A Bristol Type 400, 2 litre saloon, built 1948

I took Woodpeckers to Painswick where she had a stall at the 'Painswick Church Clypping and Puppy Dog Pie' festival, held in the famous churchyard with nearly one hundred yew trees (there always seems to be some debate about the actual number of trees there).

I decided to drive home after dropping her off as I wasn't feeling great. On the way home I passed Salmon Springs, the mill site just outside the town, now converted for use by a range of light industrial businesses. Helena had noticed when we passed it on the way up the valley to Painswick that there were lots of old cars in the large car park, so I stopped off to have a look.

There weren't actually very many cars but my eye was caught by a couple of them.  One was this delightful red Bristol 400 built in 1948 heavily influenced by BMW cars of the period from which it takes some of its parts. The Bristol Car Company had only begun in 1946 so this was its first design, although it was their second iteration launched in 1948. In 1948 they launched the 401, of which six hundred and eleven were built, and then the 402 of which only twenty-three were made.

I think this must be a local car as I have seen it before. It is certainly beautifully maintained. A 1947 convertible (cabriolet) version designed by Pininfarina sold for €240,000 in 2016, but in Monaco; a much better location for an open car! 

ps
I thought I would add a link to the first car I ever had (or one like it), bought when I was about thirteen. I would drive it around our fields and loved it. It's smell was fantastic. It was an Sunbeam-Talbot Saloon 1947 built in 1948, the year before I was born. I loved driving it around our field for several years before it died completely!