Makes › Bristol › 404 · Rare production · 1953–1955 Extremely Rare
Bristol
404
Short-wheelbase two-door 'Businessman's Express' coupé
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: kitmasterbloke · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 51 Built
- Years
- 1953–1955
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- 78.3 kW / 106 PSFactory: 105 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 404 was the first Bristol built as a sports car and the first with a body developed by the company itself. Nicknamed "the Businessman's Express", it was a short-wheelbase, barely 2+2 fixed-head coupé that set the pattern for later Bristols with its front-wing spare wheel stowage.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Bristol 404 (Wikimedia Commons: Bristol 404)
Photo: kitmasterbloke · CC BY 2.0
Bristol 404 (Wikimedia Commons: Bristol 404)
Photo: MrWalkr · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bristol 404 (Wikimedia Commons: Bristol 404)
Photo: Steve Knight · CC BY 4.0
Bristol 404 (Wikimedia Commons: Bristol 404)
Photo: Ferenghi http://www.carsaroundadelaide.com · CC BY 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionmade before the model was axed in 1955 | 511 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The 404 was introduced in 1953 on a chassis about 18 inches shorter than the normal 114 inches, and it shared production space with the larger four-door 405. Production of the 404 ended in 1955. Its Bristol 100B engine produced 105 bhp, and a 125 bhp 100C engine with more advanced valve timing was an option.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 404.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Bristol 100B (100C optional)2,3 Independently researched |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 8.5:13 Independently researchedStated for the 100B engine (raised from 7.5:1 on the 100A). |
| Fuel system | Three carburettors2 Independently researched |
| Power | 78.3 kW / 106 PSFactory: 105 hp · converted3 Independently researchedOptional 100C engine: 125 bhp. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 4-speed manual, floor shift2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 42 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Dual braking system with master and tandem cylinders2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,440 mmFactory: 8 ft · converted3 Independently researchedAbout 18 inches shorter than the 114 in (9 ft 6 in) of other 2-litre Bristols. |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
A 404 has an air scoop in place of the BMW-style grilles, said to resemble an inverted aero-engine nacelle, plus a second scoop on the bonnet feeding the triple carburettors. The spare wheel sits in the front wing, the instruments are in a binnacle ahead of the driver, and the hub caps and body badge ground are red.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Hagerty UK – Cars That Time Forgot: Bristol 404 Level B
- 51 made before the model was axed in 1955
-
2
Bristol Type 404 - 2 litre Coupe Level B Bristol Owners' Club
- Bristol 100B series engine
- triple carburettors
- 4 on the floor manual shift gearbox
- dual braking system, master and tandem cylinders
-
3
Buying a Six-Cylinder Bristol Level B Bristol Owners' Club
- optionally available with a 125bhp 100C engine
- compression ratio is raised from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1
- 100B (404) engine with 105bhp
- shortened wheelbase (8' rather than 9'6")
Keep exploring
More from Bristol
-
Bristol · 1953–1955
450
3 Built
-
Bristol · 1960
406 Zagato
6 Built
-
Bristol
Fighter
14 Built
-
Bristol · 1949–1950
402
22 Built
More from United Kingdom
-
Bentley · 2002
State Limousine
2 Built
-
Aston Martin
DBR22
Production not yet verified
-
Lotus
17
Production not yet verified
-
Jensen · 1957–1960
541R
193 Built
134 other makes from United KingdomACAiredaleAlan Mann RacingAllardAlvisArabArashArielArmstrong SiddeleyArrowsAscariAston MartinAtalantaAtlantisAustinAustin-HealeyBedfordBentleyBerkeleyBluebirdBMCBondBrabhamBritish LeylandBroadspeedBrookeBrough SuperiorCampbell-RailtonCaparoCaterhamChevronConnaughtCooperCrayfordDaimlerDavid BrownDawsonDeLoreanDuttonElvaAll makes →