• First of the 'Aerodyne' Bristols
• One of only 611 made
• Present ownership since 2005
• Restored in the late 2000s

"It will comfortably carry four people; in addition to them it will swallow an almost fabulous volume of luggage. It will sustain 80-90mph from dawn until the cows some home... and it is built with all the painstaking care and thoroughness which have made the products of the City of Bristol famous throughout the world." - The Motor.

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 Bristol's wind tunnel. It had been intended that the Milan-based carrozzeria would build the first 200 cars, but this idea was abandoned after a mere handful of prototypes had been completed. 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. The gearbox remained a manual four-speed unit with first-gear freewheel. The 401's aircraft-industry standard of construction did not come cheap however - at £2,270 it cost as much as an Aston Martin DB2 - and only 611 of these exclusive cars found customers between 1948 and 1953.

This Bristol 401 was delivered new to a Mr John Collings, founder of Holmewood House Prep School, via University Motors Limited in 1950 in Bristol Heather Grey. The car passed through various other hands before it was acquired for the collection from C B Barker in 2005 (purchase invoice on file). From 2008-2009, the car underwent a comprehensive restoration (list of works on file).

The collection staff have carried out recommissioning ahead of sale (checking of the braking and clutch systems, a new battery, and new water hoses); however, further recommissioning may be required following a lengthy period of static display. Accompanying documentation includes correspondence from Bristol for the period 1961 to 1969; photographs of the restoration showing a bare metal respray, engine and gearbox rebuild and interior restoration; copies of factory build sheets; old tax discs; an invoice for trim materials (2015); and an old-style buff logbook.

Please note that this vehicle is from outside the UK. Our customs agents, CARS UK, will manage all post sale customs administration. A fee of £350+VAT will be charged on the buyer's invoice to administer both import or export customs movements. If the buyer also chooses to ship with CARS UK, this will be quoted separately. If this vehicle is to remain in the UK, it will be subject to Import VAT at the reduced rate of 5% on the hammer price. This vehicle will not be available for immediate collection after the sale and will only be released on completion of customs clearance formalities. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department.