Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery; nevertheless it seems unlikely that BMW’s engineers felt particularly gratified when the Bristol Car Company obtained the rights to their automotive designs as part of Germany’s post-WW2 reparations.

Thus it came about that the Bristol 400, which commenced production in 1947, was effectively a synthesis of three pre-war BMW designs, with a chassis derived from that of the 326, an engine from the 328 sports car and an aerodynamic bodyshell similar to that of the 327 coupé.

But Bristol did more than simply copy the work of its German counterparts; the application of aviation industry standards to its manufacture resulted in a car more refined and considerably better constructed than its Teutonic forbears.

With the 1953 introduction of the short-wheelbase 404 coupé, the Bristol line at last lost its resemblance to the pre-war BMW, swapping that distinctive two-piece radiator grille for an equally unmistakable, aeronautically inspi...