Amazing Photos of the 1947 Bristol 400 Cabriolet

The end of wartime hostilities marked the beginning of a golden era for British car manufacturers. Those involved in aircraft manufacture had gained expertise in aerodynamics and learned new production techniques. Among them was Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was the world’s largest manufacturer of aeroplanes and their engines. The company made the bold decision to create a car division in order to utilize and employ its redundant aircraft workers.

The result was the superb Bristol 400, launched in 1947. The two-door saloon boasted a 2-litre engine and a top speed of nearly 100 mph. Targeted at well-heeled buyers, rallying and time trial successes quickly followed.

The elegant cabriolet offered here was built to special order by the legendary Italian coachbuilder Pinin Farina, which had been tasked with creating a rival to Alfa Romeo and Lancia tourers. The chassis was delivered to the Pinin Farina workshops in Turin on 7 December 1946. Interestingly, the car was originally intended to be offered for sale as a Frazer Nash Bristol (the Frazer Nash sales brochure illustrates this specific car). As the relationship between Bristol and Frazer Nash fell apart, the car was badged as a “Bristol 2-Litre” and no further examples were produced, although Bristol did go on to produce six significantly different Pinin Farina-bodied cars based on the 401 chassis, and later approximately 18 examples of their in-house bodied 402 models.

Here below is a set of amazing photos of the 1947 Bristol 400 Cabriolet.