Bristol 404 and 405
The Bristol 404 and Bristol 405 are British luxury cars which were manufactured by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The 404 was manufactured from 1953 to 1958, and the 405 from 1955 to 1958. The models were successors to the Bristol 403. The 404 was a two-seat coupé and the 405 was available as a four-seat, four-door saloon and as a four-seat, two-door drophead coupé.
| Bristol 404 Bristol 405 | |
|---|---|
Bristol 405 four-door saloon | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Bristol Aeroplane Co. (now Bristol Cars) |
| Production | 1953–1958 52 (404) 308 (405) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Luxury car |
| Body style | Two-door coupé (404) Four-door saloon (405) Two-door drophead coupé (405) |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,971 cc ohv I6 2,216 cc ohv I6 |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Bristol 403 |
| Successor | Bristol 406 |
"In this latest product from Bristol Cars Ltd, I am in the happy position of having very little with which to find fault"
Bill Boddy in Motor Sport, February 1956
"One starts to throw this car into corners after a very few miles of motoring. The high geared steering responds to a single quick turn of the two spoke wheel, and the 405 goes round, as uncompromisingly upright as a Calvinist pastor ... "
Mike Brown in The Autocar, May 1955
Unlike previous or later Bristol models, there is considerable confusion in nomenclature when it comes to the Bristol 404 and 405. The 404 was a very short-wheelbase car introduced in 1953, whereas the longer 405 was introduced in 1955. The wheelbases are 8 feet (2,438 mm) for the 404 and 9 feet 6 inches (2,896 mm) for the 405.