CLASSICS CHATTER AUCTION UPDATES: 1955 BRISTOL 405 SALOON - Brightwells Auctions Bicester Classic & Vintage Cars Motorcycles Sale Bicester Heritage, Buckingham Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 5HA Wednesday 11th April 2018

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TODAY WE FEATURE

Brightwells Auctions

Bicester Classic & Vintage Cars Motorcycles Sale

Bicester Heritage, Buckingham Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 5HA

Wednesday 11th April 2018

1955 BRISTOL 405 SALOON

Restoration Project

Colour: Dragoon Red

Registration Number: LBO 935

Chassis Number: 4054072

Estimate: £12,000 - £15,000

Launched in 1954, the 405 was the first Bristol not to resemble the pre-war BMW 328 and was also the first Bristol to be offered as a four-door saloon.

As with the 403, the engine was a 2-litre inline-six OHV unit, with rack-and-pinion steering. The suspension was independent upper wishbones and transverse leaf spring with an anti-roll bar at the front and a live axle with longitudinal torsion bars at the rear. Superleggera construction was replaced by a partially wooden body frame.

Standard fittings included overdrive, adjustable steering and door armrests and ‘one-shot’ chassis lubrication. It was also the first Bristol with flashing indicators and an opening boot lid, while other features included the soon to be familiar ‘seven dial’ dashboard and a spare wheel storage compartment in the nearside front wing. Optional extras included front disc brakes. The top speed was 110 mph, and the price was a hefty £3,188 making it more expensive than rivals like the Jaguar Mk VIIM, the Alvis Grey Lady and the Lagonda 3-Litre.

The large glass area earned the 405 the nickname of ‘The Flying Greenhouse’ and one interesting detail was that the rear doors were bigger than those at the front. Available as a saloon or a 405D drop-head coupe made to order by Abbotts of Farnham, only 51 drop-heads were built and 265 four-door saloons. Production ceased in 1958 following the introduction of the 406 in the previous year.

This Dragoon Red 405 Saloon was first registered in Cardiff in August 1955 and comes with two old green log books and an old style V5 documenting all the owners between 1966 and 1997 when it came into the hands of our vendor. As you can see it is being offered here as a restoration project and comes complete with a Bristol engine and gearbox although these are not necessarily original to the car, nor are they currently installed.

It may interest bidders to note that we have been contacted by a former owner who tells us that he would be more than happy to be put in touch with whoever buys the car, saying: "I was the owner of LBO 935 back in the 1970s, buying the car from Malcolm Elder while I was serving at RAF Bicester. It was a great car and took me to London many times."