| Final 17:45 | time |   |  | 1. Derek Pugh |  GBR | 47.3s | CR |  | 2. Jacques Lunis |  FRA | 47.6s |   |  | 3. Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt |  SWE | 47.9s |   |  | 4. Guðmundur Lárusson |  ISL | 48.1s |   |  | 5. Leslie Lewis |  GBR | 48.7s |   |  | 6. Luigi Paterlini |  ITA | 48.9s |   |   
 | 
| History Men 400m |  | -- Competitors from -- Nations.  |  | Venue: Heysel Stadium. |   
 |  
|
  Semi-Finals Thusday 24.08 17:25 |  | First 3 prograssed to Final. |   
| Heat 1 | time |   |  | 1. Jacques Lunis |  FRA | 47.8s | Q |  | 2. Leslie Lewis |  GBR | 47.9s | Q |  | 3. Guðmundur Lárusson |  ISL | 48.0s | NR Q |  | 4. Gösta Brännström |  SWE | 48.5s |   |  | 5. Antonio Siddi |  ITA | 48.9s |   |  | 6. Ragnar Graeffe |  FIN | 49.5s |   |   
 | 
 | 
| Heat 2 | time |   |  | 1. Derek Pugh |  GBR | 48.6s | Q |  | 2. Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt |  SWE | 48.8s | Q |  | 3. Luigi Paterlini |  ITA | 49.2s | Q |  | 4. Rolf Back |  FIN | 49.2s |   |  | 5. Oscar Soetewey |  BEL | 51.4s |   |  | 6. René Leroux |  FRA | DNS |   |   
 |  
|
  Heats Wednesday 23.08 18:30 |   
| Heat 1 | time |   |  | 1. Leslie Lewis |  GBR | 49.8s | Q |  | 2. Ragnar Graeffe |  FIN | 50.1s | Q |  | -. Canekudis |  GRE |   |  | -. Asmundur Bjarnason |  ISL |   |   
 | 
 | 
| Heat 2 | time |   |  | 1. Derek Pugh |  GBR | 49.5s | Q |  | 2. Guðmundur Lárusson |  ISL | 49.8s | Q |  | -. Kilirenko |  URS |   |  | -. Gudmundur Larusson |  ISL |   |   
 | 
 
| Heat 3 | time |   |  | 1. Jacques Lunis |  FRA | 48.9s | Q |  | 2. Gösta Brännström |  SWE | 49.7s | Q |  | 3. Jean-Baptiste Peeters |  BEL | 50.8s |   |  | -. Rasouin |  LUX |   |  | 5. Siddi |  ITA |   |   
 | 
 | 
| Heat 4 | time |   |  | 1. Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt |  SWE | 48.8s | Q |  | 2. Rolf Back |  FIN | 49.0s | Q |  | 3. Aleš Poděbrad |  CZE | 49.7s |   |  | -. Moina |  ROU |   |   
 | 
 
| Heat 5 | time |   |  | 1. Luigi Paterlini |  ITA | 49.0s | Q |  | 2. René Leroux |  FRA | 49.3s | Q |  | 3. Zvonko Sabolović |  YUG | 49.5s |   |  | -. Acarbay |  TUR |   |   
 | 
 | 
| Heat 6 | time |   |  | 1. Antonio Siddi |  ITA | 49.7s | Q |  | 2. Oscar Soetewey |  BEL | 49.8s | Q |  | 3. Lazar Milosevski |  YUG | 50.6s |   |  | -. Komarovski |  URS |   |   
 |  
 |