Despite being known for manufacturing luxurious wafts with British DNA and German engineering, Bentley is not just a manufacturer of posh and expensive cars or SUVs. The marque has a racing pedigree embedded into its identity. The record-breaking 1929 Blower is an excellent example in this respect. Now, an entirely electric and 15% smaller version of the original is coming back, and you can order one.
Four years ago, Bentley decided to bring back the legendary 1929 Blower. The first-ever Continuation Series involving a pre-Second World War vehicle culminated with 12 high-fidelity replicas meant for collectors.
It also showcased the brand's ability to honor its past through contemporary automotive expertise, allowing the Crewe-based automaker to display its highly-capable worker's coachbuilding skills. Two years later, the two-seater Bacalar with no convertible top was introduced. Only 12 were made, showcasing once again the craftsmanship that only a manufacturer like Bentley could be capable of in this day and age.
But the decision to clone the 1929 Blower wasn't just brilliant marketing or a savvy business decision that created anticipation for the marque's venture into coach-built cars. It led to the creation of a bridge over time where engineer Walter Owen Bentley's ambitions were again spotlighted. His passion and Amherst Villiers' supercharger allowed Sir Henry Birkin to break the outer-circuit lap record at Brooklands in Surrey, just south of London, UK.
Drives at the Le Mans 24 Hours or the French Grand Prix brought notoriety to the 1929 Bentley Blower 4½ and, to this day, remains one of the most well-known cars of the pre-Second World War era.
But if the sheer size of that magnificent automobile and its scarcity intimidated or discouraged you from ever considering owning one, now that could become a thing of the past. Bentley partnered with The Little Car Company and recreated the iconic 1929 Bentley Blower in all-electric form and with a 15% reduction in footprint.
Fully road legal in the UK, the US, and the EU, the reinterpretation measures 146.4 inches in length (3.72 m), 58.2 inches in width (1.48 m), and is 50 inches (1.27 m) tall.
Photo: Bentley
The Bentley Blower Jnr can reach a top speed of 45 mph (72 kph) in the EU and UK. Over the pond, it can accelerate to a maximum speed of 25 mph because of the limits imposed by the low-speed vehicle (LSV) classification. It includes any four-wheeled vehicle that's not a truck with a maximum speed greater than 20 miles per hour but not greater than 25 miles per hour.
Boasting a 15-kW powertrain and a weight of 1,213 lb (550 kg), the Blower Jnr should provide customers with a genuine open-top driving experience heavily connected to a historic vehicle that led to legendary tales. It seats two people, and there's room for some of their baggage.
The 10.8-kWh battery is built on the 48V architecture enabling an estimated charge time of three to five hours and an expected range of 65 miles (105 kilometers).
Bentley and Little Car will create 99 "First Edition" units finished in the legendary Blower Green Color. These models will come with a numbered plaque, a hand-painted Union flag on both sides of the body, and Dark Green Lustrana upholstery seen on the abovementioned Blower Continuation Series. Moreover, engine-turned aluminum adorns the dashboard.
It is – more or less – Bentley's first contemporary all-electric vehicle. The Blower Jnr is a sign of things to come.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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