Bentley has built another ‘Blower’ for the first time in 90 years. The extra powerful version of the Bentley 4½ Liter will be newly built in an edition of 12 units.
At the end of the 1920s, with the 4½ Liter, Bentley created a car that, thanks to its powerful engine, could perform well for that time. Not pretty enough for Sir Tim Burkin, who decided to connect a supercharger to the block. That produced roughly 110 hp extra, so that the ‘Blower’ baptized modified 4½ Liter mobilized no less than 240 hp. With that, there was no longer any size on the Bentley. Now, all these years later, this legendary device gets a short sequel. Bentley Mulliner, the brand’s bespoke division, today built the first of 12 completely new replicas.
According to the brand, it took around 40,000 hours in total to prepare all parts to be re-produced and to build the first new Bentley Blower. No fewer than 2,000 parts have been (re) designed and made by hand using modern techniques. The whole is also completely hand built. Everything based on the original construction drawings, of course. According to Bentley, the engine is also ‘an exact replica’ of the engines that were in the primal Blowers. Small adjustments to the rest of the car should make it a bit safer than it was then, but you will have to look for the differences with trained eyes.
Bentley previously indicated that it expects to build the 12 new Blowers in two years. The first is now there, the rest will follow until well into 2022. It will probably not surprise you, but Bentley is neatly closed when it comes to the price. You bet it’s astronomical. Yet Bentley has already sold all 12 Blowers in advance. You will only have it in your garage!