
Toby Wilson
Head of Department
LOT 206
The Stan West Collection c.1953 Bristol 403 Sports Saloon Registration no. TKL 403 Chassis no. 403/1542
"The latest Bristol combines to a greater extent than its predecessors, the qualities of a thoroughbred sports car with those of a luxurious touring car. I have the impression – supported by friends who own Bristols – that the standards insisted on by the makers will ensure thousands of miles of trouble-free – and therefore economical – motoring. In view of its excellent performance, stability, finish and refinement, the Bristol cannot be regarded as an expensive car." – John Eason Gibson, Country Life, on the Bristol 403.
With the introduction of the 401 - the first of its exquisitely styled aerodynes - Bristol began to move away from the pre-war design the company had inherited from BMW. Carrozzeria Touring provided the Superleggera method of body construction that overlaid alloy panels on a lightweight tubular-steel framework, while the low-drag shape was achieved after hours of experimentation in the Bristol Aeroplane Company's wind tunnel. The 401 continued to use its predecessor's running gear and BMW-based, 2.0-litre, six-cylinder engine with its ingeniously arranged, pushrod-operated, inclined valves, while the gearbox remained a manual four-speed unit with first-gear freewheel.
With the introduction of the 403 in 1953, Bristol improved on what was already an exemplary Grand Tourer, the newcomer's apparently unchanged appearance disguising a number of important advances. The engine remained a 2.0-litre six of basically BMW design but the alloy cylinder head was new and helped liberate 100bhp, up from 85 horsepower. The increase in straight-line performance (top speed was now in excess of 100mph) was matched by improvements to the running gear in the form of a front anti-roll bar and finned light-alloy brake drums. Bristol had built a total of 281 403s by the time production ceased in 1955.
This Bristol 403 appears to have been added to the Stan West Collection circa 2011. An extensive restoration was commenced the following year by Mitchell Motors of Chicklade, Wiltshire, which included an engine rebuild by Hurley Engines. Related bills are on file and the car also comes with numerous older invoices made out to one John Pritchard, presumably a previous owner, and a quantity of expired MoTs.





























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