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Bristol 411 - tradition-conscious tourer with style

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Created on October 7, 2020

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

39

Bruno von Rotz

2

Archiv

34

Daniel Reinhard

39

Bruno von Rotz

2

Archiv

34

Bristol 411 (1973) - not unpleasantly conspicuous even with the headlights up

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Luxury tourer for wealthy connoisseurs

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Bristol cars did not have rear-view mirrors ex works because, according to boss Crook, they interfered with the line and produced wind noise

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the radiator grille caused discussion

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the wheelbase is 2.9 meters

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Bristol 411 (1973) - almost five-meter-long coupé

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Bristol 411 (1973) - cost almost as much as a twelve-cylinder Ferrari at the time

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Bristol 411 (1973) - rolls comfortably and produces little wind noise, at least that was the aim of company boss Tony Crook

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the possible 225 km/h were certainly hardly ever driven with this car

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Bristol 411 (1973) - comfortable tourer, not a sports car

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the rear lights always came from the large series

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the right-hand drive fits

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Club atmosphere in a coupé

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Bristol 411 (1973) - comfortable front seats, but lateral support is not a priority

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the three-spoke steering wheel has a plastic rim

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Bristol 411 (1973) - here you have everything in view

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Bristol 411 (1973) - complete fittings with Smiths clocks

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Bristol emblem on the steering wheel hub

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the watch takes center stage

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Bristol coat of arms

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Bristol 411 (1973) - classic selector lever for the automatic transmission

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Bristol 411 (1973) - comfortable rear seats even for tall passengers

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Bristol 411 (1973) - carefully tanned leather

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Bristol 411 (1973) - electric windows

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Bristol 411 (1973) - here the boss is also his best dealer

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Chrysler V8 engine with a displacement of 6277 cm3

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the factory kept all information and almost all spare parts for every Bristol until the end

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Chassis badge

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Bristol 411 (1973) - stylish chassis badge

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Ornaments

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Bristol 411 (1973) - evil tongues called it the "Toaster Grill"

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Bristol 411 (1973) - huge twin headlights from Lucas

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Bristol 411 (1973) - these tires still have suspension

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Bristol crest on the wheel cover

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Bristol 411 (1973) - the spare wheel is located under the left front flap

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Tony Crook didn't like rear-view mirrors

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Bristol 411 (1973) - Bristol lettering at the rear

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Bristol 400 (1952) - the last Bristol 400 produced, before delivery to a buyer in Australia

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Bristol 404 (1954) - at the Geneva Motor Show 1954

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Bristol 405 Saloon (1955) - fast touring sedan

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Bristol 406 (1957) - at the Paris Motor Show in October 1957 with bodywork by Beutler

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Bristol 406 Saloon (1957) - at the Paris Motor Show

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Bristol 406 Saloon Beutler (1957) - bodywork by the Beutler brothers

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Bristol 406 (1957) - as it was shown as a Beutler coupé at the 1957 Earls Court Motor Show in London

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Bristol 406 (1958) - prototype, the production version was expected to have a longer front and a different radiator grille

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Bristol 406 (1958) - the rear of the 406 prototype with the characteristic fins

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Bristol 406 (1958) - at the Paris Motor Show in the fall of 1958

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Bristol 406 (1958) - completely new body design presented in August 1958

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Bristol 406 (1958) - with disc brakes on all wheels

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Bristol 406 (1959) - with characteristic radiator grille

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Bristol 406 (1959) - here with chic two-tone paintwork

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Bristol 407 (1961) - the now over 250 hp coupé with a lady

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Bristol 407 (1962) - a left-hand drive coupé is loaded at the airport

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Bristol 407 (1961) - early factory photo of the V8 version

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Bristol 407 (1963) - two views

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Bristol 407 (1961) - Engine and interior of the fast British car

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Bristol 407 (1962) - at the Geneva Motor Show 1962

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Bristol 407 (1962) - with a Canadian V8 engine under the hood

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Bristol 407 (1963) - with V8 power for the first time, hardly anything changed on the outside

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Bristol 407 (1962) - now with V8 Chrysler engine

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Bristol 407 (1963) - somewhat smoothed, but still traditionally shaped

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Bristol 407 (1963) - classic silhouette

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Bristol 408 (1963) - powerful as an ox with a V8 engine

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Bristol 408 (1963) - with redesigned radiator grille

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Bristol 408 (1963) - with two-tone paintwork

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Bristol 409 - from the aircraft manufacturer - Swiss Classic British Car Meeting Morges 2017

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Bristol 410 - noble British sports car with American engine technology (Dolder Classics May 2018)

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Bristol 411 (1972) - with new front section

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Bristol 411 (1972) - only minor visual differences to the vehicles built 10 years earlier

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Bristol 411 (1973) - at the London Motor Show, in the background a Reliant Scimitar

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Bristol 412 (1977) - the Bristol was certainly a little faster than the 100 MPH indicated on the license plate

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Bristol 412 (1976) - with the comfort of a limousine

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Bristol 603 (1977) - the traditional model in 1977

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Bristol 411 (1973) - people like to wait at the pedestrian crossing in a Bristol

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Summary

From 1969 to 1976, Bristol built just 287 examples of the Type 411 and modified so much that one could speak of five different series. Although "series" is certainly the wrong word for these elaborately hand-built coupés. Tradition was important, no wonder the design of the Bristol 411 dated back to 1957, when the Type 406 was introduced. However, performance increased by a factor of 3.5 during this time, and a few years ago, 411 owners were even able to bring their cars back to the factory for an "upgrade". This driving report is about a 1973 Series 3 model and shows it in current photos as well as the entire model history in historical photos and sales literature.

This article contains the following chapters

From airplane to automobile
A new start with Swiss help
The factory body with a long-term perspective
Engine change
Subtle design modifications
A larger engine
Built until 1976 in five series
Replacement by two models or not?
Hybrid of a different kind

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

When a car is built for eight years (1969-1976) and only 287 examples are produced during this time, largely by hand, then it is a very exclusive product. When you also know that the basic design dates back to 1957, it becomes clear that you are dealing with a very traditional vehicle. But the fact that it was also fast and safe made it really desirable for the distinguished gentleman. To understand the history and essence of the Bristol sports car, you have to go way back to the period shortly after the Second World War. With indirect BMW assistance, the Bristol 400 was created, whose chassis looked like the BMW 326 and whose in-line six-cylinder engine was basically a further development of the BMW 328 engine. The Bristol engineers, who until then had mainly worked on aircraft, were assisted by BMW engineer Fritz Fiedler, who was released from internment for this purpose.

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