Today, Bentley Motors and The Little Car Company are unveiling a remarkable creation: ‘Blower Jnr.’ This road-legal beauty is an 85 percent scale recreation of the world’s most famous Bentley, the 1929 4½-litre Supercharged Team Car No. 2. It’s truly a sight to behold!
Crafted with meticulous care to Bentley’s exceptional standards, Blower Jnr boasts stunning features inspired by the original Team Car. But what makes it truly special is its cutting-edge design. Powered by a 48V electric powertrain with a 15 kW (20 bhp) motor, it reaches a top speed of 45 mph / 72 km/h in the UK and EU, and 25 mph / 40 km/h in the USA (due to legislation). With an impressive expected range of around 65 miles, this sophisticated city car offers tandem seating for two adults.
Blower Jnr is the result of a unique collaboration between The Little Car Company and Bentley’s Heritage Collection. The original 1929 Team Car, insured for a staggering £25m, served as a blueprint for this magnificent creation. Every minute detail has been recreated at an 85 percent scale, leaving even the experts astonished.
Measuring 3.7 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, Blower Jnr is a true masterpiece. And the best part? Unlike The Little Car Company’s other offerings, this exquisite vehicle is fully road legal and specifically engineered for the road. Get ready to be captivated by the charm of Blower Jnr as it takes on the streets with an air of sophistication and elegance.
A Faithful Homage
Blower Jnr goes beyond the surface, presenting a captivating recreation that repurposes details from the original car. Its frame, painted steel with an authentic chassis specification, ensure a comfortable ride with leaf springs, scaled-down friction dampers, and reliable Brembo disc brakes at the front. The electric motor, batteries, and drive electronics reside in a concealed undertray, while the rear body structure showcases carbon fiber craftsmanship covered in impregnated fabric. The hand-crafted aluminum bonnet, adorned with cooling louvers and secured by exquisite leather buckled bonnet straps, adds an element of elegance. Step inside the two-person cockpit, designed with a central adjustable driving position and a rear seat for the passenger. Unlock the scaled-down, repurposed fuel tank to reveal an optional bespoke weekend bag. Charging the Blower Jnr is a breeze, with the onboard charger accessible through the supercharger’s dedicated port. The revered Bentley mesh grille adds a touch of grandeur to the forefront, encased in an authentic nickel-plated radiator housing. A masterful replica dashboard, featuring Engine Turned Aluminium, houses the fuel pressure pump repurposed as a drive mode selector. Comfort, Bentley, and Sport modes offer a range of power options, while the lever for selecting Forward, Neutral, and Reverse resembles the original Blower’s ignition advance control. Delight in the switchgear, inspired by the magneto switches from the Team Car, operating the headlights and indicators. The battery charge gauge echoes the original ammeter, and a concealed USB charging point awaits your convenience. Lastly, relish the dual-function display that serves as a Garmin satellite navigation screen and reversing camera, completing the immersive cabin experience.
The First Edition
Introducing the First Edition Models of Blower Jnr – limited to just 99 examples! These magnificent beauties come adorned with exclusive First Edition badging on the hood, door sill plate, and dash, along with an engraved and numbered ‘1 of 99’ plaque. The Blower Green finish, complemented by painted chassis and wheels, captures the essence of the original design. And let’s not forget the Union flag, hand-painted on both sides of the body, adding a touch of patriotism to this remarkable machine. Inside, you’ll find the luxurious Dark Green Lustrana Hide upholstery used by Mulliner for the Blower Continuation Series. The period-correct racing number graces the side panel and radiator, while the steering wheel boasts a classic rope-bound design. Indulge in the history and artistry of the Blower Jnr with these First Edition Models – true collector’s items that epitomize automotive excellence.
The original Supercharged 4 ½ Liter ‘Blower’ Team Car No. 2
The supercharged 4½-litre ‘Blower’ Bentley – a pre-war icon that boasts unmatched impact. This lightning-fast race car, beloved by none other than Ian Fleming, the author of James Bond, took the world by storm back in the day. Its unrivaled speed made it the crème de la crème of British sports cars, relegating the MI6 “pool car” to second fiddle.
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These Blower Bentleys were the brainchild of Sir Tim Birkin, a legendary racing driver and prominent figure among the Bentley Boys. His mission? Taking the racing Bentleys of that era to unprecedented velocity. While founder W.O. Bentley focused on increasing engine capacity, Birkin was captivated by the groundbreaking Roots-type supercharger from engineer Amherst Villiers. With this innovation, the 4½-litre engine’s power skyrocketed, reaching a remarkable 240 bhp in race tune. And so, Birkin convinced Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato to greenlight the production of 55 supercharged 4½-litre Bentleys, five of which were armed for fierce competition.
Today, the Blower Bentley on Bentley’s heritage fleet – UU 5872 – stands as a remarkable testament. This beauty is the second of four ‘Team’ cars developed by Birkin & Co, fueled by generous backing from the Hon. Dorothy Paget, a wealthy heiress. The ‘Team’ cars marked their place in history by participating in twelve exhilarating races, with their most celebrated achievement being car number 2’s Le Mans 24 Hours adventure in 1930.
Having undergone a sympathetic restoration in the 1960s, Team Car No. 2 has retained its original patina, staying true to Birkin’s vision. In the hands of Bentley Motors since 2000, it has received minimal cosmetic touch-ups, preserving its authenticity. It has graced the modern Mille Miglia race on five occasions, ventured to Le Mans multiple times, and made memorable appearances at esteemed events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
The allure of Team Car No. 2 has inspired the creation of an exquisite series – the Blower Continuation Series. Crafted with unwavering dedication in the Mulliner Classic workshops using traditional techniques passed down through generations, these twelve Continuation Cars are faithful recreations. Becoming the world’s first pre-war continuation vehicles, these extraordinary machines pay homage to a bygone era. Meanwhile, the final touches are being applied to the final car of the Blower Continuation Series, while a second Continuation Series of 12 Bentley Speed Six models is currently in the works.
Monterey Car Week Global Debut
Blower Jnr will make its world debut tonight in front of 100 VIPs at Monterey Car Week, ahead of a schedule of appearances across the weekend. Production is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2024, starting with the 99 First Edition models.
This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag
