The introduction of the 401 marked Bristol’s departure from the pre-war design inherited from BMW, showcasing the company’s shift towards the exquisitely styled Aerodynes. Carrozzeria Touring employed the Superleggera method for body construction, overlaying alloy panels on a tubular-steel framework. The low-drag shape underwent refinement in Bristol’s wind tunnel. Originally, the plan was for Milan-based carrozzeria to produce the first 200 cars, but this concept was abandoned after a few prototypes.
The 401 maintained the use of the BMW-based, 2.0-litre, six-cylinder engine with ingeniously arranged, pushrod-operated inclined valves, paired with a 4-speed gearbox. The aircraft-standard construction of the 401 came at a high cost – priced at £2,270, equivalent to an Aston Martin DB2. Between 1948 and 1953, only 611 of these exclusive cars found customers.
Source: Bonhams Cars
