Help! 1953 Bristol! What model Bristol is this?

[HughMiller]

The bonnet & boot badges are red, which suggests a 403 (401 badges, and most other Bristol models, have an amber background), although 403s usually *do* have '403' on the bonnet sides and boot. The hubcap badges should match. The grille is silver (401s were black) - though that's easily changed. I painted my 403 grill black because I thought it looked better (actually, I also took the '403' and 'GB' badges off at one stage, when I was on a minimalist kick).
If it's definitely 1953, I think that's too late for a 401, too.
If you can go and look at it, a simple discriminator is the front suspension. The 403 has a roll bar, the 401 doesn't. The 403 should also have an engine number that starts with 100, rather than 85.
Hugh Miller

[Geoff Kingston]

Well spotted Hugh, no signs of the holes for the 403 script on the bonnet and boot though , have checked the number on the BOC chassis list for the 401 and the 403 and it's not showing up on either though there are a small number of 401's that appear to have been registered in 1953.
Makes this all the more interesting, a lost Bristol found.