Photo: Bentley
In September 2019, Bentley announced it is bringing back the 1929 Birkin Blower as part of the world’s first pre-war car continuation series. Just a few months have passed since then, and the Brits have announced the CAD model that will form the basis for the reconstruction is ready.
Work on the digitalization of the car took two engineers 1,200 man-hours to complete, some of them conducted remotely because of the lockdown measures currently in place. The result is an exact digital replica of the 1929 model, comprising 630 components across 70 assemblies.
Work on reviving the Blower is of course done by the carmaker’s Mulliner Classic division, who will assemble just 12 examples of it. All have been spoken for by collectors who are already in the process of specifying colors and trim options.
All cars will be built with newly-made parts, but as exact mechanical copies of the 90-year old original. That includes the four-cylinder, 16-valve engine fitted with a supercharger that will be an exact replica of the Amherst Villiers Mk IV used on the original.
The engine is 4½-litre in displacement, as Bentley likes to say, and should develop 240 bhp at 4,200 rpm. The engine will push forward a body built on a pressed steel frame with leaf spring suspension.
“The 12 new Blowers will not only be an homage to our heritage, they will be a celebration of the outstanding skills of our Mulliner craftspeople,” said in a statement at the time when the series was announced the company’s CEO, Adrian Hallmark.
“This is a new challenge for Bentley, but with the incredible success of the recent restoration of our 1939 one-of-one Corniche, we wanted to go one step further and make something even more special.”
Originally, there were four Blowers assembled in the 1920s by Bentley Boy Tim Birkin. The one used as a reference for the continuation series is the driven on various tracks, including Le Mans. The vehicle is still in running order and tours events across the world, from Mille Miglia to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Work on reviving the Blower is of course done by the carmaker’s Mulliner Classic division, who will assemble just 12 examples of it. All have been spoken for by collectors who are already in the process of specifying colors and trim options.
All cars will be built with newly-made parts, but as exact mechanical copies of the 90-year old original. That includes the four-cylinder, 16-valve engine fitted with a supercharger that will be an exact replica of the Amherst Villiers Mk IV used on the original.
The engine is 4½-litre in displacement, as Bentley likes to say, and should develop 240 bhp at 4,200 rpm. The engine will push forward a body built on a pressed steel frame with leaf spring suspension.
“The 12 new Blowers will not only be an homage to our heritage, they will be a celebration of the outstanding skills of our Mulliner craftspeople,” said in a statement at the time when the series was announced the company’s CEO, Adrian Hallmark.
“This is a new challenge for Bentley, but with the incredible success of the recent restoration of our 1939 one-of-one Corniche, we wanted to go one step further and make something even more special.”
Originally, there were four Blowers assembled in the 1920s by Bentley Boy Tim Birkin. The one used as a reference for the continuation series is the driven on various tracks, including Le Mans. The vehicle is still in running order and tours events across the world, from Mille Miglia to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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