1966 Bristol 409

It would be fair to say that ‘OLG 97D’, a Bristol 409, is not your run-of-the-mill classic luxury saloon. In fact, most people will ask: what is it?

But the cognoscenti will recognise it for what it is and judge you accordingly; like a Savile Row suit or a pair of handmade English brogues, a Bristol wears its exclusivity lightly.

And the 409 is very exclusive. New it would have set you back a whopping £5,238 – and to put that into perspective, an E Type would have cost £2,068, while even an Aston Martin DB6 was only £4,068. Practical Classics summed it up very well when it said: “(Bristols) …were built to customer order at a rate that makes Morgan look like a high-volume manufacturer.”

So, you start from limited production and while few cars boast the longevity of a Bristol, age will have withered that further. Indeed, HowManyLeft shows only two taxed and in use, with a further pair on SORN.

Which means that if you want one, your options will be limited.

Not that you will need to settle for a basketcase. Part of a 70-car collection, the seller has had his own mechanics go through the Bristol, recommissioning it after it spent years on static display in its previous owner’s collection. After a lot of work it is now, he says, “absolutely right”.

With a delightfully patinated interior and decent coachwork following a previous restoration a dozen years ago, our assessor says it “runs and drives okay”, which might seem like faint praise but then his reaction to getting front-row Taylor Swift tickets was nothing more than a momentary twitch of his lips, so it’s fair to conclude he is not one for gushing.

The seller, on the other hand, who’s driven it a lot (well, you would, wouldn’t you?) and reports that it drives “perfectly”, feels “strong and straight”, and has “good roadholding”.

As for why he’s selling It so soon, he’s decided to thin his collection and is adopting a “last in, first out” approach to try and make what could be hard decisions that little bit easier.

The chromed side trims align very nicely, and if some of the shutlines are less tight than we’re used to seeing on modern cars then you must remember that this is a handbuilt aluminium car, so you’re getting bespoke craftsmanship from time-served coachbuilders rather than the sort of impersonal perfection that’s the preserve of the robotic production line.

Not that the panels are bad, because they aren’t. There are no significant dents, dinks or other damage, the flanks are free of ripples, and the dark blue paintwork, which is possibly Ming Blue if the factory paperwork is accurate, still has a very good shine to it.

The silver roof adds a pleasing contrast, and this is joined by the modest application of chromework by way of window trims, bumpers, door mirrors, light bezels, and an elegant and understated radiator grille.

The Bristol sits on 16-inch steel wheels rather than the alloy wheels those who are less confident in their machines feel the need to fit. Painted silver and set off by a set of good, chromed hubcaps, the tyres are – and you’re ahead of us here, aren’t you? – matching Avon Turbospeed MK4s.

That most exclusive of tyres and the preserve of top-rank touring cars like this, they have plenty of tread left on ‘em, even if the front ones are getting on a bit now and the offside front has a cut in the sidewall. The rear tyres have date-stamps for 2021 though, so you’ll only need to pop a couple of replacements on your shopping list.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

Everywhere you look are other signs of quality, like the Lucas 75 headlamps and the Yale lock on the fuel filler cap.

As you can see the lamp lenses are free of damage, and the badges wear little more than a pleasant patina.

Of course, as with any car that’s rapidly closing on its 60th birthday there is work to do. The paintwork has a few blemishes and scratches in it, plus the odd spot of rust bubbling up here and there.

The rubber seal on the driver’s door is also breaking down, and those on the front and rear screens have also seen better days. The chrome trim on the rear screen is flaking.

The interior is as pleasingly patinated as the coachwork; if the blank-cheque restoration of an Italian sportscar screams new money then nothing whispers old money like a gently rumpled Bristol.

The front seats, for example, have eased their way into their seventh decade with an elegance we’d all do well to emulate. Slightly softer than they once were, the leather coverings bear what would be laughter lines on a human face.

But, this only applies to the bases because the seat backs were retrimmed around five or six years ago, and we applaud the fact the decision was made to preserve as much of the car’s interior as possible rather than just restoring the whole seat.

The semi-sculpted rear seats are in an even better condition and look supremely comfortable: the 409 might be foremost a driver’s car but the passengers haven’t been forgotten; on sunny days they will also be able to pull up the sunblinds fitted to the parcel shelf.

And yes, the 409’s cabin is stuffed to the gunnels with the usual wood and leather and chrome, but it uses it in a uniquely Bristol way. Take the door pulls for example, which are simple leather straps. Both elegant and lightweight, they embody the aeronautical thinking that pervades every element of the company’s products.

As does the comprehensive Smiths instrumentation, which monitors speed, engine revs, fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, time, and battery charge.

To the right of the steering wheel are the five buttons to select the appropriate gear on the TorqueFlite three-speed auto ‘box, offering the driver the choice of reverse, neutral, drive, first, and second.

There’s a switch for the ‘SELECTARIDE’ too, which adjusts the rear Armstrong dampers, plus a delightful brake pedal rubber that might be a little worn but bears the legend ‘HOLDTITE’, so #swingsandroundabouts, eh?

The grey carpets are very good indeed, as is the trim in the boot, which is both vast and box-like, so very useable.

The radio is an older twin-spindle Radiomobile radio-cassette, and there’s a roof-mounted speaker sit inside walnut veneer on the very good headlining plus two more on the parcel shelf.

As for work to do, if you can live with the few signs of age it wears with pride then the only jarring notes are the Tim coolant temperature gauge and the wear to the leather-covered spokes of the steering wheel.

Yes, the walnut veneer is getting a bit shabby too, and the door cards are marked, but those are jobs for Future You – if you decide they need to be done at all.

Because we all have our own feelings on what does and doesn’t need to be perfect and we can see that most drivers would fall in love with the 409 just as it is.

The engine, on the other hand, has most definitely been titivated and looks nothing short of magnificent – but then the presence of a thumping great V8 is a good starting point, isn’t it?

The 5.2-litre engine gulps fuel and air via a Holley carburettor and a pancake filter so vast it would probably dwarf a classic Mini’s wheels. The latter has, like the valve covers, been freshly painted silver.

The engine block is red and the distributor cap is blue, but these are the only flashes of colour in what is a very nicely presented engine bay.

And, again, there are some delightful touches and signs of quality like the brass plates on the radiator and front scuttle, and the metal plates for a concours placing in a 1984 Bristol Owners’ Club event and a Wessex Vehicle Preservation Club motorcade in 1991.

There’s also a proper brass radiator cap, while more recent reassurance includes good new HT leads and a clean supplementary fuel filter.

As we mentioned earlier, the seller tells us that his mechanics went through the Bristol from front to back putting right anything they found, so the fact it starts well isn’t a surprise.

Nor is the fact that it idles and revs so well and does it all with good oil pressure on the gauge and a healthy charge to the battery.

It also makes all the right noises and none of the wrong, but then that’s a large part of the reason we buy cars with a V8 under the bonnet, isn’t it?

The underside is heftily built and sports plenty of underseal. There isn’t an MoT record to rely on but you’re welcome to make an appointment to go Old School and check it out manually by prodding and poking around under there while we put the kettle on.

The Bristol doesn’t have a current MoT certificate and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for a change of colour, something that may or may not be accurate given there are contradictory Advices of Despatch from Bristol Cars Limited in the history file.

This file also contains some paperwork from the Bristol Owners’ Club, a list of restoration work that was carried out on it in 2012, and some invoices from 1979 onwards for servicing and repairs over the years.

NB: It won the Bristol Owners’ Club Levine Trophy in 1989 #justsaying

As we mentioned at the beginning, Bristol built very few 409s in the first place, and the passage of sixty years means there are even fewer available now.

Which makes our estimate of between £25,000 and £30,000 look like very good value indeed, especially given how lovely this one is and how thoroughly it has been recommissioned.

Yes, you could titivate its cosmetics further over the years but in the meantime you’ll be able to enjoy smoking around in one of the coolest and most under-rated luxury saloons of its generation.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.