The limited-edition Bacalar with Continental GT underpinnings may be the most expensive Bentley in production today, but it’s not the most expensive Bentley overall. That title goes to a pre-war model known as the 4½ Litre Blower, which hammered for $6.6 million eight years ago.
In the hands of Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin, chassis number HB 3402 held the Brooklands motor course record for top speed from 1931 to 1934. The legendary Bentley Boy pushed the supercharged old-timer to 137.96 miles per hour (222.03 kph), which is absolutely insane when you think about it.
Even more insane, the British automaker from Crewe went to great lengths to create a perfect reproduction of chassis number HB 3403 that was raced by Birkin in the late 1920s. The prototype that previews 12 continuation cars – lovingly called Car Zero – is the first 4½ Litre Blower produced since 1930.
“To drive the first new Blower in 90 years was a privilege,” said Bentley chairman and chief executive officer Adrian Hallmark. “The quality of the vehicle would make Sir Birkin proud, and the craftsmanship is exquisite.”
No fewer than 40,000 hours are said to have been invested in the prototype, which is crafted entirely by hand. In addition to the Blower mentioned earlier, Bentley used original drawings and tooling for the build.
1,846 individual parts have been designed or hand-crafted for Car Zero, and of those, 230 are assemblies such as the engine. Designed by W. O. Bentley himself, the four-cylinder motor with 4.4 liters of displacement is joined by a roots-type supercharger that looks absolutely gorgeous.
The crazy attention to detail doesn’t end here, though. Like the period-correct Blower, the seats are stuffed with 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of horsehair. The radiator shell and hand-beaten fuel tank come courtesy of the Vintage Car Radiator Company, the leaf springs and shackles have been reproduced by Jones Springs Ltd., and the heavy-gauge steel chassis was formed and riveted by a 200-year-old company based near the city of Derby.
Built in advance of the 12 customer vehicles, Car Zero “will be subjected to months of durability and performance testing.” The test program is designed to achieve the equivalent of 35,000 kilometers (21,748 miles) of real-world driving across 8,000 kilometers (4,971 miles) of track driving.
Oh, and by the way, all 12 continuation vehicles have sold out.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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