How many Bristol 401s are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 667,839 on the road Built 1950-1955 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Bristol's second car, sold from the late 1940s to 1953. Its smooth aluminium body was shaped with help from Touring of Milan and refined in the aircraft company's wind tunnel, making it one of the most aerodynamic saloons of its day. Under the bonnet was the BMW-derived 2-litre six.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1951: 4 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 1 |
| 1951 | 4 |
| 1952 | 1 |
| 1955 | 1 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 7 still registered, the Bristol 401 is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks 1st of the 8 Bristol models and equal 2,128th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.