Makes › Bristol › 405 (saloon) · Rare production · 1954–1958 Very Rare
Bristol
405 (saloon)
About 300 405s built, saloon version.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Ferenghi http://www.carsaroundadelaide.com · CC BY 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 260 Built
- Years
- 1954–1958
- 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 405 was Bristol's only four-door production car and the last of the first generation of two-litre Bristols. Its body was shaped for a remarkably low drag coefficient and some downforce at speed.
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 405 (saloon) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Ferenghi http://www.carsaroundadelaide.com · CC BY 3.0
Bristol 405 (saloon) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: grassrootsgroundswell · CC BY 2.0
Bristol 405 (saloon) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: grassrootsgroundswell · CC BY 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionType 405 saloons built; the club says 'slightly more than 260', so this is a lower bound | 2601 | Factory production | Registry reported |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The 405 was launched at the 1954 Motor Show and built at Filton. It used the 100B2 engine, with Laycock de Normanville overdrive fitted as standard from the start of production.
Slightly more than 260 hand-built saloons were made before production ended in 1958. A separate run of around 40 drophead coupés with Abbotts coachwork was also built.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 405 (saloon).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Bristol 100B22 Registry reported |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 8.5:12 Registry reported |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 78.3 kW / 106 PSFactory: 105 hp · converted2 Registry reportedSource states 105 bhp; unit shown as hp for bhp. |
| Power at | 5,000 rpm2 Registry reported |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Manual gearbox with Laycock de Normanville overdrive fitted as standard1 Registry reported |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Aluminium body on an ash upper frame2 Registry reported |
| Wheelbase | 2,900 mmFactory: 9.5 ft · converted2 Registry reportedShown as 9 ft 6 in (9.5 ft). Buyers' guide says all Bristols except the 404 have this wheelbase. |
| 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.
It is the only four-door Bristol. The centre of the body, bonnet and boot-lid badge is coloured yellow, as on the earlier two-litre cars. It has flashing indicators in place of semaphores, and the rear passenger doors are wider than the front doors.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Bristol Type 405 - 2 litre Saloon Level B UK Bristol Owners Club · 2016-03-04
- slightly more than 260 of these hand built models
- Laycock de Normanville overdrive as standard
-
2
Bristol Owners' Club buyers' guide Level B UK Bristol Owners Club · 2015-01-09
- 100B (404) or 100B2 (405) engine with 105bhp
- compression ratio is raised from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1
- 100B2 for the 405, 105bhp at 5000 rpm (engine table)
- revert to an aluminium body on an ash upper frame
- have a 9'6" wheelbase
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