1956 Bristol 405 Sedan

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | September 7, 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Low-production Bristol, for a rare time in their history, offered multiple models at the same time. They were the very similar 404 and 405. The 404 was only offered in two-door coupe form, while you could get a 405 in sedan or drophead coupe form.

Produced between 1953 and 1958, the two cars were sold in, obviously, limited numbers, with just 308 examples of the 405 produced, most of which were sedans (265 to be exact). Power is provided by a 2.0-liter inline-six.

This particular car has seen two long-term owners (among others) in its history and was mechanically refreshed in recent years. The 405 sedan is, perhaps, most famous as the car Peter Sarsgaard’s character drove in An Education. This example has an estimate of $46,000-$72,000. Click here for more info.

1955 Bristol 405 Drophead Coupe

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 5, 2021

Bristol’s “400” line of cars began with the company’s first vehicle, the 400, in 1947 and continued through the 412, which was built through 1981. And, until now, we’ve featured an example of each one in the sequence, except for the 409 and this, the 405.

The 404 and 405 were built roughly alongside one another, with the 404 being a two-seat coupe, and the 405 was available as a ragtop or a sedan. It was the better seller, with 308 built between 1955 and 1958. Only 43 of those 308 were convertibles.

This one is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-six rated at 125 horsepower. It was restored decades ago and entered its current collection in 2006. The pre-sale estimate is $125,000-$185,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $172,840.