Where do we start?
In 1952 ERA produced the G-Type which was raced by Stirling Moss in three GPs and five other races. The car was designed by David Hodkin, not Professor von Eberhorst the Auto Union designer as is sometimes stated. despite a chassis of magnesium-alloy, the car was too heavy for the power of the Bristol engine and was not as fast as the Cooper-Bristol. ERA sold the car and the design to Bristol who replicated the chassis in steel and used it as the basis of the 450.
The 450 ran as a coupe at Le Mans and Reims in 1953 and 1954 and in open form at Le Mans in 1955.
The full race record is
Le Mans 1953
Tommy Wisdom/Jack Fairman DNF (accident)
Lance Macklin/Graham Whitehead DNF (fire)
Reims 12hrs 1953
Peter J Wilson/Jack Fairman 5th, 1st in class
Lance Macklin/Graham Whitehead DNF (transmission)
Le Mans 1954
Peter J Wilson/Jim Mayers 7th, 1st in class
Tommy Wisdom/Jack Fairman 8th, 2nd in class
Mike Keen/Tommy Line 9th, 3rd in class
Reims 12hrs 1954
Mike Keen/Tommy Line 10th, 2nd in class
Peter J Wilson/Jim Mayers 11th, 3rd in class
Tommy Wisdom/Jack Fairman 12th, 5th in class)
Le Mans 1955
Peter J Wilson/Jim Mayers 7th, 1st in class, 3rd in Biennial Cup
Tommy Wisdom/Jack Fairman 8th, 2nd in class
Mike Keen/Tommy Line 9th, 3rd in class
(results courtesy of
http://www.wsrp.wz.cz/ )
One open car appeared at the 2004 Goodwood Revival, but only in a parade, not in a race. But it might be a re-creation
I don’t know about Bristol refusing to sell them for club racing, but it is quite credible as they were designed purely to compete at the high speed Le Mans circuit and would not have shone in UK club racing.
Al,
Yes this was the same engine. It was derived from the prewar BMW 328 design which was given to Bristol as war reparation.