Bristol 406 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.

Origin story
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. The chassis and engines were derived from pre-war BMW Types 326, 327, and 328. These design plans might have been brought to Britain as reparations during the war. The debut 400 model, featuring bodywork based on a BMW coupe, was followed by the Touring-bodied 401, 402, and 403 models, which are regarded as a single-model family in the literature. In 1953, the third generation of Bristol cars emerged, with the two-door 404, followed by the four-door 405 a year later. Even though these models were produced in three-digit numbers each, they 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. It was larger, heavier, and more luxurious compared to earlier Bristol's. 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. As a result, it was sometimes perceived as underpowered. 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 was abandoned due to cost considerations and uncertain prospects for the company. 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: 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 and whose British general importer Crook had been for years, to design and build it. 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, Anthony Crook Motors, or Zagato stand, 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.

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: 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. 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.

Nomenclature
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. 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, 406 GTZ, or 406 GT Zagato (not used in 1959) are also sometimes found.

Chassis and suspension
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. Additionally, the car decelerates with four Dunlop disc brakes.

Engine and transmission
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). 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. 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. The fuel mixture is conditioned by three 32 PBI/7 Solex downdraft carburetors mounted above the engine block.

In the 406 Zagato, the engine was available with two different power ratings:


 * Individual cars, including the prototype publicly exhibited in October 1959, are equipped with the basic version of the engine, which was also fitted to all 406 Saloons (Type 110). It produces 105 bhp (78 kW, 106 hp), with a torque of 175 Nm (293 lb-ft) at 4700 revolutions per minute.
 * Most 406 Zagato cars feature a more powerful version of the six-cylinder engine (Type 110S), which was not available in the 406 Saloon. It delivers a maximum output of 130 bhp (97 kW, 132 PS) with the same displacement. Maximum torque is slightly lower than in the base version at 166 Nm but at a lower rpm of 3750. The increase in power was achieved through a raised compression ratio of 9.0:1, a modified camshaft, and a new exhaust system including a manifold from Abarth. The engine is powered by a hand-operated power unit.

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.

Bodywork
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.

Design
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. The radiator grille is directly borrowed from Lancia and, on individual cars even features Lancia's crest encircled by the Bristol Cars emblem. The roof structure follows the trapezoidal shape that gained popularity in Europe in the late 1950s. 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. However, the interior of the Zagato is tighter than that of the 406 Saloon. The roof is profiled: It has the typical Zagato bulges called double bubbles in the rear. On the 1959 prototype and the car produced thereafter, the roof is slightly lower than on the following four cars. The doors are frameless. 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. 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. Decorative elements on the 406 Zagato vary from vehicle to vehicle, including the radiator grille and the side trim. On certain cars, the side trim extends horizontally to the rear wheel cutout or onto the rear fender, while on others, it may feature a Z-shaped bend, or be missing entirely. Additionally, some cars have three horizontal trim strips on the C-pillar, while others do not.

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." Criticism has been directed towards the Zagato design for its styling choices.

Lightweight Design
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. 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. However, it is worth noting that at least one car features the comfortable armchairs found in the 406 Saloon.

Faults
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. 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.

Dimensions, weight, and performance
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) and close to that of the 1946 Bristol 400. 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).

Production process
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. The finished cars then arrived in Great Britain "on their own wheels," where they underwent additional reworking and final adjustments at Crook's workshop in Hersham in Surrey.

Production and Prices
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. It is widely agreed upon in literature that only six Bristol 406 Zagato vehicles were actually produced. While some sources indicate a production run of seven cars, that includes the short-wheelbase 406 S Zagato as a separate model.

Anthony Crook Motors offered the Bristol 406 Zagato for sale in late 1959 for £4,792 (vehicle price £3,380 plus £1412 purchase tax), 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 or nine Mini (£500).

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.

Of the original six 406 Zagato, four or five cars are believed to still exist today, depending on the source. 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.

The Bristol 406 Zagato and its competitors
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. 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.

The Bristol 406 Zagato as a classic
The Bristol 406 Zagato is highly regarded as one of the brand's rarest and most exciting classics. 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. A 1960-built car sold for £169,500 (€187,390) in fully restored condition in 2014.

Zagato's bodies for older Bristol chassis
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. 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.

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). 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. 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. Since then, the car has been fully restored and is repeatedly shown at exhibitions.

Bristol 406 S Zagato
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.

Interestingly, the design of the 406 S Zagato body was later adapted, with slight modifications, for the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato. The Bristol 407 GTZ Zagato, introduced in 1961, also received a similar, although significantly longer, body design.