Article: Driving the Ex-Birkin Blower-4½ Single-Seater Bentley (Page 2 of 8)
Extract from: Motor Sport, by William Boddy, October 1973

 

 

What could be described as a Thomas-type cowl was fitted over the special, small Aston-Martin-like radiator and front dumb-irons, the hand brake lever and gear lever were outside the cockpit, a headrest was used, and the front axle faired over. The engine was a normal ,Villiers-supercharged overhead-camshaft, sixteen-valve 100 x 140 mm. (4,398 c.c.) one, but the crankshaft was counter-balanced and special very substantial, H-section con.-rods were designed for it by Amherst Villiers. Output was increased to 240 b.h.p. An axle ratio of 2.58 to 1 was installed, and 32 x 6.50 Dunlop tyres were used. This special single-seater Bentley was ready for the opening Brooklands Meeting of 1930. It was entered by Miss Paget and Birkin found himself on scratch in his very first race with the car. The supercharger casing was leaking and had been only partially repaired with Plasticine and there was some clutch slip but nevertheless Birkin finished second, behind Staniland's Bugatti, the Bentley having lapped at fractionally better than 100 m.p.h. on its standing lap and then at 123.89 m.p.h. That was in the Kent Short Handicap. Unplaced from scratch in the Surrey Short Handicap, Birkin reserved his best run for the Kent Long Handicap. As ever on scratch, he increased his s.s. lap to over 101 m.p.h., put in a flying lap at 126.73 m.p.h. and won at 119.13 m.p.h. from a Bugatti and Dunfee's Ballot. This earned a re-handicap of "owes 3 sec." in the Surrey Long Handicap, and Birkin, who was to become very bitter about the Brooklands handicapping, simply withdrew soon after starting.

 

 

However, such an excellent performance on its very first appearance promised great things of the Bentley for the Easter races. It was now entered as Bentley I. Inevitably on the scratch mark, and giving the Leyland Thomas an 11 sec. start, there was a stir when Capt. Birkin (as he then was) brought the car out for the very first race, the Bedford Short Handicap, and an even greater wave of enthusiasm when he ran home first, at 117.81 m.p.h., leaving the second man 150 yards behind. The car was really going now. The s.s. lap was completed at over 107 m.p.h., the flying lap at 134.24 m.p.h.

 

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