Heritage register
1946 · The beginning
Bristol 400
The first Bristol motor car.
The 400 established the principles that would define the marque: aircraft-informed construction, discreet performance and a refusal to build for the mass market.
Bristol’s move into motor-car production came from the same culture of materials, inspection and engineering discipline that had shaped its aircraft work. The 400 was the first expression of that transfer.
It set a pattern that endured for decades: compact dimensions, long-distance ability, an unusually complete view from the cabin and engineering decisions made for the owner rather than the fashion of the moment.
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