Blower Bentley set for Revival

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Attention Bentley Boys and Girls, one of the most thrilling and iconic cars from Bentley’s history, Sir Tim Birkin’s 1929 supercharged 4.5-litre “Blower,” is to be reborn in a new series of 12 matching cars. Each is individually handcrafted by a specialist team from Mulliner Coach works. Together, the new cars will form the world’s first pre-war race car continuation series. Yes, you read that right, a one make race series of Le Mans type Blower Bentleys will be turning a wheel in anger.

Only four original ‘Team Blowers’ were built for racing by Birkin, in the late 1920s. All saw a fight to the finish on the racetracks of Europe, with the most famous car, Birkin’s own Team Car No. 2, registration UU 5872 – racing at Le Mans and playing a pivotal role in the factory Bentley Speed Six victory in 1930.

Now, the 1929 Team Blower will be the master example for 12 continuations, one for each race the original Team Blowers too part in.

Bentley’s own Team Blower – chassis number HB 3403 – will be disassembled to its individual components, before each part is catalogued and meticulously scanned in 3D to create a complete digital model of the entire car. Using the original 1920s moulds and tooling jigs, and traditional hand tools alongside the latest manufacturing technology, 12 sets of parts will then be created, before assembly.

The 12 continuations will be identical to the original as much as possible, with only minimal hidden changes dictated by modern safety concerns. The original car will then be reassembled, with the heritage team taking the opportunity to complete a detailed inspection and sympathetic mechanical restoration where required.

It will take Mulliner approximately two years of meticulous work to complete the 12-car series. While we dont know yet just how much a recreation Blower Bentley will set you back, but it certainly wont be cheap. The only way to find out exactly how much, would be to order one yourself.