1963 Bristol 407

The Bristol 407 was a five-seater saloon produced from 1961 to 1963.

The 407 combined the two-door steel-framed alloy-bodied coachwork of the Bristol 406 with a Chrysler 5.1-litre OHV V-8 engine. As with its predecessor, there were disc brakes on all four wheels and a transverse Watt’s linkage on the rear live axle but the front suspension was now via coil springs. In place of the 406’s rack-and-pinion steering, there was cam-and-roller - this was in order to cope with the heavier power plant.

When Bristol launched the 407 in October 1961, there was much talk amongst the marque's cognoscenti about how the new engine was built in Canada to Bristol’s own specification, how the standard transmission was now Torqueflite automatic and of the top speed being in excess of 125 mph. The bodies were now constructed by Park Ward and the sole listed extra was a radio. The power output of 250bhp was more than 100% greater than the 406. Autocar magazine stated this was a car ‘for a wealthy man who prefers to drive himself, but does not appreciate bulk and swagger’ while Motor opined that the Bristol 407 was ‘some of the best motoring that money can buy’. Admittedly, this was quite a lot of money – some £5,141 7s 3d.

The standard body for the Bristol was the two-door saloon but Carrozziere Esercizio Stabilimenti Viotti converted a single 407 into a steel-bodied drophead, which was subsequently bought by Peter Sellers. A second chassis was sent to Zagato, who created a stunning coupe.

Production of the Bristol 407 ceased after 88 cars in September 1963 when it was replaced by the 408.

The 407’s engine was a 5,130cc V-8 and the Torqueflite box had three forward gears.

In the wise words of those chaps of Autocar on the 6th October 1961, the Bristol 407 is ‘comfortable, refined, beautifully made’ – and one of the earliest and best marriages of North American power with British craftsmanship.

Prospective 407 buyers should investigate the rear suspension mounting points, the wheel arches, chassis outriggers and, as always, any point where steel and aluminium meet. Resprays and interior refurbishment can prove quite remarkably expensive although parts availability is better than on many a mass-produced car.

When the 407 made its debut it marked a genuine watershed for Bristol. It may have looked similar to the 406 but this was no longer a BMW-engined sports saloon but more of a GT for the international ‘jet set’.

The 407 well might have been considered instead of the Jensen 541S, the Aston Martin DB4 or the Bentley S1/S2 Continental or the Facel Vega HK500 and ‘Facel II’.