Bentley Blower to Return as 12-Car Continuation Series
Bentley is the latest brand to announce a “continuation” series of one of its classic models, with a run of 12 Bentley Blowers based on the 1929 original.
It’s the latest celebration of Bentley’s 100-year heritage, following the futuristic EXP 100 GT, but this time firmly looking to the past.
Bentley only built four of the 4½-litre Blower cars, sporting a supercharged 4.4-litre four-cylinder engine, for racing in the late 20s and early 30s. While it never won an endurance race itself, the car played a role in team victories, including the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Blower was created by Bentley Boy Sir Tim Birkin, who added a supercharger to the original 4½-litre. However W.O. Bentley wouldn’t allow the engine itself to be modified, so the supercharger was placed ahead of the radiator to give the car a distinctive look.
Bentley will use its own Blower, the second produced and Birkin’s own race car, as the basis for the continuation model. The 90-year old car will be disassembled piece by piece, with each component catalogued and scanned.
With original moulds and jigs from the 1920s, the Mulliner team will then create 12 new sets of parts, which will be assembled into the 12 new cars to create a dozen identical copies.
There’s no pricing available at the moment for the continuation models, with prospective buyers required to apply to even learn how much each car might cost.
The original car will also be reassembled, and restored if necessary, to resume its duties that have recently included the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
