Bristol
450

Why it matters

The 450 was the works Bristol racing sports car, built for the 2-litre class at Le Mans and Reims from 1953 to 1955. It carried Bristol's BMW-derived six-cylinder engine to class wins and team prizes, and the effort ended after the 1955 season.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The first series appeared in 1953 as a twin-finned fixed-head coupé. During the following winter Kemish improved the air intake with inverted internal cones, known as "Kemish Straighteners", which were fitted to all team cars. For 1955 the cars received open two-seater bodies with a single asymmetric fin behind the driver, similar in feel to the Jaguar D-type. A results list shows three 450Cs finishing 7th, 8th and 9th overall at Le Mans in 1955.

After the 1955 Le Mans disaster Bristol withdrew from racing. The three team cars were dismantled, but the best parts were reassembled into a single car, which Anthony Crook kept for many years.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The 1953 cars are fixed-head coupés with twin tail fins; the 1955 cars are open two-seaters with one large fin behind the driver. Mechanically the car has outboard front disc brakes, inboard rear discs and a rear-mounted gearbox, with hubs arranged for fast single-nut wheel changes. The engine used a six-port cylinder head and the Kemish air-intake cones.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Tunnel Vision – Motor Sport, August 1999 Level C

   • 3 Works 450 chassis built for the Le Mans programme ("built three fresh chassis")

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Bristol 450 Level C thoroughbred-cars.com

   • The sole survivor was kept for many years by Anthony Crook
   • inboard rear disc brakes and gearbox at the rear
   • outboard disc brakes at the front, inboard rear disc brakes
   • top speed, on the Mulsanne straight, of nearly 150 mph

   Accessed 2026-11-13
3. 3
   Bristol Type 450 Level B Bristol Owners' Club

   • best of the parts reassembled into a single exemplar

   Accessed 2026-11-13
4. 4
   Buying a Six-Cylinder Bristol Level B Bristol Owners' Club

   • 170bhp at 7,000rpm available in the Bristol 450s
   • 170bhp at 7,000rpm

   Accessed 2026-11-13