Makes › Bristol › 409 · Rare production · 1965–1968
Bristol
409
About 80 built.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Charles01 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- 1965–1968
- Engine
- 5,211 cc / 5.2 LFactory: 5,211 cc
- Power
- 186 kW / 253 PSFactory: 250 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 209 km/hFactory: 130 mph · converted
- 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 409 was the first Bristol offered with power steering. Its softer springs gave the smoothest ride yet in the series, and its later revised engine package was much lighter.
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 409 (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles01 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bristol 409 (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Akonga at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Bristol 409 (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles01 · CC BY-SA 3.0
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
No production figures recorded yet.
History
The 409 was introduced in 1965. Although there was never an official second series, the later cars received power steering and a revised, much lighter engine package. These changes arrived in 1967, and production ended in 1968.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 409.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 5,211 cc / 5.2 LFactory: 5,211 cc1 Registry reported |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 9:11 Registry reported |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 186 kW / 253 PSFactory: 250 hp · converted1 Registry reportedPower as claimed by the club. Unit shown as hp for bhp. |
| Power at | 4,400 rpm1 Registry reported |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 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 | Power steering (first offered on the 409)2 |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| 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 | 209 km/hFactory: 130 mph · converted2Conflict: the club's spec table gives 132 mph (S1). The marque's heritage figure is used. |
|---|---|
| 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.
The 409 has rounded corners on its new radiator grille and a heavier side kick plate. A heated rear window was standard. Under the bonnet an alternator replaces the dynamo, and a lever-operated parking lock is fitted to the rear drive shaft.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Bristol Type 409 - 5.2 Litre Saloon Level B UK Bristol Owners Club · 2014-04-16
- Capacity (cc) | 5,211
- Compression | 9:1
- Power is now claimed to be 250bhp at 4400 rpm.
-
2
Bristol Cars History Level A Bristol Cars Ltd · 2017-09-08
- The first Bristol to offer power steering
- a 130mph four seater saloon
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