Alan Judd

Back-seat driving

Seven hundred miles now in the borrowed Bristol 410 and I’ve loved every yard of it.

issue 19 December 2009

Seven hundred miles now in the borrowed Bristol 410 and I’ve loved every yard of it.

Seven hundred miles now in the borrowed Bristol 410 and I’ve loved every yard of it. It’s poised, tolerant, powerful and very comfortable, now that I’ve removed the sunroof windshield that was threatening to scalp me. The elegantly understated lines make you feel you’re driving your club, appreciated by those who know, unrecognised by those who don’t (fortunately it handles rather better than the club would). In fact, the handling continues to surprise, partly because the wide, old-fashioned wheel makes you more conscious of steering, while the naturally aspirated 5.2 Chrysler V8 burbles and hums with unstressed power. The throttle is floor-mounted, which suits it, as is the dipswitch. Remember how they always were?

It reminds me in some ways of another big V8 of late 1960s vintage I used to own, a Daimler Majestic Major limousine.

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