For the time being I am still doing some research.
Aparently no 401's have been imported to Portugal in the early days.
The one I knew about seems to be a lhd 403. Today it is black with beige trim. I heard it was originally metalic grey.
By pure chance, an old friend just called me for seasons greetings.
Once he owned som classics inthe past, I told him about my Bristol "fever".
Surprisingly he told me his father owned an old Bristol back in the 50's. He thought the car wass grey, and he went searching for a picture.
Later he found it, and the car seemed grey in a black & white photo.
H spoke with his mother, who told the car was new at the seller's showroom, it was metalic dark red. The seller asked them to leave the car one more month in exhibition, what they did then.
Later they used the car for lots of years.
Aparently in some garage the anti-roll bar has been stolen by some mechanic. For this reason they crshed, and the car turned over, ended upside down due to the crash. So, they didn't got much hurt, and sold the car.
I remeber later seing the car for sale IN BLACK (my rememberence was dark green, but I was wrong) some 20 years ago.
I asked 3 years ago the dealer about the whereabouts of this car. He told me it has been sold to a german architect, Helmut Weitmann, who lived in Sintra. I tryed to trace him, and he retired, moved to Algarve (southern Portugal). By phone we talked, he told me about the car, and he has sold all his cars, including some old jaguars, because he was very old now.
He sended me a picture, where i COULD READ THE NUMBER PLATE: LD-19-15
The cars keep it's number plate for life in Portugal. So, I managed to find the actual owner, but it is a touristic enterprise, not working, for there is no phone number.
Let's see...
Yours for longer engine roars,
J.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoff Dowdle
Joseph,
the cost will be a lot less than what Bristol Cars Ltd quoted
Email me direct darin@wix.com.au if you decide you need it
Regards
Geoff |