Bristol 403 History

The 403 (1953–1955) was a focused development of the 401, keeping its aerodynamic saloon body but substantially raising the performance of the 1,971 cc straight-six. A stronger crankshaft, larger valves, and greater oil capacity brought output to 100 bhp — making the 403 the first 2-litre production saloon claimed to reach 100 mph (top speed approximately 106 mph). Braking and chassis tuning were also improved.

Around 281 examples were built before the 403 was superseded. It overlapped briefly with the 404 coupe introduced the same year, and is considered by many enthusiasts the most satisfying of the original Bristol saloons — the point at which the pre-war BMW DNA had been fully digested and made Bristol's own.