It may not be an exceptional beauty, but it is rare, this Bristol Beaufighter from 1984. Techzle reader René van Kessel met him in Zaltbommel and was kind enough to share his special find with us. Thank you for that, because it is an extremely special spot.
We fully understand René van Kessel that it was not immediately clear what he had in front of him when he hit this Bristol. Even in home country England this would be a huge rarity. After all, Bristol enjoyed modest success in the 60s and 70s with its 411, but this successor could not quite bring the brand the new successes it had hoped for. It shared its foundation with the 603 (also known as Blenheim in its later years), which will undoubtedly be more famous for its relatively greater popularity.
Although in this case it is a Bristol Beaufighter, it is basically a 412. Beaufighter was the name Bristol gave to the car introduced in 1975 from 1980 onwards. Later again, from 1984, the car was known as Beaufort. In this case it is therefore a very late Beaufighter, which has been in the Netherlands since 2009. Someone was so charmed by the striking Englishman that he was taken this way. Fair is fair, then you also drive something special. According to Bristol, only 20 (!) Of the Beaufighter (named after a bomber from WW2 that was also built by Bristol) were made.
As mentioned, the 603 formed the basis for the 412, only the coach drawn by Zagato provides a completely different appearance. The roof is quite special. The Beaufighter that we see in the pictures here is known as a Targa, although it also looks a bit like a Landaulet. An observation that René van Kessel absolutely rightly shared with us. Not only can the roof section between the front and rear window pillar be removed, but you can also fold away the rear hood. A roof that can be folded in two parts, with which you can drive closed, semi-open or open. If possible, completely open is of course the best. Certainly because you then hear the 171 hp blown 5.9-liter V8 gurgling through the four very far protruding exhaust ends. 171 hp is nothing for such a large turbo block by current standards, but with its 241 km / h top speed it was certainly a fast thing for its time.
Another Bristol Beaufighter with the rear cap down.
Although you might not say it that way at first glance, this is one of the most exclusive spots we’ve had in In het Wild in ages. If you take a good look around you will find something! Have you also seen something special (it really doesn’t have to be as spectacular as it is here), then we would like to hear about it. Send your photos stating ‘In het Wild’ to journaal.autoweek@autoweek.nl and who knows, maybe your entry will soon shine in this section.