đź“Ť ‘It had the pace of a BMW and the face of a startled haddock.’
Le Mans glory. Wind tunnel madness. A face only a Spitfire could love.
The Bristol 450 was as British as tea with gin and more bonkers than a 1950s jet prototype.
One man just spent over £270k recreating one… only for it to sell for less.
Why? Because it was never about the money—it was about reviving the daftest, most brilliant Le Mans car you’ve never heard of.
1953 – Bristol Takes Flight:
Fresh off postwar aeronautical success, Bristol builds a coupé using aircraft know-how and a BMW-derived engine.
It’s slippery, lightweight and utterly weird-looking. Early Le Mans efforts? Fast but fragile.
1954 – The Goofy Hero Rises:
Smoother bodywork, stronger engine, same amphibious looks.
The result was? a 1-2-3 finish in class at Le Mans. Outrageous.
1955 – The Roof Comes Off:
Coupés converted to roadsters with a D-Type fin. Reliability triumphs again: another class sweep at Le Mans.
Then, tragedy strikes. The ’55 disaster casts a long shadow.
Post-1955 – Shuttered & Scrapped:
Bristol donates prize money to the victims’ fund and exits motorsport.
Remaining 450s? Destroyed, save one lovingly restored roadster.
The Resurrection:
Decades later, Olivier Boré commissions a 450-coupé replica using period parts and 3D scans.
Cost: ÂŁ273,635. Sold at Goodwood for ÂŁ172,500. Purpose? Pure passion.
Why It Matters:
It’s a tribute to British eccentricity, cleverness, and bloody-minded brilliance.
And it proves some cars don’t need beauty to be icons.
đź“Ť ‘Aerodynamically brilliant. Aesthetically … like it lost a fight with a can opener.’
