| Bristol 406 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Bristol Cars (thenBristol Aeroplane Co.) |
| Production | 1958–1961 174 units produced |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car (S) |
| Body style | 2-doorsaloon |
| Layout | FR |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2,216 ccOHVI6 |
| Transmission | 4-speed overdrivemanual[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,896 mm (114.0 in)[1] |
| Length | 4,978 mm (196.0 in)[1] |
| Width | 1,727 mm (68.0 in)[1] |
| Curb weight | 1,365 kg (3,009 lb)[1] 1,092 kg (2,408 lb) (Zagato)[2] |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Bristol 404 and 405 |
| Successor | Bristol 407 |
TheBristol 406 was aluxury car produced between 1958 and 1961 byBritish manufacturerBristol Aeroplane Co. Their cars were constructed to very high engineering standards and were intended to be long-lasting to justify their very high price. Buyers might arrange considerable changes to the specification of their own particular vehicle.[3] Bristol Aeroplane's car division later becameBristol Cars.
It was the last Bristol to use theBMW-derivedpushrod straight six engine that had powered all cars built by the company up to that point. In a stopgap measure for the 406 its torque was improved by a 245 cc increase in capacity because it was clearly unable to give a performance comparable to that of newer engines emerging at the time.
A prototype with a body byCarrosserie Beutler of Thun in Switzerland was exhibited in 1957 in both Paris and London Motor Shows. The start of production atFilton was announced in late August 1958.[4] Most of the bodies for the 406 were manufactured byJones Brothers in London.[5]
Compared to the405, the 406 saw several significant changes. The most important was that the six-cylinder engine itself was enlarged slightly in bothbore andstroke to dimensions of 69 mm by 100 mm (2.71 inches by 3.94 inches). This gave anengine displacement of 2,216 cc (135 cubic inches) but the actual power of the engine was no greater than that of the 405. However, thetorque was higher than for the smaller engine, especially at low engine speeds.
Manufacture of the 2-litre version continued for supply toAC Cars for theirAC Ace andAceca.
The 406 also featured Dunlop-builtdisc brakes on all four wheels (making it one of the first cars with four-wheel disc brakes)[6] and a two-doorsaloon body Bristol were to stick with for a long period after adoptingChryslerV8 engines with the 407. The styling made the 406 more of a luxury car than a true sports saloon. It was, nevertheless, "a delight to drive".[7]
The rearsuspension of the 406 also did away with the outdated A-bracket of all previous Bristols for a more modernWatt's linkage. The 406 was the world's first production car to be thus equipped.[2] However, the outdated front suspension of previous Bristols was retained and not updated until the following model with its more powerful drivetrain.
Two short-wheelbase 406s, known as 406Ss, were bodied byZagato.[8] In all, there were only six 406s with Zagato bodies.[9] Rather than the 105 hp (78 kW) of the standard cars, these received a fettled engine with 115 hp (86 kW) and a stainlessAbarth exhaust, which combined with the considerably lighter weight to make a spirited performer out of the 406.[2]
The engine's ageing design was dealt with in 1961 by replacing it with a 5-litre Chrysler V8. The resulting car was renamedBristol 407.
