Bristol 406 Zagato | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Bristol Cars (then Bristol Aeroplane Co.) |
Production | 1959-1960 |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Upper class |
Powertrain | |
Engine | Otto engine 2.2 liters (78–97 kW) |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2896mm |
Length | 4700mm |
Width | 1600mm |
Curb weight | 1120kg |
Chronology | |
Successor | 407 GTZ Zagato |
The Bristol 406 Zagato is a British-Italian sports car that combines the technology of the Bristol 406 Saloon with a body designed and built by Zagato. This special model, often considered eccentric, was commissioned by Bristol dealer Tony Crook and was produced in very limited quantities. It is known for being lighter, smaller, and faster than the factory-bodied base car. In addition, some older Bristol chassis also subsequently received similar Zagato bodies. Today, the 406 Zagato is considered one of the most expensive classics within the brand’s lineup.
Bristol Cars, the automotive division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, was established after the end of World War II and began producing luxury cars based on BMW technology in 1946. [1] The chassis and engines were derived from pre-war BMW Types 326, 327, and 328. [2] These design plans were reportedly brought to Britain as reparations during the war, [3] although others doubt this narrative. [4] The debut 400 model, featuring bodywork based on a BMW coupé, [note 1] was followed by the Touring-bodied 401, 402, and 403 models, [5] which are treated as a single-model family in most literature. [6] In 1953, the third generation of Bristol cars emerged, with the two-door 404, followed by the four-door 405 a year later. These models still retained BMW designs in their engineering. However, production levels in the mid-1950s were only about half of what they had been in the early years. During the autumn of 1958, Bristol introduced the fourth-generation model, the four-seat 406 Saloon. This model represented a departure from the brand's initial focus on sportiness. [7] It was larger, heavier, and more luxurious compared to earlier Bristol's. [8] [9] However, these changes resulted in a loss of the typical agility associated with Bristol cars, and despite having a larger engine, the 406 Saloon was slower than its predecessors. [10] As a result, it was sometimes perceived as underpowered. [11] [12]
Initially, Bristol intended to create a shorter and faster two-seater version of the 406 Saloon at their factory, and a prototype built in 1958 [note 2] was abandoned due to cost considerations and uncertain prospects for the company. [13] In the following spring, Tony Crook, a Bristol Cars board of directors member and the brand's largest dealer revived the idea of a special sport model based on the 406. This led to the development of the 406 Zagato, which was not officially a Bristol Cars model but an independent project by Anthony Crook Motors. The 406 Zagato was aimed to bring Bristol to its origins: [7] it was designed for drivers who were prepared to make sacrifices in comfort and space for the sake of sporting performance, as stated by Tony Crook. In Crook's understanding, the key aspect was a light and compact body. He commissioned the renowned Italian Carrozzeria Zagato, known for its expertise in lightweight construction [14] [15] and whose British general importer Crook had been for years, to design and build it. [16] [17] Additionally, Abarth was tasked with increasing the engine’s power.
The 406 Zagato prototype was unveiled exactly one year after the introduction of the 406 Saloon. It debuted at the Earls Motor Show in London from October 21–31, 1959. The prototype was displayed either on the Bristol Cars, [13] Anthony Crook Motors, [18] or Zagato stand, [17] depending on the source. Regular production began in the fall of 1959, ending a year later. Notably, the Bristol 406 was exclusively available through Anthony Crook Motors, as the other Bristol dealers could not access it. [19]
The 406 Zagato did not achieve significant success as initially planned. Instead of the planned production of ten vehicles, only six were produced, and even those were challenging to sell. Nevertheless, despite its limited commercial success, the sporty Gran Turismo was the starting point of a longstanding collaboration between Bristol and Zagato: [20] In 1960, a compact sports car with 406 technology and a hatchback body from Zagato (406S Zagato) was produced, followed in 1961 by a similarly designed car based on the Bristol 407, incorporating an eight-cylinder V-engine from Chrysler (407 GTZ Zagato). While these two models remained one-offs creations. [21] Bristol went on to sell a total of about 90 units of the 412 Targa coupe and its successor, the Beaufighter, whose body was designed by Giuseppe Mittino for Zagato, from 1975 to 1993. [22]
The factory produced four-seater by Bristol Cars, which took over the Bristol 405 in the role of the main model in 1958, which is commonly known as the 406 Saloon. [23] On the other hand, the lighter special edition model with Italian bodywork was marketed as the 406 Zagato. In more recent literature, the designations 406 Z, [17] 406 GTZ, [20] or 406 GT Zagato [24] (not used in 1959) are also sometimes found.
The 406 Zagato is built on a steel box frame with longitudinal members and cross members, which shares the construction and dimensions with the regular 406 Saloon. The frame traces its basic features back to the chassis of the 1936 BMW 326. The front wheels are individually suspended on wishbones and a lower transverse leaf spring. At the rear, the car is equipped with a rigid axle featuring Watt linkage and a trailing arm, torsion bar springs with suspension levers, and self-designed shock absorbers. [25] [26] Additionally, the car decelerates with four Dunlop disc brakes.
All 406 Zagato models are powered by Bristol's inline six-cylinder gasoline engine. The 2.2-liter version used here (2216 cm³, bore × stroke: 68.69 and 99.64 mm) is a further development of the engine already installed in the 400, which goes back to a 1938 BMW design (328). [26] [27] In essential features, the Bristol engine shares the features with the BMW engine; however, Bristol's version is designed in inches rather than metric dimensions, and some of the materials are used differently. [28] The engine has hemispherical combustion chambers with V-shaped hanging valves controlled by the bottom-mounted camshaft via tappets, pushrods, and rocker's arms. Additional pushrods across the cylinder head and a second rocker arm on each actuate the exhaust valves. [28] [29] The fuel mixture is conditioned by three 32 PBI/7 Solex downdraft carburetors mounted above the engine block. [23]
In the 406 Zagato, the engine was available with two different power ratings: [30]
Engine power is transmitted to the rear axle via a hand-shifted four-speed transmission with an overdrive and a prop shaft. The first gear of the Bristol-built transmission is not synchronized. The Laycock de Normanville overdrive, which has been standard on all Bristols since the 405 can be engaged in fourth gear and disengages automatically when downshifting. [36] [8]
The body of the 406 Zagato is independent. It has neither stylistic nor technical references to the body of the 406 Saloon designed by Dudley Hobbs and Dennis Sevier. [34]
The design of the notchback body can be traced back to Gianni Zagato, the son of the company's founder, Ugo Zagato. The front end of the car features style elements inspired by the Lancia Flaminia Sport, another car designed and built by Zagato. [20] [37] [38] The radiator grille is directly borrowed from Lancia and, on individual cars even features Lancia's crest encircled by the Bristol Cars emblem. [39] The roof structure follows the trapezoidal shape that gained popularity in Europe in the late 1950s. [40] With the horizontal roofline and the C-pillar set well back, Zagato implemented a Tony Crook specification that the car had to have four full-size seats for adults. [41] However, the interior of the Zagato is tighter than that of the 406 Saloon. [30] The roof is profiled: It has the typical Zagato bulges called double bubbles in the rear. [37] [42] On the 1959 prototype and the car produced thereafter, the roof is slightly lower than on the following four cars. [43] The doors are frameless. [18] The front headlights are recessed into the fenders and covered with Plexiglas. Due to the tall engine, a cowl is required in the middle of the hood, which also serves as an air intake. [23] [30] A step in the beltline is present above the rear axle, with a higher height at the rear compared to the front. The rear overhang is shorter than that of the standard 406. Consistent with Bristol's tradition, the spare wheel is vertically housed in one of the front fenders in an externally accessible compartment located between the front wheel and the A-pillar. On the other side of the vehicle, a similar compartment accommodates the battery. [12]
Decorative elements on the 406 Zagato vary from vehicle to vehicle, including the radiator grille and the side trim. [30] [44] On certain cars, the side trim extends horizontally to the rear wheel cutout or onto the rear fender, [35] [43] while on others, it may feature a Z-shaped bend, or be missing entirely. [10] Additionally, some cars have three horizontal trim strips on the C-pillar, while others do not. [45]
The Zagato design has received mixed reviews in stylistic terms. Some sources consider it "eccentric", while others are undecided whether it is "a charismatic classic or a classic faux pas." [12] Criticism has been directed towards the Zagato design for its styling choices. [41]
Zagato consistently focused on lightweight construction throughout the design of the 406 Zagato. In contrast to the heavy steel substructure of the 406 Saloon produced by the London coachbuilder Jones Brothers. [46] [note 3] Zagato opted for a lightweight frame made of thin steel tubes to which the body panels made of aluminum sheets were attached. The shorter body also contributed to weight reduction. In the interior, Zagato took a minimalistic approach, omitting decorative elements. For example, unlike the factory model, the instrument panel in the 406 Saloon, is not covered with walnut wood; instead, it is made of thin sheet aluminum painted to match the color of the seat covers. [31] However, it is worth noting that at least one car features the comfortable armchairs found in the 406 Saloon. [10]
The body of the 406 Zagato exhibits certain defects, such as the rear wheel arches being too small. As a result, when encountering bumps on the road, the tires often meet the top of the wheel arches during impacts. [44] Crook acknowledged 40 years after production ceased and admitted that the build quality of the Zagato bodies did not meet the expected standards. He mentioned that in many instances, his mechanics had to make adjustments to address issues such as fits, gaps, and finishes. [33]
With an unchanged chassis, the Bristol 406 Zagato is 280 mm shorter than the 406 Saloon. In terms of weight, the 406 Zagato weighs approximately 1100 kg (1,100 lb), which is significantly lighter compared to the standard model (1350 kg) [24] and close to that of the 1946 Bristol 400. [35] According to contemporary test drives, the 406 Zagato equipped with the more powerful 110S engine achieved a top speed of 122 mph (196 km/h). In contrast, the 406 Saloon could only reach 102 mph (164 km/h). [36]
The production process for the cars involved multiple locations. The chassis were manufactured at the Bristol plant in Filton. After completion, the chassis was transported by truck to Zagato's facility in Milan. There, Italian mechanics would join the hand-built bodies to the chassis, finalizing the assembly of the vehicles. Tony Crook assigned two employees from his workshop to supervise the work at Zagato's factory and ensure compliance with Bristol's quality requirements. [33] The finished cars then arrived in Great Britain "on their own wheels," [35] where they underwent additional reworking and final adjustments at Crook's workshop in Hersham in Surrey.
Based on various sources, it is evident that the production of the Bristol 406 Zagato did not reach the originally intended quantity of ten cars. [47] It is widely agreed upon in literature that only six Bristol 406 Zagato vehicles were actually produced. [37] [24] [48] [49] While some sources indicate a production run of seven cars, that includes the short-wheelbase 406 S Zagato as a separate model. [27] [50] [51] [52]
Anthony Crook Motors offered the Bristol 406 Zagato for sale in late 1959 for £4,792 (vehicle price £3,380 plus £1412 purchase tax), [13] making it £550 more expensive than a regular factory-bodied 406 Saloon (£4,244 including tax). The price of a 406 Zagato was the equivalent of seven Triumph Heralds [28] or nine Mini (£500). [53]
Bristol 406 Zagato’s slow sales led to discounted pricing, with the final new car at a substantial discount in October 1961 for £3,500 including tax. A used 406 Zagato with 6,000 miles was listed for £2,800 at the same time. [54]
Of the original six 406 Zagato, four [31] or five cars are believed to still exist today, depending on the source. [13] [51] Unfortunately, the third car produced, which featured a higher roof - was involved in a serious road accident in the 20th century. Tony Crook had the car dismantled; the usable components were used as spare parts. [43]
The Bristol 406 Zagato was considered a competitor to other luxury sports saloons of its time, such as the Alvis TD 21, the Aston Martin DB4 (or DB4 GT), and the Jaguar Mark 2. [55] However, a comparison shows that these competitor models were each significantly less expensive than the Bristol 406 Zagato, but had larger and, for the most part, significantly more powerful engines.
For example, the £4,100 Aston Martin DB4 GT - the short sports version of the DB4 -, had an engine rated at 222 kW (299 bhp, 302 PS), more than twice that of the 406 Zagato, according to factory figures. More expensive than the Bristol 406 Zagato was only the high-performance Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato model, which reportedly produced 231 kW (309 bhp, 314 hp) and is similarly rare to the Bristol 406 Zagato.
The combination of a higher price and a less powerful engine, coupled with the fact that the Bristol 406 Zagato utilized an engine design, which was now over 20 years old and had reached its limits, contributed to the low demand for the vehicle. [13] [38]
Bristol 406 Zagato (110S-Motor) | Alvis TD 21 [56] | Aston Martin DB4 [57] | Aston Martin DB4 GT [58] | Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato [59] | Jaguar Mark 2 [60] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Engine type | Six-cylinder four-stroke engine, in-line | |||||
Displacement | 2216 cm³ | 2993 cm³ | 3670 cm³ | 3781 cm³ | ||
Maximum power | 97 kW (130 bhp, 132 HP) | 86 kW (115 bhp, 116 HP) | 179 kW (240 bhp, 243 HP) | 222 kW (299 bhp, 302 HP) | 231 kW (309 bhp, 314 HP) | 164 kW (220 bhp, 223 HP) |
Top speed | 196 km/h | 169 km/h | 224 km/h | 246 km/h | 247 km/h | 195 km/h |
Price (1959) | 4.750 £ | 2.877 £ | 3.967 £ | 4.169 £ | 5.400 £ | 1.779 £ |
The Bristol 406 Zagato is highly regarded as one of the brand's rarest and most exciting classics. [38] [50] It has become a sought-after vehicle, fetching the highest sale prices of any Bristol. In the early 21st century Zagato was trading for 20 to 30 times the price of a new car. [13] A 1960-built car sold for £169,500 (€187,390) in fully restored condition in 2014. [61]
Since Anthony Crook Motors had only managed to sell six out of the ten 406 Zagato vehicles produced in Italy according to the contract, a surplus of bodies remained. To make use of these surplus bodies, Crook made the decision to retrofit them onto older Bristol chassis starting in 1961. By repurposing the surplus bodies in this manner, Crook aimed to utilize the available resources and give new life to the remaining Zagato bodies. In a process known in the UK as upgrading, several Bristol 400 and 401 chassis were retrofitted with the remaining 406 Zagato-style bodies, which had been stylistically reworked in detail in Crook's workshop. [44] The upgraded cars left Crook's workshop with a 2.2-liter engine (Type 110 or Type 110S); rather, they all retained the 2.0-liter engines (Type 85) with which they were equipped as standard. However, at least one of these cars was fitted with a Type 110 engine at the owner’s request. [19] [62] [63]
Like the regular 406 Zagatos, these upgrades were projects of Anthony Crook Motors; there was no direct link to Bristol Cars. Crook offered the conversions from the summer of 1961 at a third of the price of an original 406 Zagato (£1,550). [13] The exact number of these mixed models produced is unknown, but Tony Crook stated in 2001 that the demand had been good. Brand documentation suggests "at least three" cars were reworked in this way. [64] Based on the 1949 chassis number 400-1-568, one of these mixed models was found in disrepair in Devon in 2013. As a so-called barn find (Barnfind), the car was auctioned unrestored for £29,000 in the same year. [63] Since then, the car has been fully restored and is repeatedly shown at exhibitions.
The 406 Zagato can be distinguished from the 406 S Zagato, a stylistically distinct vehicle characterized by its shorter wheelbase. The "S" suffix (for English short) refers to this special feature. The two-seater car, designated factory 406S-P2, is a one-off built in 1960 at Zagato in Milan on behalf of Anthony Crook Motors. It is based on a Bristol 404 chassis that was slightly lengthened. With a wheelbase of 2743 mm, the 406 S Zagato lies between the short 404 (2438 mm) and the regular 406 Saloon and 406 Zagato (2896 mm). This chassis is the same as that of the prototype 406S-P1 produced in 1958. The aluminum body of the 406 S Zagato features soft curves and a semi-hatchback. The rear fenders are rounded, and a panoramic rear window is taken from a small-production Zagato-bodied Lancia. The 406 S Zagato is equipped with the 130 bhp Type-110S engine that was also used in the longer 406 Zagato. This particular car was utilized by Tony Crook’s family for several years and still existed at the beginning of the 21st century. [65]
Interestingly, the design of the 406 S Zagato body was later adapted, with slight modifications, for the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato. [44] [64] The Bristol 407 GTZ Zagato, introduced in 1961, also received a similar, although significantly longer, body design.
Bristol 406 Zagato | ||
---|---|---|
2.2 Liter Type 110 | 2.2 Liter Type 110 S | |
Engine: | Six-cylinder in-line petrol engine | |
Engine displacement: | 2216 cm³ | |
Bore × Stroke: | 68,69 × 99,64 mm | |
Performance: | 105 bhp (78 kW, 106 HP) | 130 bhp (97 kW, 132 HP) |
Max. torque: | 177 Nm at 4700 rpm | 165 Nm at 3750 rpm |
Compression ratio: | 8.5 : 1 | 9.0 : 1 |
Mixture preparation: | 3 × Solex downdraft gasifier type 32 PBI/7 | |
Valve timing: | chain-driven bottom-mounted camshaft; Tappets, pushrods and rocker arms (Outlet: 2 pushrods and 2 rocker arms) | |
Cooling: | Water cooling | |
Transmission: | manual four-speed transmission, gears 2 to 4 synchronized, overdrive | |
Front suspension: | Wishbone above and transverse leaf spring below | |
Rear suspension: | Rigid axle, guided at the bottom by the support levers of the torsion bar springs via short connecting rods, above by a trailing arm and laterally by a Watt linkage | |
Brakes: | front and rear disc brakes | |
Chassis: | Tubular frame | |
Body: | Aluminum on lattice frame | |
Wheelbase: | 2896 mm | |
Dimensions (Length × Width × Height): | 4700 × 1600 × 1397 mm | |
Curb weight: | 1120 kg | |
Top speed: | approx. 170 km/h | approx. 196 km/h |
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with expensive grand touring cars in the 1950s and 1960s, and with the fictional character James Bond following his use of a DB5 model in the 1964 film Goldfinger. Their grand tourers and sports cars are regarded as a British cultural icon.
AC Cars, originally incorporated as Auto Carriers Ltd., is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car makers founded in Britain. As a result of bad financial conditions over the years, the company was renamed or liquidated many times until its latest form. In 2022, the new corporate structure began the production of new AC Cobra models, with a slightly modified structure to adapt it to modern safety and technology requirements and obtain the European road homologation certificate.
The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer introduced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin in 2001 as a successor to the Aston Martin Virage (1993).
The Aston Martin DB7 is a car that was produced by British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin from September 1994 to December 2004. It was designed by Ian Callum and Keith Helfet as a grand tourer in coupé and convertible bodystyles. The prototype was complete by November 1992 and debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1993. The six-cylinder DB7 was positioned as an "entry-level" model below the hand-built V8 Virage introduced a few years earlier. This model was the most-produced Aston Martin automobile up to that point in time, with more than 7,000 built before it was replaced by the DB9 in 2004.
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement. Grand tourers are often the coupé derivative of luxury saloons or sedans. Some models, such as the Ferrari 250 GT, Jaguar E-Type, and Aston Martin DB5, are considered classic examples of gran turismo cars.
Zagato is a coachbuilding company founded by Ugo Zagato in 1919. The design center of the company is located in Terrazzano, a village near Rho, Lombardy, Italy.
The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is a grand tourer sports car designed by Zagato and produced between 1960 and 1963. Introduced in October 1960 at the London Motor Show, it was effectively a DB4 GT, lightened and improved by the Zagato factory in Italy, by Ercole Spada. Initially, the factory planned to produce 25 cars, but demand was not as strong as expected and production was reduced to 19.
Superleggera is a custom tube and alloy panel automobile coachwork construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. A separate chassis was still required.
The V8 Zagato model Aston Martin was a grand tourer of the 1980s. Just 52 examples of the coupé and 37 of the convertible were built between 1986 and 1990. The coupé was first unveiled at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, and orders were quickly taken despite only showing the drawing of the car.
Lagonda is a British luxury car brand established in 1906, which has been owned by Aston Martin since 1947. The trade-name has not had a continuous commercial existence, being dormant several times, most recently from 1995 to 2008, 2010 to 2013, and 2016 onward.
The DB4 is a grand tourer that was produced by Aston Martin from 1958 until 1963. The "DB" designation came from Sir David Brown, who built up the company from 1947 onwards.
The Aston Martin Virage is an automobile produced by British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin as a replacement for its V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, after which the name of the base model was changed to V8 Coupe in 1996.
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a British grand tourer, a higher performance version of the Aston Martin V8. It was hailed at its 1977 introduction as "Britain's First Supercar" for its 170 mph (270 km/h) top speed. Its engine was shared with the Lagonda, but it used high-performance camshafts, increased compression ratio, larger inlet valves and bigger carburettors mounted on new manifolds for increased output. Straight-line performance was the best of the day, with acceleration from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.3 seconds, one-tenth of a second quicker than the Ferrari Daytona.
The Lancia Flaminia is a luxury car produced by Italian automaker Lancia from 1957 until 1970. It was Lancia's flagship model at that time, replacing the Aurelia. It was available throughout its lifetime as in saloon, coupé and cabriolet body styles. The Flaminia coupé and cabriolet were coachbuilt cars with bodies from several prestigious Italian coachbuilders. Four "presidential" stretched limousines were produced by Pininfarina for use on state visits.
The Bristol 406 was a luxury car produced between 1958 and 1961 by British manufacturer Bristol 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. Bristol Aeroplane's car division later became Bristol Cars.
The Bristol 407 was a sports tourer car produced by British manufacturer Bristol Cars between 1961 and 1963. It was the first Bristol model to be made by the company after separation from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which had built all previous Bristol models. Outwardly it resembled the 406, on which it was based, and which had been produced between 1958 and 1961.
The Aston MartinAtom is a prototype automobile built by Aston Martin (AM). Construction of the car began in 1939 and was completed in 1940. The Atom is one of the first fully functional concept cars ever built. Aston Martin explored several new technologies with the Atom, and its chassis design was the basis for the platform used by AM's post-war models well into the late 1950s.
Carrosserie Hermann Graber, simply known as Graber was a Swiss coachbuilder based in Wichtrach. Between 1927 and 1970 the firm supplied coach-built bodies for fitting on the chassis of various European and US auto-makers. Graber had a particularly close relationship with the British firm of Alvis, providing the manufacturer with bespoke and elegant if expensive bodies for almost twenty years, mostly during the 1950s and 1960s.
The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, also sold as the Aston Martin DBS, is a grand touring car produced by British manufacturer Aston Martin from 2018 to 2024. In June 2018, Aston Martin unveiled the car as a replacement to the second-generation Vanquish. It is based on the DB11 V12, but featuring modifications that differentiate it from the DB11 lineage.
The Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet is a special model of the Aston Martin DB4 GT.