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Index |
Iconic Blower Bentleys
primed for Mille Miglia challenge |
Press release issued
by Bentley Motors |
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(Crewe, 14 May 2013) Bentley
Motors will compete in this years Mille Miglia
with two unique 4½
litre Supercharged Blowers; a 1930
Le Mans race car belonging to perhaps the most famous
and daring of the Bentley Boys and a company demonstrator
that is still going strong even after nine decades on
the road.
The No. 2 Team Car raced at Le Mans by Captain
Tim Birkin was brought by Bentley Motors in 2000
and has been regularly campaigned across the world by
the company ever since. Richard Charlesworth, Bentleys
Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who has helped
prepare the car for its third Mille Miglia challenge
at Bentleys Crewe headquarters, explains:
This is a fantastic car to drive and remains extremely
rapid as well. We take great pride in making sure all
the cars Bentley owns continue to regularly compete
or run and are not museum exhibits, which is very much
the Bentley way, and we are all looking forward to the
unique Mille Miglia experience.
The car is perhaps best known for its epic duel with
a 7 litre Kompressor Mercedes (also supercharged)
at Le Mans in 1930 with Birkin putting his off-side
wheels on the grass as he completed a typically daring
pass of his Mercedes opponent Rudolf Caracciola at 120mph.
The Blower immediately threw one of its rear tyre treads,
but somehow Birkin carried on to set the fastest lap.
Sadly Birkins campaign ended after 82 laps but
the immense pressure he applied to the Mercedes is wildly
credited with assisting his fellow Bentley Boys Woolf
Barnato and Glenn Kidston to win the race in their Bentley
Speed Six.
The second Bentley Blower to take-on Mille Miglia was
completed in 1930 and is fitted with a beautiful Vanden
Plas Open, Sports Four Seater body. It was owned by
Bentley Motors as a customer demonstrator car before
passing into private ownership. An early review praised
it as "a car with the strongest possible individuality
and it is certain that it is immensely likeable no matter
what angle one may regard it".
Repurchased by Bentley Motors in 1997, the car continues
to turn heads at Bentley customer events across the
world and is still faithfully fulfilling demonstration
rides well into its ninth decade.
There are currently over 100,000 miles on this
elegant Blower Bentley but were certain it has
completed many more than this, comments Richard
Charlesworth.
However, everyone at Bentley is confident the
car will run for many, many years to come and will complete
the 1,000 mile round-trip to and from Brescia.
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Posted on May 23,
2013 |
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Chassis nos. HB3403
& SM3917 |
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Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photograph received from Simon Hunt for Chassis No. RL3439 |
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Sep 30, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Dick Clay for Chassis No. 147 |
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Sep 29, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Ernst Jan Krudop for his Chassis No. AX1651 |
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Sep 28, 2020 - Info and photographs received from Lars Hedborg
for his Chassis No. KL3590 |
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Sep 25, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. XV 3207 |
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Sep 24, 2020 - Info and photograph added for Registration No. YM 7165 |
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[More] |
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CLUB TALK
Upcoming Vintage Bentley Events |
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