Sold | Offered from an important overseas collection 1950 Bristol 401 Sports Saloon

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£20,700 (Est: £18,000 - £24,000)

Offered from an important overseas collection 1950 Bristol 401 Sports Saloon

United Kingdom • 6 Sept 2025

Vehicle Details

AI Listing Summary

This 1950 Bristol 401 Sports Saloon, one of only 611 made, was delivered new in Bristol Heather Grey. It has been under present ownership since 2005 and was restored in the late 2000s, with recent recommissioning work completed.

Condition

7

The car underwent a comprehensive restoration in 2008-2009. The listing mentions recommissioning work has been done, but also notes that further recommissioning may be required due to static display. There is documentation of a bare metal respray, engine and gearbox rebuild, and interior restoration. This suggests the car is in overall solid condition but may have slight wear visible.

/ 10

Transmission:

Manual

Chassis No:

401/289

Odometer:

[Odometer Reading]

Reg Number:

[Reg Number]

RHD/LHD:

[RHD/LHD]

• 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 hand...