Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a lovely Australian delivered 1955 Bristol 403.

We have a copy of the Bristol Chassis Ledger and Bristol Advice of Despatch for this car on file which confirms this Bristol 403 was despatched from the factory on the 25th of April 1955 and send to Commonwealth Motors in Melbourne. The documentation confirms that this car was delivered in right hand drive, was dark green in colour (Scheme 6A) and optioned with a Trico screen washer, a front speaker only and an aerial. It also confirms that the car retains its original matching numbers engine.

It is understood Bristol built a total of 287 examples of the 403. Interestingly, this car is one 12-15 examples built that were fitted with a 100B2 type engine. This engine has a higher compression ratio and therefore more slightly more horse power. Cosmetically these later cars also had a few minor differences. They had side lights on top of the front wings and rear reflectors.

Whilst this car left the factory painted dark green, it is understood it was repainted in midnight blue by the Australian distributor at the request of the first owner. He kept the car for some three years before it was sold to Mrs Mison from Ulladulla in NSW. In her ownership the car was registered as BGO393. The car subsequently passed through owners in NSW, Victoria and later Queensland. By the mid 1970s the car was stripped to bare alloy in preparation for a repaint and some restoration work. Unfortunately, progress stalled and the car sat for many years. There is a photo on file dated December 1977 showing the car in bare alloy.

The current owners acquired the car as a project in that state from Robert Sciberras from Ryde (Sydney), NSW in July 1994. At that time the car was carrying the NSW registration PYY433.

The car was trucked up Mt Tamborine in Queensland and the work commenced to return this Bristol to its former glory. It soon became apparent that this project was not going to be as simple as just repainting the car. The car needed major mechanical work and the first hurdle was finding a solution for the cracked crankshaft. This was proving to be a challenge until one day the son of a neighbour of an old friend was visiting from England and he just happened to mention that he worked for Bristol. Some three weeks later a new crankshaft was on its way to Australia.

Progress was slow, but the owner continued to happily tinker away slowly restoring his beloved Bristol. Unfortunately, he suffered a health condition in 2012 which stopped progress on the car. Fortunately, the Bristol community in Australia is strong and they put the owner in touch with Bristol expert Sebastion Gross who agreed to take on the task of finishing the restoration. The car was transported to his workshop in Kendall, NSW.

An inventory was made of parts needed to complete the restoration and work commenced.

The engine was completely rebuilt using the new crankshaft and various other replacement parts. The gearbox and differential were also was completely rebuilt. The suspension as well as the entire braking system were reconditioned with mostly new parts, including a new brake booster. The cooling system was overhauled and the radiator was recored by Taree Radiators.

To make the car easier to drive an electric power steering unit was ordered from EZ electric power steering in the Netherlands and subsequently installed.

Unfortunately, the original wiring harness was in poor condition. A decision was made to order a new, upgraded, wiring harness from Vintage Wiring Harness in Ringwood (Melbourne), Victoria.

The interior was retrimmed using Connolly hide by Westport Upholstry in Port Macquarie, NSW.

The restoration of the dashboard makes for an interesting story. Gross was on a National Bristol Rally in Tasmania when he had the idea to make a new dash out of Huon pine. After a quick discussion with the owner, it was unanimously agreed to go that way rather than try to restore the original dilapidated dashboard. The work was done by wood worker Manfred Reihl and as you will see from the photos the end result is simply stunning. All the instruments were refurbished by Norwest Instruments in Rydalmere, NSW. The steering wheel was refurbished by Yesteryear Steering Wheel Restoration in Warragul, Victoria.

The body work and preparation for the paint work was completed inhouse by Gross. The car was painted by Harrington Smash Repairs and the bright work rechromed by Hamilton Chrome in Hamilton, NSW.

A significant amount of time, effort and money has gone into bringing this Bristol 403 back to its former glory. It is not feasible to list everything that was done to this car in this write up, however, what we can say is that the car has been comprehensively restored. There are detailed invoices and a suite of photos on file for the majority of the work.

Every restoration has its challenges, however, this Bristol had more than most! Additionally, in 2019 the car was almost destroyed in the John River region bushfires, which came perilously close to the workshop where the Bristol was then kept. A year later the worst floods in a 100 years swept through parts of NSW and by sheer luck the Bristol was removed from a paint shop which was subsequently flooded. COVID restrictions further hampered progress but the finish line was in sight and the car was finally completed in 2021.

Today this car presents and drives superbly and its restoration is a credit to everyone who was involved with the project. This car has an incredible presence and it attracts a lot of attention wherever it goes.

This Bristol 403 was displayed at the 2025 Noosa Concours delegance where it was very well received.

The car has been used sparingly since its restoration and as a result it presents essentially the way it did when the restoration was completed back in 2021.

These early Bristols are unique in design and absolutely stunning cars. One of the first things you notice when you walk up to this car is how smooth it looks. The shape is almost like a tear drop, from the flowing lines at the front, the clean lines on the side and the swooping rear. The absence of traditional door handles contributes to the overall clean look.

The Bristol 403 body is constructed from hand beaten aluminium panels fastened to a lightweight, tubular steel frame using the Superleggera constriction method. As a result, the restoration is both time consuming and expensive. The body on this car has been beautifully restored and all the panel gaps are excellent.

The paint is in beautiful condition with a strong depth of colour and a high gloss finish. One has to look closely to find any imperfections. There is some light gravel rash at bottom of the rear wheel arches. All the external trim, including the bright work, badges, lights and lenses are in excellent condition. The only exception are the side mirror mounting brackets, which must have missed out being rechromed! These are clipped on and can easily be removed. The glass is also in excellent condition.

The painted steel wheels are finished with chrome hubcaps embossed with the Bristol logo. The wheels are yet another unique feature to the Bristol and they present well with no kerb rash evident. They are shod with Michilin X 185R16 tyres which are date stamped 5016 (week 50, 2016). The tyres are still in good condition and present like new.

To open the door you press the large button on the side of the door. They require a firm push and then the spring loaded door will just pop open. The first thing you notice is how big the door actually is. Both doors have to be long enough to allow access for rear passengers and at the bottom they wrap all the way around the sill. Once you have opened the door the second thing you notice is how beautifully the interior presents. The tan leather upholstery provides the perfect colour contrast with the green exterior and gives the car a very luxurious feel. As with the exterior, there are many small details in the cabin which make the car unique. The steering wheel is one of them, whilst simple in design it is a clear reference to Bristols aviation heritage. The sun visors, both at the front and the rear of the car are another idiosyncratic design feature. The front ones have a very delicate scissor frame which folds out. The one in the rear is operated by a cable which hangs down from the roof in between the front seats.

The seats are in excellent condition with no rips or tears in the leather. They are comfortable and provide ample support. The rear seats appear to have hardly been used and are also in excellent condition.

Once we made ourselves comfortable behind the steering wheel and stopped admiring the dashboard, it was time to take this Bristol 403 out for a short test drive and a photo shoot. The big question . . . would the car drive as good as it looks? The simple answer is . . . YES!

To start the car from cold you will have to pull out the mixture control button and depending on how long it has been since the car was last driven, you may need to manually prime the fuel pump. Once you have done that you turn the ignition on and press the starter button. The car starts easily, even from cold, and quickly settles into a smooth idle. To prevent the spark plugs from fouling you push the mixture control button back almost immediately and feather the accelerator to warm up the engine further.

Once out on the open road you dont have to drive too far to realise that this is just a fabulous car to drive. The EZ electric power steering is an absolute delight. The steering is light yet it still has a responsive feel. The straight six cylinder engine is only 1,971cc , however, it probably has around 100 hp on tap. For a sports saloon built in 1955 the performance is quite impressive and the uninitiated would think there is a bigger engine under the bonnet! The engine revs freely and willingly which makes for quite an engaging driving experience. The gear changes are smooth up and down the box and the feel is light years better than a Moss box in a Jaguar XK. For a relatively tall car it sits very well on the road. The suspension feels good, the steering is firm and the brakes pull the car up quickly and in a straight line when needed.

The car is also extremely quiet. There is hardly any wind noise or mechanical noise to be heard when you are just cruising around.

According to Jay Leno who ignored his own advice and bought a Bristol 403 over the phone, sight unseen, . . . only the finest gentleman buy Bristols He also calls it . . . the most British of British cars.

Jay Leno has one of the worlds greatest car collections and his opinion is very highly regarded. He loves his Bristol 403!

For its next custodian this is a unique opportunity to join the likes of Jay Leno and become a Bristol 403 owner.

The Bristol Owners Club of Australia is also a very active, holding regular events, rallies and social functions. They are also an excellent source for knowledge and information on the marque.

It is not often a Bristol 403 comes to market, let alone one in this condition.

Accompanying the car is a good history file with a copy of the Bristol Chassis Ledger and Bristol Advice of Despatch for this car, some period documentation and photos as well as invoices and photos pertaining to its restoration. There is also a spare wheel and a jack.

Highlights:

- Australian delivered, factory RHD, matching numbers example.
- Recently completed restoration.
- Beautifully presented car that is just fabulous to drive.
- Ready to be used and enjoyed by its next custodian.

Price $119,950.


Background:

The Bristol Car Company has a rich and fascinating history. Its origins date back to the Bristol Aeroplane Company (formerly The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company) that was founded in February 1910 by Sir George White, chairman of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company, along with his son Stanley and his brother Samuel, to commercially exploit the fast-growing aviation sector. The Bristol Aeroplane Company developed into a British industrial powerhouse and they built some of the worlds most technologically advanced aeroplanes. Some of the most well-known and successful aircraft built by Bristol were the Bristol F2 Fighter (used during World War I), the Bristol Bulldog and the Bristol Beaufighter (used during World War II).

Following the First World War the British aircraft industry suffered a dramatic downturn and subsequently significant financial challenges. In an endeavour to keep its workforce employed the Bristol Aeroplane Company undertook the manufacture of a light car, the single seat Bristol Monocar which was powered by a motorcycle engine, the construction of car bodies for Armstrong Siddeley and bus bodies for their sister company, Bristol Tramways. The company survived, but times were tough.

Aircraft manufacturing ramped up again with the outbreak of the Second World War, however, management had learned that they must plan for the future. It is understood that discussions started as early as 1941 to establish a post war car manufacturing division. Bristol began working with AFN Ltd, makers of Frazer Nash cars and British importer of BMWs before the war, on plans for a joint venture in automotive manufacturing. What ultimately eventuated was that the Bristol Aeroplane Company took over AFN Ltd and established its car manufacturing division, Bristol Cars. A purpose built factory was constructed at Filton Aerodrome, near Bristol.

The first Bristol was designated the 400 and not surprisingly given the Frazer Nash and BMW connection it was based on a BMW 326 chassis with BMW 327 styling. The engine, whilst built by Bristol, was also based on a BMW 327. The first prototypes were built in late 1946, however, the car was formally introduced at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show.

The car was a great success for Bristol and almost 500 examples were built through until 1950. This included 17 Drophead Coupes with coachwork by Pininfarina.

In 1949 Bristol introduced successor to the 400, the 401, which was designed and bodied by Touring of Milan in Italy. The new model was aerodynamically sleeker and featured superleggera construction with an aluminium body over a steel frame.

As a result the car weighed significantly less and its performance was greatly enhanced. Bristol was gaining a reputation for building technologically advanced motor cars that were luxurious, very reliable and offered genuinely exciting performance on the road. Their cars were not cheap and as a result they remained somewhat exclusive. Buyers of new Bristols back in the day were typically wealthy businessman who wanted a car to stand out in a crowd. They also wanted a car they could drive and enjoy and many Bristols were used for hill climbs and weekend motor racing.

Bristol developed the 450 specifically for motor racing and it made its debut at the 1953 Le Mans 24 hour race. Two cars were entered in the race, however, they both retired with engine failures after about 10 hours. Bristol returned to Le Mans in 1954 and entered three cars, with uprated engines and improved aerodynamic bodywork. In contrast with the previous year all three cars finished the race, coming home in first, second and third place in their class and seventh, eighth and ninth overall. Their performance also earned Bristol the team prize. Bristol returned to Le Mans again in 1955 and again performed exceptionally well achieving the same results as in 1954. The race became famous for the wrong reason when a major accident resulted in debris flying into the crowd killing 83 people and injuring many more. Following this race a number of manufacturers, including Bristol, retired from motor racing indefinitely.

Subsequent road cars included the 403 (1953-1955, 287 cars built), which was a further development of its predecessors, the 404 (1953-1958, 52 cars built), the 405 (1953-1958, 308 cars built and the 406 (1958-1961, 174 cars built).

Bristol Cars was sold after its parent company joined with other British aircraft companies in 1960 to create the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), which later became part of British Aerospace.