March 2019: Sold
Found on Vintage & Prestige website on November 22, 2018
1932 Bentley Blower 4/8 litre racer
Chassis no: VA4079
Registration: GX9
Price: £885,000
Visceral to say the least. This is without doubt the fastest & longest legged W.O. Bently's we have so far handled. VA4079 started life as a 4 litre car leaving the factory in March of 1932 making it one of the very last W.O. cars produced. It was originally fitted with a Vanden Plas Drop Head Coupe Body.
The car was falling into disrepair in the 1970s, then in the 1990s was acquired by an eminent overseas collector, who embarked on a major restoration including the installation of an 8 litre engine, and remodelling the car based on the legendary Bentley Old No.1, in her final guise as a Brooklands outer circuit racer. The 8 litre & 4 litre chassis were very very similar so the 4 litre chassis is well suited to such upgrades.
The current owner has further enhanced the car, both cosmetically and mechanically, vastly improving the performance by the addition of an original pattern Amherst Villiers Rootes style Blower unit (as fitted to the Birkin Blowers) & also has fitted an overdrive giving the car a very relaxed long legged gait at high speeds. Much of the recent works have been carried out by Marque specialist Neil Davies who has done a fantastic job on the car.
One has to drive this car to appreciate its power & performance. It has real presence driving down the road & attracts an instant crowd wherever it stops. The car is resplendent in its deep racing red paintwork & has mulberry coloured leather to the seating surfaces. Twin aero screens are fitted as is a fold up windshield that the soft top foul weather gear affixes to. A full tonneau cover comes with the car for occasional use to keep out the elements & prying eyes when parked unattended.
The long bonnet has a full quotient of louvres along the top & down the sides & is secured in place by leather straps. A useful luggage area is located under the rear hatch that hinges open once released using a square profile coach key. The hood is also stored in the rear area.
The car is fitted wth a large long distance fuel tank. We did not ascertain the full capacity as the fuel station pump cut off when we reached £120 worth. The dash is a traditional machine turned aluminium affair covered in all the usual instrumentation including boost gauge, rev counter & speedometer etc. Twin drip feed oilers are also mounted in the dash. A drain pipe sized exhaust runs down the passengers side exterior of the car culminating in an elegant fish tail affair.
Magnificent, thunderous & imposing would sum up this machine. It is full on Mr Toad W.O.Bentley motoring at its finest.
Starting proceedure is as follows:
~ Turn on fuel shut off tap.
~ If cold prime 5 or 6 pumps of the Kigas pump.
~ Both Magneto switches on.
~ Fuel Pump on.
Depress bomb release type starter button & crank 'til the engine fires. Whilst cold the engine will splutter & pop back alarmingly but this quickly disappears as the car warms. Each popping back is accompanied by an impressive puff of smoke that blows wisply out of the bonnet louvres adding to the full "parp parp out of my way" effect.
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