The 401/2/3 buck in light restoration

The Heritage Trust has in its custody the front end of the buck on which your own 401 and 403 were coach built. It is made of sculpted hardwood and high quality ply. The nose section was obviously detachable to enable fine detail panel work. Tinsmiths would cut and shape aluminium panels to fit using the English wheel, then the coach builders would assemble them on the Superleggera framework. 

The buck had pride of place at the Patchway works, on racking with the others high above the factory floor, but had been somewhat neglected by its last owners. It has just had sympathetic light repairs and restoration done without losing the patina of the last 70- odd years and we are currently negotiating for it to be on public display in a suitable prestigious venue.

Here is work on it underway in Robin the cabinetmaker’s workshop. Unique? I have never seen another coach builders buck anywhere.

Our 401 buck is now proudly on display in Aerospace Bristol,  in goodly company inside the renovation  hanger. Walk behind the enormous Bristol Freighter, keeping the Bolingbroke fighter/bomber on your left hand side and you will find it, accompanied by a Kendrick’s English wheel and other coach building materia. It would be wonderful if it could be used to help with a major restoration, though we feel it is too fragile to risk moving. However, the dark arts of 3-D scanning may well help. (Update March 2025) 

Stefan Cembrowicz