The Mitchell 401 Special

In the early 1990s, this car was a dilapidated 401 saloon, traded for spares. Finally it reached Andrew Mitchell. His long experience of restoring Bristol cars assured Andrew that the bodywork had now passed the point of no return. And yet much of the original car survived intact: original registration, original engine, original interior...

And so arose the inspiration for this car: a creative re-working of the Bristol concept, striving to liberate its untapped potential, while at the same time reusing as far as possible the components from just the one original chassis, effectively giving it a second life.

This front view shows how Andrew's styling has reinterpreted the cowled intake of the 404-407 and the air scoop of the 404/5. A key principle of his design has been to mount the engine low enough in the chassis that it will fit traditional sportscar lines.

Over two thousand hours have been spent realizing this long-cherished concept. The signs are that it should be seen as a statement — part criticism, part tribute. Certainly, Mitchell has no intention of duplicating it; but he does not discount the possibility that one day, he may embark on another project of the same scale. All we can be sure of is that it will be similarly different.