belongs to a tiny civil engineer, working on a motorway.
Keep in mind that this is sitting on a 1930’s style chassis, and one that was never completely changed, hence the narrowness and the very long front end. Here’s how it started out, as the Bristol 400. Not much different under the skin than the 406, and much later ones too.
And here’s a 603, which was built until 2011. Still just a direct evolution of the 400; same narrow track and body, and long front end. A living dinosaur.
The funny thing about this car as it pertains to the current history and near future of Britain is that it is fully rooted in the past while ignoring the probable future. Exiting the EU may be politically favored, but it ignores the reality of an integrated world, not just regionally, but globally. There could have been a better solution, but here we are…
By 1959, the idea of wood and aluminum was outdated. Yes, there were skilled craftsmen who understood how to make it work, and work beautifully, but few people still wanted that old style build underpinning their car. The fact that a Chrysler engine was fitted on newer versions leads one to think that they realized that changes were needed, but made the wrong choices. Jaguar seems to have figured out that the way forward is not by embracing the past, at least not as tightly as this Bristol did. Brexit will be a challenge for everyone, but I hope for the best for all involved.
Bristol survived until relatively recently, so they found those few people, at least until they ‘left the market’.
The change to Chrysler engines was precipitated by the car and aircraft parts of Bristol becoming separate companies, due to government driven mergers. The car company no longer had facilities to build engines.
1. With all of the suspension advancements, why the transverse leaf spring up front?
2. The hole for a crank doesn’t really instill a high level of confidence, but there were times I wish a few of my cars had this feature.
3. When does it not rain in the U.K.?
Great find, nonetheless.
The transverse leaf spring can replace the top or bottom wishbone, and if clamped in two places it acts as an anti-roll bar as well. Don’t forget Cooper racing cars were still winning in 1957 with transverse leaf springs.
This was the last Bristol with the transverse leaf spring 407 onward had coil springs, possibly as the leaf spring didn’t fit around the V8
Starting handles were common to the end of the 1960s – cars like the Marina and mk 3 Cortina were probably the first generation to go without.
Rain, England…..watch the video Paul as posted of the start of the Austrian holidays 😉
Transverse leaf front spring works ok my 66 Vauxhall Viva HA was equipped thus, though that changed for their next model in 67. Not many Bristols over here or anywhere for that matter but Ive seen some definitely different and rust proof sheetmetal is a good thing though the production method is hard to replicate if you manage to crash it.
The late, great automotive writer LJK Setright was a big fan of Bristols. Here he is with his beloved 406 Zagato.
Pretty sure these were Superleggera-type construction, steel tubing, with the wood frame being only in the early models. Built by by Park Royal Vehicles off Abbey Rd in London, makers of the famous Routemaster bus.
Fancy going into a shopping centre with ’50’s handbuilt aluminium panels. Brave.
The body is made from 16 gauge aluminium mounted on a steel frame, but not super-leggera as such.
The car in these photos belongs to me. My father left it to me in his will. I can confirm that he often used it to go shopping in the rain. At Waitrose, obviously. Standards!
Kate, I’ve only just seen your comment. Sorry.
Thanks for taking such care of your Father’s car, and bringing it out it the rain for the mundane process that even Waitrose is.
I hope you can continue to enjoy for many years to come, and that we will all be able to see it from time to time.
@Kate – I read your comment. Prior to your father owning 8899AR my grandfather had owned the Bristol 406 from new. He used to drive my grandmother on trips to his native Scotland twice a year, where he could open up on the motorway. Other than that they had a standard Sunday lunch booking in Bath, when the Bristol would get the weekly run. He really looked after the car. I remember the smell of the leather from my childhood. It still looks like it did, however may have had new paint since as it looks slightly darker. Hope your enjoying. Regards Simon
I think in 1959 it still looked contemporary .
Nice to see it’s still being cherished and used .
-Nate