1968 Bristol 410 Coupe

The origins of this company were in partnership between the Bristol Aircraft Co. and AFN, Ltd., maker of Frazer Nash cars and the pre-war BMW concessionaire in Britain. They built airplanes prior to producing cars, many of which served the United Kingdom during World War II. Just after the War, Bristol took possession of a number of BMW designs as war reparations producing a model similar to the 326/327 until 1955.

Bristol introduced the 409 in 1965, and it remained in production through 1967. Power was from a 5.2-liter Chrysler 318 cubic-inch V8 engine mated to a three-speed push-button Torqueflite automation transmission. They had a hand-formed aluminum body and a pair of access panels in front of the doors. The right side houses the battery and brake servo and the left side houses the spare tire.

A total of 79 examples of the Bristol 409 were built during their production lifespan.

The Bristol 410 was the fourth series of automobiles fitted with a Chrysler V-8 engine and the last to use the venerable 318 CID version originally found in the Bristol 407. Just 82 were produced between 1968 and 1969. The 410 continued the Bristol tradition of being built to order.

Compared to the 409, the Bristol 410 received minor styling improvements resulting in a more slightly curved appearance. In the front, the front headlamps were fully faired into the wings rather than protruding outwards as on previous models. The wheel size now measured 15 inches, down from 16 inches on the previous Bristols. The disc braking system, first seen on the 406, was revised for the first time since then. Air-conditioning was made available as an option, a feature not offered on the 409. The traditional push-button change for the Chrysler TorqueFlite three-speed auto was converted to a conventional floor-shift. Under the skin twin-circuit braking was introduced, and the suspension was thoroughly redesigned to take advantage of modern radial tyres.

This example has a known history from new, including having spent time in Australia.