What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - focussed

This is a real longshot, but perhaps someone out there knows the answer. L J K Setright’s final book entitled ‘Long Lane With Turnings’ had a picture on the front cover of a car at the top of a long lane. Does anyone know the make and model of the car? The photographer was Jorn Tomter (Norwegian) and the cover design house was Peter Marlow/Magnum.

Thanks in advance.

n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - craig-pd130

I'm fairly certain it's a Bristol 405 convertible. Looking at the pic very closely, I can see vestigial fins above the tail-lights, which together with the position of the tail-lights themselves mark it as a 405, not a 404 (the 404 had the lights faired into the bumper, not the rear wings).

LJKS made no secret of his admiration for Bristol cars so having one on the cover is fitting, too.

n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - Bianconeri

I'm fairly certain it's a Bristol 405 convertible. Looking at the pic very closely, I can see vestigial fins above the tail-lights, which together with the position of the tail-lights themselves mark it as a 405, not a 404 (the 404 had the lights faired into the bumper, not the rear wings).

LJKS made no secret of his admiration for Bristol cars so having one on the cover is fitting, too.

Yes, just had a look at the book and I'm pretty sure it's a 405 too. LJKS wrote the defunitive guide to Bristol, costs a fortune.
n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - focussed

I bow to your superior knowledge. Taking that marque and model on an internet search I note that some Bristols had number plates offset to the left(nearside) as does the car in the book cover picture.

n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - focussed

Thanks for taking the trouble guys - it was for the wife of a friend whose husband wanted to know for personal reasons.

n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - Hugh Watt

for the wife of a friend whose husband ...

Now that's got me wondering - nope, can't work it out!

n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - johncyprus
Slightly off topic LJK bought my great uncle's 405 Bristol Zagoto in 1972; the 405Z had been offered to my Father who declined it having no interest in cars ( strange his son is a petrolhead ) at the time I begged my Dad to buy it. I remember my great uncle just wanted a couple of thousand to replace it with a new BMW 2002. At age 16 I was a bystander but that was " the one that got away ". From memory six 405s were sent to Zagoto to be rebodied and I think only three survive.
n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - Bianconeri
Slightly off topic LJK bought my great uncle's 405 Bristol Zagoto in 1972; the 405Z had been offered to my Father who declined it having no interest in cars ( strange his son is a petrolhead ) at the time I begged my Dad to buy it. I remember my great uncle just wanted a couple of thousand to replace it with a new BMW 2002. At age 16 I was a bystander but that was " the one that got away ". From memory six 405s were sent to Zagoto to be rebodied and I think only three survive.

I've never even seen one for real. One thing with Bristol is that cars did return to the factory for upgrades to later specs. Wonderful machines but, sadly, not understood by many. Cost an absolute fortune to run but worth every penny.
n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - focussed

Oh- well spotted!

It should have been "for a friend whose husband's friend ... etc

n/a - LJK Setright's last book cover. - Steveieb

I often wonder what the great man would think of the recent offerings from Honda ?

He chose the Prelude 4WS as his day car , admiring the low centre of gravity, design excellence , Road holding and peerless reliability.