Bristol 405
Encyclopedia
The Bristol 404 and Bristol 405 were British
luxury cars manufactured by Bristol Aeroplane Co., whose car division later became Bristol Cars
. The models were successors to the Bristol 403
built between 1953 and 1958.
Unlike previous or later Bristol models, there is considerable confusion in nomenclature when it comes to the Bristol 404 and 405. The 404 was a very short-wheelbase
(8 feet (2,438 mm) as against 9 in 6 in (2,895.6 mm)) version of the 405, but was introduced in 1953, whereas the 405 was not introduced until 1955 and continued until 1958. The 404 was fitted with a two seat coupé body while the 405 was a four seater with either saloon or drophead coupé coachwork.
The 405 itself was seen in two versions. The more common (265 of 308 built) is a four-door saloon built on the standard chassis
of the previous Bristols, whilst the 405 Drophead or 405D (43 built) had a coupé
body by Abbotts of Farnham
and most built had a highly tuned (through advanced valve timing
) version of the 2 litre six-cylinder engine called the 100C which developed 125 bhp as against the 105 bhp of the standard 100B 405 engine. All engines for the 404 and 405 had higher compression ratio
s than previous Bristols — 8.5:1 as against 7.5:1.
Compared to the 403, the 404 and 405 had an improved gearbox with much shorter gear lever which improved what was already by the standards of the day a very slick gearchange. The 405, though not the 404, had overdrive as standard apart from the earliest models, and front disc brake
s became an option apart from the earliest models, and were fitted to almost all 405 Dropheads.
Externally, a notable feature of the 404 and 405 was the abandonment of the BMW
-style radiator grille for one much more like an aero-engine. It was also the model that introduced the Bristol feature of storage of the spare wheel in the front wing. The 405, although the only 4-door car ever built by Bristol, had styling that the company was later to refine for many years on their later Chrysler
V8-engined cars during the 1960s.
Another notable feature was the innovative provision of sizable lockers in the front wings accessed externally by gullwing doors. The locker on the nearside held the spare wheel and jack, whilst that on the offside housed the battery and fuse panel.
, directed by Lone Scherfig
, which is a period film set in 1961 in the London suburbs.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
luxury cars manufactured by Bristol Aeroplane Co., whose car division later became Bristol Cars
Bristol Cars
Bristol Cars is a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars headquartered in Patchway, near Bristol, United Kingdom. Bristol have always been a low-volume manufacturer; the most recent published official production figures were for 1982, which stated that 104 cars were produced in that year...
. The models were successors to the Bristol 403
Bristol 403
The Bristol 403 is a luxury car which was produced between 1953 and 1955 by British manufacturer Bristol Aeroplane Co. . The 403 was the third of the eventual five series of Bristols powered by the BMW-derived pushrod straight-six engine...
built between 1953 and 1958.
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
(8 feet (2,438 mm) as against 9 in 6 in (2,895.6 mm)) version of the 405, but was introduced in 1953, whereas the 405 was not introduced until 1955 and continued until 1958. The 404 was fitted with a two seat coupé body while the 405 was a four seater with either saloon or drophead coupé coachwork.
The 405 itself was seen in two versions. The more common (265 of 308 built) is a four-door saloon built on the standard chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
of the previous Bristols, whilst the 405 Drophead or 405D (43 built) had a coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
body by Abbotts of Farnham
E. D. Abbott Ltd
Abbott was a British coachbuilding company based in Farnham, Surrey.Edward Dixon Abbott had been employed in the design department of the Wolseley car company before joining the coachbuilders Page and Hunt which had started operations in 1920...
and most built had a highly tuned (through advanced valve timing
Valve timing
In a piston engine, the valve timing is the precise timing of the opening and closing of the valves.In four-stroke cycle engines and some two-stroke cycle engines, the valve timing is controlled by the camshaft. It can be varied by modifying the camshaft, or it can be varied during engine operation...
) version of the 2 litre six-cylinder engine called the 100C which developed 125 bhp as against the 105 bhp of the standard 100B 405 engine. All engines for the 404 and 405 had higher compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
s than previous Bristols — 8.5:1 as against 7.5:1.
Compared to the 403, the 404 and 405 had an improved gearbox with much shorter gear lever which improved what was already by the standards of the day a very slick gearchange. The 405, though not the 404, had overdrive as standard apart from the earliest models, and front disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s became an option apart from the earliest models, and were fitted to almost all 405 Dropheads.
Externally, a notable feature of the 404 and 405 was the abandonment of the BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
-style radiator grille for one much more like an aero-engine. It was also the model that introduced the Bristol feature of storage of the spare wheel in the front wing. The 405, although the only 4-door car ever built by Bristol, had styling that the company was later to refine for many years on their later Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
V8-engined cars during the 1960s.
Another notable feature was the innovative provision of sizable lockers in the front wings accessed externally by gullwing doors. The locker on the nearside held the spare wheel and jack, whilst that on the offside housed the battery and fuse panel.
Media references
A pristine maroon 405 is featured prominently, almost as a character itself, in the 2009 independent film An EducationAn Education
An Education is a 2009 British coming-of-age drama film, based on an autobiographical article in Granta by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby, and stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright schoolgirl, and Peter Sarsgaard as David,...
, directed by Lone Scherfig
Lone Scherfig
Lone Scherfig is a Danish film director. She graduated in 1984, and began her career as a director with "A Birthday Trip". She is part of the Dogme 95 film movement, which espouses a form of cinéma vérité She made her mark with the Dogme95-film, Italian for Beginners , a romantic comedy which...
, which is a period film set in 1961 in the London suburbs.