Originally owned by the famous english painter Terrence Ceuno OBE who was the official artist for the Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953
Only 3 owners from new, all of which took fantastic care of this Bristol
The Appeal
By the time the 411 was released, Bristol had already made a name for themselves in making luxurious performance vehicles - originally starting out as an aeroplane manufacturer in the mid 1940’s, they entered the automotive world with a wealth of engineering knowledge.
With the 411, it wasn’t all about the opulence and luxuries (although, it did play a pretty huge role in the vehicles design), but it also embodied excellent performance, not just in a straight line but on the twisties, too - reviewers raved about the driving ability of this road-going ferry with its large Chrysler 6.3-litre big block shoehorned under the unassuming bodywork. Bristol even went the extra mile and fitted the car with a much appreciated limited-slip differential to help cope with putting the power down at the rear. Mighty impressive from all standpoints considering the 53 year old engineering!
The History and Paperwork
Beautifully original inside and out
Originally registered on the 1st of January 1970
3 owners from new
Originally owned by Terrence Ceuno OBE, a famous english painter who was the official artist for the Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953
V5C present and in the current owners name ready to be handed over
Original vehicle registration document, containing Terrence Ceuno’s signature
Red floor carpets in wonderful original condition throughout
Wooden veneer dash panelling as well as door trims
Brightwork throughout appears to be well maintained
Headlining all original with no signs of sagging
Gentle patina on the leather as to be expected
Aftermarket Kenwood radio installed
Originality speaks volumes for how well cared for and pampered cars have been throughout their ownership, especially when they have more than just showroom miles on them. This example is of beautiful original stature, and has a lovely dusting of patina that just goes to show it wasn’t hidden away from the world and is filled to the brim with stories and character.
Opening the drivers side door you’re immediately greeted with that striking grey and red contrasting interior, they sure don’t build ‘em like they used to. The driver's seat is presented in good condition with signs of age and wear as to be expected, but nothing that one would class as “damage”, just leather doing as leather does. The passenger seat is very much the same. Folding functionality still works as expected for easy access to the rear seats, and the brightwork surrounding the lever mechanism remains in lovely condition with plenty of shine.
Directly in front of you the driver's steering wheel remains in lovely shape, no scratches, cuts or missing chunks here, with the Bristol shield remaining proudly in the centre. Smith's gauges remain completely functional too, as well as being pretty to look at! The wooden veneer surround also appears to be well kept with no signs of any delamination or cracking that we can see. Moving across to the centre of the dash, all of the vents and controls remain fully functional, they do show some signs of use however due to the white paint in the recessed marking flaking away over the years. A Kenwood radio has also been fitted to the vehicle - probably the only non-original piece we can find in here.
Moving into the rear seats, everything here is in lovely shape. The leather remains in better condition than the front - as is the case with most - and the carpets free from any damage or colour transfer. There are some very slight impressions in the rear of the driver's seat however this is easily overlooked considering the almost time-warp condition everywhere else.
The driver's side door card has gentle signs of wear behind the door handle, however due to this being a highly tactile area it’s a near impossible thing to avoid. The brightwork is in lovely shape on the door cards and the pull-handles are excellent!
The Exterior
Original paintwork, two-tone red with silver roof
Brightwork all well maintained
Original wheels, paint-matched to the bodywork with chrome caps and lips
Body panels all appear to be original with factory looking panel gaps
Operational sun-roof
Service panels behind each front wheel
Scuff mark on the right underside of rear bumper
Starting at the front of the lovely Bristol, paintwork up here appears to be well looked after with no signs of any distracting stone chips or damage that we can see, the brightwork on the bumper, around the lights, and along the grill all appear to be very well maintained with a high level of shine.
Moving around to the side, the original wheels come into show with only some small signs of age on the brightwork centre hubs, the paint on the wheels behind appears to be in nice condition, all of which are shod in Michelin rubber. There are a couple of very small bubbles on the front passenger arch just in front of the brightwork trim above the wheel, nothing of concern however. Body panels all appear to be straight, paintwork well cared for, and no signs of any worrying corrosion.
To the rear of the vehicle, the story remains much the same. Paintwork in good nick, albeit a scuff under the rear bumper on the drivers side (you need to be basically lying down to see it), well kept brightwork and even the original Bristol badge on the boot lid with some very gentle ‘patina’.
The roof also appears to be well kept, the silver paintwork appears to be bright and free of damage, and the blend lines on the pillars are all as sharp as you would expect them to be! All in all, a rather lovely example both inside and out with no real issues to speak of. Not bad for a 70’s ride!
The Mechanics
Chrysler 6.3-Litre V8 B-series engine
Automatic transmission
Whopping 340bhp
Rear-wheel drive
Limited-slip rear differential
Surprisingly capable handling
143 mph top speed
Of course, with a strong background in aviation it’s no surprise that this road-going Bristol feels like it’s about to take off when you pin your foot to the floor, and with a healthy rumble from that big-block V8, too.
The 6.3 litre engine shoehorned under this car's unsuspecting exterior (at least to the uneducated), propels this car from 0-60 in a brief 7 seconds, and continues to push you back into the seat well into three figures. Those are strong performance numbers, even by today's standards it’s no slouch. Fitted with a much needed limited-slip differential, it allows all of the power to reach the ground through both rear wheels, something that modern day car manufacturers often forget. Not only does it help with putting the power down, but it also aids in the surprisingly good handling and gives you confidence in the throttle when coming out of the bends.
It’ll be no surprise that this example has had a very “no expense spared” custodianship to keep it on the road as long as it has been, and peeking underneath it looks like it has more than likely been stored away in a garage when not in use thanks to the very limited amount of corrosion visible. There is some oil sweat from the rear differential and a couple of areas around the suspension components, but given that the vehicle has had a full life, used and not hidden away, this is forgivable. The owner tells us that mechanically this example is very well sorted and wants for nothing, the engine pulls as strong as it should, the gearbox remains smooth, and the brakes remain sharp. No unwelcome noises, clunks or vibrations here, just pure driving pleasure that’s sure to put a big beaming smile on your face as heads turn and fingers point at this 411 flying down the road.
Summary
To the uneducated, it could be easily mistaken for an MGB GT from the front (if you squint), however those wrongly minded will be quickly educated if you open up the taps. A well kept, and especially original, example of a 411 Series 1 very rarely makes an appearance due to the low production numbers and the short production period of the first series models, making it a wonderful collectors vehicle in this day and age.
Anyone in the know about Bristol will understand how fantastic these vehicles are built, and the wealth of engineering knowledge they took to build. This would be an outstanding car to own for any collector or avid classic car enthusiast.
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1970 Bristol 411 Series 1
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