Bristol 603 / Britannia / Brigand History

The 603 (1976) introduced a new, more angular and flat-sided two-door saloon body that replaced the squarer classic lines of the 411. Still built on the separate chassis tracing its lineage back to 1946, and powered by a Chrysler V8 (5.2-litre or 5.9-litre depending on series), the 603 was finished to the same obsessive standard as all Bristols — reportedly receiving 17 coats of hand-rubbed paint. Around 80 examples of the Type 603 proper were built through 1982.

In 1982 Bristol abandoned numerical naming and split the range into two named derivatives. The Britannia was the naturally aspirated saloon; the Brigand added a turbocharged version of the 5.9-litre Chrysler V8 for considerably stronger performance. Both ran until 1993, when the Blenheim took over. Combined Britannia and Brigand production was approximately 31 units.