1953 Bristol 403
Just 281 examples of the Bristol 403 were built between 1953 and 1955, making it among the rarer products of an already uncommon marque.
Bristol Cars grew directly out of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and its engineering approach reflected that lineage. The 403’s aerodynamic aluminum bodywork was shaped with the same rigor applied to aircraft design, and construction quality was correspondingly high.
The 403 built on the 401 with larger valves and main bearings, lifting output of the 2.0-liter inline-six to approximately 100 bhp and raising the top speed to about 104 mph. The engine itself traces its origins to the prewar BMW 328 unit, acquired by Bristol along with associated designs and tooling in 1945.
The characteristic BMW-style kidney grille (carried over from the 400 series) appeared here for the last time in Bristol’s history, accompanied by four forward-facing headlamps that anticipated the quad-headlamp layouts common in larger cars some years later.
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