1954 Bristol 403 Sports Saloon

• One of only 281 produced
• Long-term restoration project completed circa 2017
• Little used since completion
• Restoration bills available

"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 similar 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 has been in the same family's possession since new and has been a long-term restoration project, started by the vendor's grandfather in the 2000s and finished circa 2017. The Bristol was stripped down and a donor car obtained as a source of additional parts. Since completion the car has been used sparingly and kept indoors for most of the time. Finished in blue with red interior, this beautiful early Bristol is offered with a V5C registration document and a history file containing bills etc.