New & Used Unique Cars For Sale in Queensland

Coupe, full restoration complete 8/15. New floor pans, suspension, exhaust & fuel tank, Foose 20" rims, interior upgrade 2015, radio, air horns. Comes with workshop manual, RWC, rego

Outstanding example!! 1275 cc Multipoint Fuel Injected Cooper Style With Air con, ABS, Air Bag, Rare Pepper Pot Alloys, with near new tyres finished in Classic Epsom Green Duco, With White Roof and White Bonnet stripes/ with contrasting Balmoral Tweed interior, presenting like new inside and out. This a rare opportunity to buy a lovely classic, but possibly a daily driver at an affordable price!!

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered 1958 Land Rover Series 1 109 Truck Cab Utility. There is a British Motors Industry Heritage Trust certificate on file which confirms that this particular example was dispatched as a CKD (complete knock down) car from the factory on 27th March 1958. Its destination was Regent Motors Limited in Melbourne and it was assembled by the Pressed Metals Corporation Limited in Sydney. The certificate also confirms this car was delivered with a 2 litre petrol engine. The current owner acquired this Land Rover in April 2019 through the Series One Shop in Newry, Victoria. The car belonged to a Victorian property owner and was described as matching numbers car with a genuine 50, 600 miles, original wiring and lights, no holes drilled in the bulkhead, no rust anywhere, engine runs beautifully without any tap or click and pulls strongly up hill and down dale, gearbox, transfer case and 4WD selector all work perfect, body work in excellent condition, rare 109 rear power take-off fitted with the correct selector, drive shafts and centre bearing. At that time the car was registered in Victoria with the registration ORR 302. There are photos on file of the Land Rover when the current owner acquired it and these clearly show this is a car that has been looked after by its previous owner. The current owner is very fussy and when he acquired the car there were a few small things he did not like. In particular, there was a nasty scrape on the passenger side of the car, probably caused by a farm gate and at some stage indicators were added on the front guards, similar to what one would see on a Land Rover Series 2. What started out as a simple job to tidy up a few things quickly resulted in a far more comprehensive one. He soon decided to restore the car! The tray, doors, floor, roof, front guards and front of the car were all removed from the chassis and prepared for a repaint. The current owner was fortunate enough to have access to a spray booth through his business and everything was repainted in dove grey. There are photos on file of the work done. At the same time the car was given a complete mechanical overhaul. The engine, gearbox, transfer case, differential, radiator and the starter motor were all reconditioned. The following new components were sourced and installed: a water pump, shock absorbers, suspension bushes, exhaust, brakes and brake lines. The owner also installed a new wiring loom and a new set of tyres were fitted Inside the cabin, a set of new Exmoor seats were fitted, the steering wheel was refurbished, a new steering switch for the indicators was installed and other miscellaneous items were either refurbished or replaced. Where possible, all genuine Land Rover parts were used for the restoration. The project was completed in mid-2022 and the car was subsequently registered in Queensland. The end result is simply magnificent. This Land Rover presents essentially like the day it was assembled by the Pressed Metals Corporation Limited in Sydney back in 1958! This Land Rover can be configured in different ways as it is truly a multifunctional vehicle. It can be used as shown in the photos with a steel truck cab style roof over the cabin and the open tray. There is a canvas canopy to cover the tray. The truck cab style roof can be removed and a full length canvas roof, which expands all the way from the front wind screen to the rear of the tray, can be fitted giving it that safari look. There is also a separate windscreen with the car which, when installed, can be folded down over the bonnet. As we mentioned before, the presentation of this Land Rover is simply magnificent. It would not be out of place in a Land Rover showroom today next to its more modern brothers and sisters. Today the odometer reads 61, 764 miles. This Land Rover certainly makes an impression when you walk up to it. The body work is in excellent condition and the paint work, which is only three years old, presents exceptionally well. The external trim is minimalistic and it all presents similarly well. The windows are a combination of glass and Perspex. The glass is all in good condition, though the Perspex windows are showing some scratches and sign of wear. The steel wheels are in excellent condition with no sign of any curb rash or damage. They are shod with Dunlop SP Road Gripper tyres, size 7. 50R16 and they are date stamped 4019 (week 40, 2019). Not surprisingly, the tyres are in excellent condition as the car has been used sparingly since it was restored. Inside the cabin everything looks fresh. As one would expect in a Land Rover it is all very basic. The seats are new and firm. Aftermarket seat belts have been fitted for safety and there are new mats on the floor. The instruments are clear and appear to be in good working order. The steering wheel has been refurbished and is in excellent condition. For our photo shoot we fitted the short canvas top on the car and that can be done with relative ease. It is a good fit and the canvas is in very good condition. The long canvas cover is also in good condition with just some minor discolouration. We did notice a small tear (approx 1cm) on the rear flap. The rear tray has new rubber mats to protect the paint. The car starts easily, though it does require the use of the choke when the engine is cold. The engine settles into a smooth idle fairly quickly but performs best when it has warmed up. The gearbox has synchro on 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear when shifting up, and only 4th and 3rd on the down shift. As a result, this Land Rover is for real drivers, but you soon get the hang of it. Out on the road this Land Rover just goes about its business. The engine revs freely and performs well. The gearbox, whilst maybe a little bit agricultural, does what it is supposed to do and once you get the hang of it the gear changes are relatively smooth. The gearbox sound good and there is no wining from the gears. We decided against going off-road on our test drive, but we did test the four-wheel drive system and it works flawlessly. The transfer case engages and disengages the four-wheel drive system exactly the way it should. This car is fitted with a PTO at the rear, which we understand to be in working condition. Accompanying the car is a short canvas cover, a long canvas cover, a second wind screen (which you need when you fit the long canvas cover on the car), all the hardware needed, both for the short canvas cover and the long canvas cover and a Land Rover Series 1 instruction manual. There is also a spare wheel mounted on the bonnet, which can be easily removed. These Land Rovers are obviously very functional for their intended purpose, but like micro cars they are now highly collectable classic cars. This one is fabulous! Highlights: - Recently refurbished Australian delivered late series Land Rover Series 1 109 Truck Cab Utility. - Comes with truck cab, short canvas cover and long canvas cover. - Recent restoration. - Very well presented. - Ready to be used and enjoyed. Price: $89, 950 Background: One of the fundamental principles of economics is the law of supply and demand. During World War II the US army had a need for a light 4WD vehicle capable of carrying troops as well as cargo. And so the Jeep was born. From 1941 through until 1945 Willys and Ford were the major supplier of Jeeps, in various configurations, to the US military and their allies. The history of the Rover Company dates back to the mid 1800s when it was selling sewing machines and then safety tricycles and bicycles. By the 1930s, it had evolved into a car company but was hit badly by the Great Depression. In common with many British industrial companies during World War II, its factories were turned over to the war effort and produced engines for tanks and aircraft. By 1945 and the end of World War II, Rover found itself with two excellent factories and a highly skilled workforce. It was looking at restarting car production and had ambitious plans to build 20, 000 cars per year. A new model, the M-Type was dropped when it became clear that it would be unsuitable for export and that tooling costs would be excessive. Plans to produce 15, 000 of the pre-war designs per year were quickly quashed by the Government which refused to allocate steel for more than 1, 100 cars per year. This serious shortfall led Rover to realise that a stopgap solution was required until sufficientsteel was available. The stopgap also had to have export potential. Just to make things difficult, Rover had never exported any vehicles before! Maurice Wilks, Rovers head of design, had been using ex-army Jeeps on his farm and realising that there was no real alternative decided that Rover would provide one. The first prototype Land Rover, developed in late 1946, was actually built on Jeep chassis. The bodywork was made of an aluminium alloy called Birmabright. Using similar dimensions to the World War II Jeep, the first Land Rovers had an 80 wheelbase. The new Land Rover was first unveiled at the Amsterdam Motor Show on the 30th April 1948. It featured a steel box section chassis with an aluminium body and was powered by a 1. 6 litre, 4-cylinder Rover engine from the P3 Rover car range developing around 50 hp. The gearbox was four speed Rover mated to a two-speed transfer box thus allowing 4WD operation. A PTO (power take off) was also fitted to enable the Land Rover to be used as a stationary power unit. Rover didnt know what to expect but they need not have worried. The Land Rover was an outstanding success and the order books quickly overflowed. A legend was born! This humble Land Rover is in many ways the pioneer of the ubiquitous SUVs seen on our roads today.

Right Hand Drive Coupe, Sold new in Brisbane, mostly a one owner, Brisbane car. Looks Great! Drives Great! Runs well, Cold Air Con, RWC, Rego, Amazing value for money here!!

Ford F250 ute, 4/1987 build, long wheelbase, RWD, V8 302, auto, power steer, fuel injected, 8 stud 16 inch wheels, 6 post alloy bullbar, Hayman Reese tow bar, new hood lining & carpet, bucket seats, starts & drives well.

1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive Ferrari 328 GTS. The service book confirms this car was sold through John Cant Ferrari in Brisbane, Queensland and it was delivered new on 29th October 1987. The first owner is noted as a company based in Bundaburg, Queensland. The service book notes the VIN as well as the engine number and therefore we can confirm that this car retains its original matching numbers engine. The first entry in the service book is dated 22nd December 1987 stamped by John Cant Ferrari. The car did not stay in Queensland for long. It found its way down to Victoria in either late 1988 or early 1989. There is an entry in the service book for the 10,000 km service dated 15th February 1989 and that service was executed by Lance Dixon Saab-Ferrari in Melbourne. The subsequent 20,000 km service was executed by Lance Dixon on the 4th January 1990. This was an annual service based on time passed, not mileage. This Ferrari 328 GTS then found its way to Sydney, NSW and to the suburb of Narrabeen on the northern beaches. The car was registered in NSW as JH326. The car was subsequently serviced by Scuderia Veloce Motors with numerous entries in the service book through until 2005. Italia Motori serviced the car in 2006 and again 2008. From 2009 through until 2022 the car was maintained by Cavallino Motorsport in Brookvale, Sydney. The car changed hands in mid to late 2022 and its next owner used the car sparingly. As a result of a health issue he sold the car to Oldtimer Australia in June 2023. We had the car checked over and serviced. The work included a general service, timing belt service, the radiator was recored and overflow tank repaired. The car was quickly sold to one of our long standing clients based on the Gold Coast. Today the odometer reads 60,459 km. This car has an impeccable service history which unequivocally confirms the mileage to be genuine. The 308 GTB/GTS and 328 GTB/GTS is one of Ferraris most successful and recognisable models. There are lots of nice cars out there, but this is one is particularly good and it ticks all the boxes. First impressions of this car are really good. This car has a real presence about it and everything is just so crisp and clean. The rosso corsa paint on the car is in very good condition. It may have had the odd touch up here and there, but it looks to be essentially original and beautifully preserved. It has retained a strong depth of colour and nice gloss finish. If you look underneath the car you will see the bottom of the front spoiler has a few chips and there are a few scrapes from unfriendly speed bumps! Even the underside is well presented for a 37 year old car. The prancing horse shields were added by us at the request of the current owner at the time of sale. All of the external trim is similarly well presented. The iconic Ferrari and 328 badges are particularly well presented. The targa roof often shows wear on the GTS Ferraris, however, on this car is in excellent condition. There are no scratches, wear marks or any signs of discoloration. The glass is also in excellent condition. The rear window and the side windows appear to be all original. The front windscreen has probably been replaced at some stage. The round tail lights on a Ferrari 308/328 are a real feature and the lenses on this car are in very good condition. The same can be said of the headlights. The parking lights/indicator lenses are often cracked and/or show stone chips but on this car they are also in very good condition. The original wheels are shod with Bridgestone Potenza tyres all around. The fronts are 205/55 ZR 16, date stamped 0523 (week 5, 2023) and the rears are 225/50 R16, date stamped 1323 (week 13, 2023). The tyres were fitted when the current owner acquired the car and have only travelled 1,000 km. The wheels are in excellent condition with no signs of any curb rash or damage. With the targa top removed, you are able see inside the cabin and like the exterior of this car first impressions of the interior are very positive. Open the door and you are welcomed by a very inviting interior. It is immediately obvious this is a very well cared for example. The seats are in very good condition and there are no cracks/tears in the leather or any obvious wear to the seat bolsters. The door cards, centre console and the dash all present beautifully. Even the carpets are in very good condition. Another indictor on how well an eighties Ferrari has been cared for is the condition and presentation of the switches on the centre console and in the doors. More often than not, including low mileage examples, you will often see that the symbols show signs of wear. Fortunately, on this car this is not the case. They present like new and appear to have hardly been used. The front compartment is in excellent original condition. Most notably, the original plastic liner is not cracked or damaged as you often see on these cars. The spare wheel looks to have been sparingly used, if at all. The engine bay is also very original and very well presented. The devil is in the detail and all the finishes all look to be correct, the rosso corsa paint sticker on the underside of the engine cover is like new and the boot cover is in excellent condition with a working zipper. With a car like this it is all about the drive and we cannot wait to take this 328 GTS out for our test drive. The car starts easily even from cold and quickly settles into a smooth idle. The engine sounds fabulous with a lovely exhaust note. Just sitting in the car waiting for the engine to warm up puts a smile on your face. Once the engine warms up and the temperature gauge starts to move, it is time to hit the road. The first task and a rather enjoyable one at that, is to select first gear in that shift gate. The clutch is light and notch . . . you are in gear and quickly away. Even if you could see nothing else you immediately know you are in a Ferrari! Out on the road this car is a real pleasure to drive. Like all Ferraris of this period the gear change improves considerably as the car warms up to operating temperature. It is actually fine when cold, but it is an absolute delight once warm and the gear changes are smooth and precise. The engine revs willingly and there is loads of power on tap. The steering is direct and surprisingly light. The brakes stop the car quickly and in a straight line when needed. All the instruments in the car appear to be in good working order and the air conditioning has recently been regassed and it blows cold air. All too soon our test drive comes to an end and we return the car to our showroom where it sits peacefully, eagerly awaiting its next owner. This car has a complete book set, including a fully stamped service book, in its original pouch, a spare wheel, a tool kit (which still looks like new), a jack, the often missing courtesy light and the almost always missing targa top cover. The current owner acquired this car back in August 2023, however, as a result of him losing his available storage space he has made the difficult decision to sell. This car was last serviced less than 12 months ago, new Bridgestone tyres were recently fitted and this just stunning Ferrari 328 GTS is ready for its next owner to use and enjoy. The Queensland private number plate 328 GTS is available to be purchased either separately or with the car. Highlights: - Australian delivered, factory right-hand drive, matching numbers example. - Beautifully presented in the right colour scheme. - Low mileage, with only c60,000km. - Books, including a stamped service book, history file, spare wheel, tools, jack, courtesy light and targa top cover. - All tags and stickers in place. - Recently serviced and new tyres fitted. - Beautifully presented and drives superbly. Price $209,950 Background: Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Nike are brands recognisable the world over. So is Ferrari and interestingly the iconic Italian luxury sports car manufacturer was named The Worlds Strongest Brand in the 2019 Brand Finance Global 500 Report. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of Alfa Romeos race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni the company built its first car in 1940. The Second World War halted Ferraris dream, which was finally realised in 1947, when the first car bearing his name, the Ferrari 125 S, was built. From that day on Ferrari race cars dominated the world over, winning race after race and many world championships in Formula One, sports car racing and endurance racing. Ferrari built exclusive sports cars for the road too, but in the early days, this was primarily to fund his motor racing! The Cavallino Rampate or prancing horse was the symbol chosen by Ferrari and like the golden arches it is recognised by just about every man, woman and child on the planet! The Ferrari road cars from the 1940s and early to mid-1950s were built in very small numbers and it was not until the introduction of the 250 series cars that production numbers increased. Almost 1,000 Ferrari 250 GTEs were built from 1959 1963. The 250 series also produced some of the most special Ferraris ever built, including the Ferrari 250 LM, 250 SWB, 250 California Spider and of course the 250 GTO. The 250 series cars were superseded by the 275 series cars, the 330 series cars and later the 365 series cars. The nomenclature designated the cubic capacity of each cylinder. So a Ferrari 330 was powered by a 12 cylinder engine of 3967cc capacity. Ferraris iconic Dino was first shown to the world as a prototype at the 1965 Paris Motor Show. The car morphed into the 206 GT of which only 150 cars were built from 1967 to 1969. In 1969 the 246 GT was released, which whilst a similar looking car in many ways was actually quite different. The car sat 3 taller than its predecessor and the body was now built from steel. Mechanically the new car was powered by a 2418cc V6 engine. Enzo was keen to tackle Porsche head on and to do this he needed to increase production. The Dino was a hit and circa 4,000 of these cars (both the 246 GT and 246 GTS) were built from 1969 to 1974. The Ferrari 308 GTB was introduced at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, essentially to replace the 246 Dino GT. The car was designed to fit between the top of the range 365 GT/4 Berlinetta Boxer and 2+2 308 GT/4. The car was released to critical acclaim and its sweeping Pininfarina design was admired by everyone who laid eyes on it. Originally the car was manufactured with a glass reinforced plastic (fibreglass) body to keep the weight down and it was powered by a three litre V8 engine with a dry sump. Only circa 800 fibreglass cars were built before Ferrari reverted to a more conventional steel body construction in 1977. Most markets also reverted to having a wet sump engine. In 1977 Ferrari introduced the 308 GTS, which was essentially the same car with a targa roof. The car was made famous through its appearance on the TV show Magnum PI. The model evolved into the 308 GTBi / 308 GTSi in 1980 when Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection replaced the traditional Weber carburettors. Two years later thefour valves per cylinder Quattrovalvole or QV was introduced. The 308 was an incredible success and circa 12,000 cars were built from 1975 to 1985 before the 328 was introduced. The 328 GTB / GTS was essentially an updated version of the 308 with the same engine as its predecessor, but with an increased capacity of 3,185 cc. The styling remained similar though its overall profile was somewhat softer and the car featured colour coded front and rear bumpers. By mid-1988 ABS brakes were available and these cars were fitted with convex shaped wheels. Interestingly 328 GTS production out numbered 328 GTB production by a factor of five to one. In total Ferrari built 7,412 328s, comprising 6,068 328 GTS and 1,344 328 GTBs throughout 4 years of production.

This is a custom built Morgan Replica. Built in 2009 - 5 litre Ford Windsor V8 with GT40 heads, custom extractors and running gear, 4 speed manual. Travelled approx 15000 k's since built and in 'as new' condition, with full leather interior, quality Euro type softtop and fitted with 100 spoke knock-on spoke wheels. This car is fully engineered and has Qld compliance and current registration and comes with a current RWC. For compliance and emission purposes, the car runs on LPG Gas with an 80 litre capacity.

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a lovely 1949 Bristol 400. There is documentation on file that states that this particular example was despatched on the 1st February 1950 to Messrs Commonwealth Motors Ltd in Melbourne. It also tells us the car is a factory right hand drive, matching numbers example which was delivered in its current colour of maroon. Two extra sun visors were fitted to the car as an option. It is understood the car was initially used as a demonstrator by Claridge Motors of Unley, Adelaide. Around December 1951 the car was sold to its first owner. Sometime in the next 6 years the car was painted black. The car then passed through several owners but remained in South Australia. It is understood that around 1974 the car was repainted in its original maroon colour. In July 1988 the car found its way to Bowral in NSW. In August 1993 the car was purchased by a Mr Lino Bertollo from Castle Hill, a suburb in the north west of Sydney in NSW. In 2001 the car was sold to Mr Heinz Haupt from Corawa, NSW. He later moved to Victoria and subsequently registered the car there. In his ownership the car was retrimmed in approximately 2002 prior to participating in the NSW South Coast Rally in 2003. The car was sold in 2009 and then again in 2016, when it ended up with a well known collector in South Australia. He kept the car for almost 4 years before selling it to another well known collector, this time in Melbourne, Victoria. The current owner acquired the car by chance in November 2022. Somewhere along the line the cylinder head on the car was replaced with a non-matching but correct cylinder head. Fortunately, a previous owner managed to purchase the original cylinder head at the 2016 Motorclassica auction and it remains with the car. Today this fabulous Bristol 400 presents and drives really well. Its presentation and condition is a true testament to how the current and previous owners have looked after and maintained the car. First impressions are good, really good! The car certainly has a real presence and the maroon colour suits it quite well. Generally, the paint is in a good condition but upon closer inspection you will see some stone chips and other imperfections. Most noticeable is a small scrape on the lower part of the left rear guard. There are also two small bubbles in the paint on the lower rear section of the passenger door and a very small one on the left lower panel. The brightwork on the car presents well and is in a good condition. All the glass is in good condition with no cracks or scratches evident. The mechanism to open the rear window is in good working order as are the clamps to hold open the rear quarter windows. The steel wheels are in reasonably good condition. There are some marks on them from either old balancing weights or perhaps just general wear and tear. The hubcaps are in good condition and feature the Bristol logo. The wheels are shod with Michelin X tyres size 5.50 R 16. They are date stamped 2711 (week 27, 2011) and whilst they are still in reasonably good condition, they should be replaced based on age. Open the door and you are welcomed by a typical English interior. The first thing you will notice is the big yet delicate steering wheel and the long gear lever, quite typical for a car of this vintage. The timber dashboard is another feature. The whole interior suits the car very well and is exactly what you would expect in a car like this. The seats are comfortable and soft, yet they provide ample support . . . very much like your favourite lounge chair. The leather is in a good condition and there are no cracks or tears evident in either of the front seats. The rear seats appear to have hardly been used and are in very good condition. The carpets also present well and are in reasonably good condition. The roll down sun visors are rather unique! All the instruments are clear and all appear to be in good working order. The car is also fitted with a period correct wireless of the type 4014VD. The serial number tag states Made in England specially for The Gramophone Co Ltd (Australian Branch) Sydney, NSW. Under the bonnet you will find a clean engine bay and there is the original and complete toolkit as well as a foot pump which are both in excellent condition. In the boot you will find the jack, the wheel brace, a bleeder drain tube for the hydraulic brakes, a set of original tyre levers and a crank handle. It is amazing to see that after seventy five years all these tools are still with the car and still in excellent condition. When the car arrived at our show room we were rather excited and very keen to take it out for a test drive to see what it was like to drive. It is hard to believe this car is some seventy five years old! We were not disappointed . . . this car drives every bit as good as it looks! There is a procedure one has to follow to start the car, particularly if it hasnt been started for a period of time. These cars do not have an electric fuel pump and as a result, if the car has not been used for a while you first have to manually prime the fuel pump. Once you have done that you get in the car, pull out the knob to activate the starting carburettor, turn the ignition on and press the starter button. This car fires up pretty much at first crank. You then use the hand throttle to keep the revs up and turn the starting carburettor off. After patiently allowing the engine some time to warm up, you are ready to hit the roads. As noted above, when the car rolled off the truck the first impressions were good, really good. After a very short time behind the wheel the first impressions of the drive were also good, really good! The car was surprisingly firm on the road with no significant rattles or squeaks. The engine feels strong and it pulls strongly through the rev range. The gearbox is smooth and the gear changes are easy both up and down the box. This car is very easy to drive and you tend to forget it was born in the 1940s . . . quite incredible really! Even the brakes are quite adequate and pull the car up in a straight line. With only around 500 ever made the Bristol 400 is quite a rare car and they do not often come up for sale. Here is a unique opportunity to acquire an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example that is ready to use and enjoy. This is quintessential British motoring at its best. The Bristol 400 was so far ahead of its time it is not funny and today this car offers incredible value for money. Accompanying the car is the original cylinder head, toolkit, jack, an original spare wheel, an original Bristol 2 Litre Type 400 instruction manual, an original spares handbook and a copy of a workshop manual for a type 85a engine and gearbox. Highlights: - Australian delivered, factory RHD, matching numbers example. - Known ownership from new. - Original toolkit, jack, and foot pump. - Beautifully presented car that is just fabulous to drive. Price $94,950. Background: The Bristol Car Company has a rich and fascinating history. Its origins date back to the Bristol Aeroplane Company (formerly The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company) that was founded in February 1910 by Sir George White, chairman of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company, along with his son Stanley and his brother Samuel, to commercially exploit the fast-growing aviation sector. The Bristol Aeroplane Company developed into a British industrial powerhouse and they built some of the worlds most technologically advanced aeroplanes. Some of the most well-known and successful aircraft built by Bristol were the Bristol F2 Fighter (used during World War I), the Bristol Bulldog and the Bristol Beaufighter (used during World War II). Following the First World War the British aircraft industry suffered a dramatic downturn and subsequently significant financial challenges. In an endeavour to keep its workforce employed the Bristol Aeroplane Company undertook the manufacture of a light car, the single seat Bristol Monocar which was powered by a motorcycle engine, the construction of car bodies for Armstrong Siddeley and bus bodies for their sister company, Bristol Tramways. The company survived, but times were tough. Aircraft manufacturing ramped up again with the outbreak of the Second World War, however, management had learned that they must plan for the future. It is understood that discussions started as early as 1941 to establish a post war car manufacturing division. Bristol began working with AFN Ltd, makers of Frazer Nash cars and British importer of BMWs before the war, on plans for a joint venture in automotive manufacturing. What ultimately eventuated was that the Bristol Aeroplane Company took over AFN Ltd and established its car manufacturing division, Bristol Cars. A purpose built factory was constructed at Filton Aerodrome, near Bristol. The first Bristol was designated the 400 and not surprisingly given the Frazer Nash and BMW connection it was based on a BMW 326 chassis with BMW 327 styling. The engine, whilst built by Bristol, was also based on a BMW 327. The first prototypes were built in late 1946, however, the car was formally introduced at the 1947 Geneva Motor Show. The car was a great success for Bristol and almost 500 examples were built through until 1950. This included 17 Drophead Coupes with coachwork by Pininfarina. In 1949 Bristol introduced successor to the 400, the 401, which was designed and bodied by Touring of Milan in Italy. The new model was aerodynamically sleeker and featured superleggera construction with an aluminium body over a steel frame. As a result the car weighed significantly less and its performance was greatly enhanced. Bristol was gaining a reputation for building technologically advanced motor cars that were luxurious, very reliable and offered genuinely exciting performance on the road. Their cars were not cheap and as a result they remained somewhat exclusive. Buyers of new Bristols back in the day were typically wealthy businessman who wanted a car to stand out in a crowd. They also wanted a car they could drive and enjoy and many Bristols were used for hill climbs and weekend motor racing. Bristol developed the 450 specifically for motor racing and it made its debut at the 1953 Le Mans 24 hour race. Two cars were entered in the race, however, they both retired with engine failures after about 10 hours. Bristol returned to Le Mans in 1954 and entered three cars, with uprated engines and improved aerodynamic bodywork. In contrast with the previous year all three cars finished the race, coming home in first, second and third place in their class and seventh, eighth and ninth overall. Their performance also earned Bristol the team prize. Bristol returned to Le Mans again in 1955 and again performed exceptionally well achieving the same results as in 1954. The race became famous for the wrong reason when a major accident resulted in debris flying into the crowd killing 83 people and injuring many more. Following this race a number of manufacturers, including Bristol, retired from motor racing indefinitely. Subsequent road cars included the 403 (1953-1955, 287 cars built), which was a further development of its predecessors, the 404 (1953-1958, 52 cars built), the 405 (1953-1958, 308 cars built and the 406 (1958-1961, 174 cars built). Bristol Cars was sold after its parent company joined with other British aircraft companies in 1960 to create the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), which later became part of British Aerospace.

1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint by Touring