1954 Bristol 404 - Sport Coupe - Belgian order - History from day 1

Drive: Rear wheel drive

Number of cylinders: 6

Engine capacity: 1.971 cc

Bristol 404 Sports Coupe 1954

Date of delivery - 15 October 1954 Brussels

Chassis number - 404/2030

Engine number - 100B2/4070

Exterior color - Green (original color black)

Interior color - Green leather

Inline-6 - 105 hp - 1971 cc

Currently in UK registration

Original LHD

Heritage certificate available

08/07/1954 order form supplied by Remy Mannes available

Many invoices, documents as well as its original instruction manual available which traces the history of the car

Only 50 units were built before 1955 when the carmaker replaced the model with the longer, four-door 405.

Story

The Bristol 404 was a luxury car produced by the British manufacturer Bristol Cars between 1953 and 1955.

It was a successor to the Bristol 403 and was considered one of the most refined and elegant British cars of its time.

In 1954, the Bristol 404 was still a relatively new car, and it was highly sought after by wealthy car enthusiasts.

For the drivetrain, Bristol used BMW's inline-six engines that developed either 105 hp or 125 hp.

The car featured a streamlined body that was both aerodynamic and stylish, with graceful curves and a long hood.

One interesting story about the Bristol 404 from 1954 involves a British diplomat named Sir Christopher Steel.

Sir Steel was serving as the British Ambassador to Lebanon at the time and was traveling in his Bristol 404 through the Lebanese countryside when he was stopped by a group of armed men.

The men were members of a local militia and were known to be hostile to foreigners.

They demanded that Sir Steel and his driver get out of the car, but Sir Steel refused to comply.

Instead, he revved the engine of the Bristol 404 and accelerated towards the group of armed men.

The men scattered, and Sir Steel was able to speed away to safety.

The latter was powerful enough to propel the light vehicle with speeds up to 119 mph (191.5 kph), which was extremely high for those times.

The incident made headlines in the British press and helped cement the Bristol 404's reputation as a powerful and reliable luxury car.

Today, the Bristol 404 is considered a classic car and is highly prized by collectors. It is admired for its elegant design, smooth handling, and impressive performance.

More pictures available

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