1954 Bristol 404 Sports Coupé
- Engine
- 2.0L inline-six with pushrod-operated inclined valves, B2 type, up to 125 bhp
- Colour
- Black
A rare 1954 Bristol 404 Sports Coupé, chassis 404/2030, and one of only six left-hand drive examples among the 52 built. Originally delivered through the Brussels dealership of Remy Mannes to an Antwerp client, the car retains its European-specification fittings including a km/h speedometer and green leather interior. It carries a later Bristol B2 engine in place of the original unit. The car has passed through several documented British and European owners across seven decades and is presented with its believed-original interior.
Ownership
- 2018-10-05Auction saleEstimate €230,000 – €260,000
- 1954-10-15 →Factory deliveryRemy Mannes (Bristol dealer, Brussels)full documentation
Car delivered new to the Brussels Bristol dealership in left-hand drive configuration; the dealer had ordered it on behalf of a client based in Antwerp. Original order, sales invoice, and transport papers are preserved.
- 1968-07-01 →Acquisition unknownMichael Beardmorepartial documentation
Brought the car back to the UK and registered it with the plate it still carries. Acquisition was from Belgium.
- 1985 → 1989Acquisition unknownNorwegian owner (Oslo-based)partial documentation
Car relocated to Oslo; an old Norwegian title document is retained in the file. Returned to the UK in 1989.
- 1989 →Acquisition unknownPrevious UK owner (registered 1989)partial documentation
Re-registered the car in the UK upon its return from Norway in 1989.
- 2008 →Acquisition unknownLast UK owner (registered 2008)partial documentation
Registered the car in 2008; a V5 certificate of that date accompanies the car.
- Date unknownPrivate saleAntwerp client (ordered via Mannes)partial documentation
Original intended recipient of the car, an unidentified individual from Antwerp for whom the dealer placed the order.
- Date unknownPrivate saleMr Bradburnpartial documentation
Acquired the car in the early 1970s, subsequently sold it, then repurchased it in 1982; correspondence from that year is on file. The car was featured in a classic car magazine during his second period of ownership in 1983.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Modification
The original engine was replaced at an unrecorded point with a later and more powerful Bristol B2 unit (number 100B2/4070), considered more desirable than the type fitted at the factory.
The Bristol Heritage Certificate records the original engine number as 100B/3534; the current unit differs from this.
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