Bristol 412
Encyclopedia
The Bristol 412 is a car which was built by British manufacturer Bristol Cars
.
, it was one of two concurrent successors to the long-serving 411 that had carried Bristol Cars through from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The 412 was the last in the continuously numbered series of Bristols beginning with Bristol 400
.
Whereas the 603 was a dramatically restyled version of the characteristic Bristol two-door saloon, the 412 was different in that it was a Targa
-type convertible
with a removable roof that could be placed in the large luggage compartment. The earliest versions of the 412 were also very unusual for a post-World War II
car in that the body was made by Zagato
in Italy and attached to a chassis built by Bristol Cars in Filton
, England. This chassis was almost exactly the same as that of the Bristol 603, but the earliest 412s retained the Chrysler B series petrol engines
6,277 cc (383 cubic inches) that had been used in the 411. However, the second series of 412, which arrived towards the end of 1977,
changed to the same 5,899cc (361 cubic inch) petrol engine
as that used in the Bristol 603 and later in its successor, the Bristol Britannia.
The 1977 second series cars incorporated front suspension modifications to allow for the lighter engine along with a final drive ratio changed to 2.88:1. Other changes included improved ventilation, redesigned seats and service intervals extended to 10000 miles (16,093.4 km).
In an effort to move into the United States
market, Bristol designed a 412USA that complied with the extremely strict emissions and safety regulations of the US, with a catalytic converter and a much stronger roll bar than on the first 412. However, the company's specialist status made exporting very difficult and most of these modified 412 models were exported to Europe and markets such as West Germany and Switzerland. One 412USA is known to exist in Canada.
layout.
However, the 5,899 cc V8 engine was upgraded by the addition of a Rotomaster turbocharger
which gave the Beaufighter a maximum speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). To cope with the extra torque, the Torqueflite
automatic gearbox
that had been a constant in every Bristol since the 407
, was upgraded with a stronger, thicker propeller shaft and a torque converter
taken from the 7.2 litre (440 cubic inch) RB engine engine found in Chrysler's top-of-the-line models during the 1970s.
The Beaufighter was first built in 1982 and continued until 1993.
The Beaufort had a reinforced windscreen frame to compensate for the absence of a fixed roll bar. To allow for the greater range between fill-ups with petrol necessary for touring beyond the short distances found in the British Isles, the Beaufort possessed a greatly enlarged fuel tank of 136 l (287 US pt) as opposed to the mere 82 l (173 US pt) tank of other Bristols of the time. This allowed a range from one fill-up to the next of around 800 kilometres (497.1 mi) whereas the Britannia, Brigand and Beaufighter could typically only go for 480 kilometres (298.3 mi) without refuelling. It was produced in very small numbers until 1994.
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...
.
First model
Along with the Bristol 603Bristol Type 603
The Bristol Type 603 is a car which was launched in 1976, by British manufacturer Bristol Cars to replace the 411.With the 603 – introduced along with the Zagato-built 412 – the Bristol car underwent its first major facelift since the introduction of the 406 in the late 1950s...
, it was one of two concurrent successors to the long-serving 411 that had carried Bristol Cars through from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The 412 was the last in the continuously numbered series of Bristols beginning with Bristol 400
Bristol 400
The Bristol 400 luxury car is the first automotive product of the British Bristol Aeroplane Company. After World War II, BAC decided to diversify and formed a car division, which would later be the Bristol Cars company in its own right...
.
Whereas the 603 was a dramatically restyled version of the characteristic Bristol two-door saloon, the 412 was different in that it was a Targa
Targa
Targa is an old word for targe, shield. Targa or TARGA may also refer to:Car rallies*Targa Florio, Sicily, Italy*Targa Canada West, Canada*Targa New Zealand*Targa Newfoundland, Canada*Targa Tasmania, Australia*Targa West, Western Australia...
-type convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
with a removable roof that could be placed in the large luggage compartment. The earliest versions of the 412 were also very unusual for a post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
car in that the body was made by Zagato
Zagato
Zagato is a design consultancy and engineering services company situated just outside Milan, Italy.The company's premises occupy an area of , of which are covered....
in Italy and attached to a chassis built by Bristol Cars in Filton
Filton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
, England. This chassis was almost exactly the same as that of the Bristol 603, but the earliest 412s retained the Chrysler B series petrol engines
Chrysler B engine
Chrysler's B and RB engines are a series of big-block V8s which in 1958 replaced the first-generation Hemi engines. The B and RB engines use wedge-shaped combustion chambers....
6,277 cc (383 cubic inches) that had been used in the 411. However, the second series of 412, which arrived towards the end of 1977,
changed to the same 5,899cc (361 cubic inch) petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
as that used in the Bristol 603 and later in its successor, the Bristol Britannia.
The 1977 second series cars incorporated front suspension modifications to allow for the lighter engine along with a final drive ratio changed to 2.88:1. Other changes included improved ventilation, redesigned seats and service intervals extended to 10000 miles (16,093.4 km).
In an effort to move into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market, Bristol designed a 412USA that complied with the extremely strict emissions and safety regulations of the US, with a catalytic converter and a much stronger roll bar than on the first 412. However, the company's specialist status made exporting very difficult and most of these modified 412 models were exported to Europe and markets such as West Germany and Switzerland. One 412USA is known to exist in Canada.
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Beaufighter, still designed by Zagato but now fully factory-bodied at Filton, had very similar styling to the original 412 except for the four-headlampAutomotive lighting
The lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front, sides, rear, and in some cases the top of the motor vehicle...
layout.
However, the 5,899 cc V8 engine was upgraded by the addition of a Rotomaster turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
which gave the Beaufighter a maximum speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). To cope with the extra torque, the Torqueflite
TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite...
automatic gearbox
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
that had been a constant in every Bristol since the 407
Bristol 407
The Bristol 407 was a luxury car produced by British manufacturer Bristol Cars between 1961 and 1963. It was the first Bristol model to be made under the present administration after their separation from Bristol Aeroplane Co., which had built all previous Bristol models.Outwardly it resembled the...
, was upgraded with a stronger, thicker propeller shaft and a torque converter
Torque converter
In modern usage, a torque converter is generally a type of hydrodynamic fluid coupling that is used to transfer rotating power from a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine or electric motor, to a rotating driven load...
taken from the 7.2 litre (440 cubic inch) RB engine engine found in Chrysler's top-of-the-line models during the 1970s.
The Beaufighter was first built in 1982 and continued until 1993.
Bristol Beaufort
For export only, primarily to continental Europe, the Bristol Beaufort was the last development of the 412 to appear. It used the same turbocharged 5,899 cc V8 found in the Beaufighter. Unlike other versions of the 412, the Beaufort was a true convertible, with a powered roof.The Beaufort had a reinforced windscreen frame to compensate for the absence of a fixed roll bar. To allow for the greater range between fill-ups with petrol necessary for touring beyond the short distances found in the British Isles, the Beaufort possessed a greatly enlarged fuel tank of 136 l (287 US pt) as opposed to the mere 82 l (173 US pt) tank of other Bristols of the time. This allowed a range from one fill-up to the next of around 800 kilometres (497.1 mi) whereas the Britannia, Brigand and Beaufighter could typically only go for 480 kilometres (298.3 mi) without refuelling. It was produced in very small numbers until 1994.