Official vintage Bentley replica is electric and road-legal
The 1929 Bentley 4½-litre supercharged Blower is an icon of British motorsport, thanks to its success at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Now, a collaboration between Bentley and Oxfordshire-based The Little Car Company has resulted in an 85-percent-scale replica of the original Blower racing car.
Unlike previous vehicles from The Little Car Company, including downsized versions of the Ferrari Testa Rossa and Aston Martin DB5, the aptly named ‘Blower Jnr’ will be road-legal in the UK, Europe and the USA.
Battery charging, not supercharging
There is no shrunken supercharged petrol engine here, however. Instead, the Blower Jnr is powered by a 15kW electric motor: good for a top speed of 45mph.
An imitation supercharger on the front of the car acts as the charging port, while the Blower Jnr’s batteries allow for a 60-mile range when fully charged.
The car’s construction combines traditional and modern methods, including impregnated fabric and carbon fibre. Leaf springs and scaled-down friction dampers replicate the original Bentley’s suspension, but are fitted alongside uprated Brembo brakes.
Racing green reborn
At 3.7 metres long, two adults can sit inside the Blower Jnr, with enough space for luggage behind them. Engine-turned aluminium covers the dashboard, just like in the full-size car, and there are period-style magneto switches.
A dual-function display is used for both the Garmin satellite navigation system, along with the (definitely not 1929-spec) reversing camera.
The first 99 examples of the Blower Jnr will be First Edition models, finished in classic Blower Green with a colour-coded chassis and wheels. A Union Jack flag is painted on the side, with the seats upholstered in Dark Green Lustrana leather. Even the steering wheel is rope-bound, just like the original racer.
California dreaming
Unsurprisingly, such hand-built craftsmanship doesn’t come cheap. In the UK, the First Edition cars will cost £108,000 each.
That may seem a lot for a small EV, but it is considerably less than the £1.8 million charged by Bentley for one of its full-size Blower Continuation cars.
Following its public debut at Monterey Car Week in California, with the Blower Jnr on show at multiple events, production of the car will commence in the second quarter of 2024.
John Redfern writes for Motoring Research