Bristol 405 Drophead Coupe

The Bristol 405 Drophead Coupe was the only open car the company built in the 1950s, and this 1955 example carries coachwork by Abbotts of Farnham. It left the works in July 1955 and spent time in New Zealand in the collection of Claude Lewenz, Bristol's registrar for the USA, before the current owner bought it in June 2000.

The car was shipped to the Bristol factory for a bare-metal restoration in dark metallic blue, with a retrimmed grey leather interior piped in blue and re-varnished wood. Coopercraft front disc brakes had already been fitted. The original engine was replaced by a 405 saloon unit, rebuilt by Ian Nuthall Racing with a sports cam, Cosworth pistons, a skimmed head, hardened seats for unleaded fuel and a six-branch exhaust. Output is put at about 130 bhp from the 1,971cc straight-six, and Bristol restamped the chassis plate with the new engine number.

It was used in the UK for a few years and then exported to the USA, where it has been driven occasionally in Vermont. The current ownership runs to more than 23 years. It has a four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive.