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1953
Bentley 4½ Litre 'Blower'
Short Chassis Special
Registration Number: GVH 359,
Chassis Number: B195TO
The 'Blower' Bentley was the
idea of Sir Henry Tim
Birkin who was perhaps the most
accomplished of the legendary
'Bentley Boys'. Birkin was a
dashing, romantic figure who
established his reputation in
a very short time; he did not
start to race seriously until
1927 but by 1930 he had his
own stable of Bentleys which
were financed by the Hon. Dorothy
Paget, a great sportswoman who
was even better known in horse
racing circles. Birkin employed
Amherst Villiers to supercharge
a 4½ litre car although
apparently W.O. Bentley was
not wholly enthusiastic. Further,
Birkin persuaded Woolf Barnato,
who held the purse strings at
Bentley, to build fifty examples
so they could be homologated
for Le Mans.
Before the race Birkin and Barnato
agreed that they should join
forces and run as a single team,
with Birkin acting as the hare
to try and force the opposition
into running at such a pace
that it would be destroyed.
The main threat came from a
seven litre Mercedes-Benz SSK
driven by Rudolf Caracciola/Christian~Lerner;
Birkin and Caracciola engaged
in an epic duel, passing and
re-passing each other through
the afternoon and into the night,
until both cars broke which
let Barnato's Bentley Speed
Six through to take his third
victory at Le Mans and Bentley's
fifth. It was a typical display
of Birkin's sportsmanship and
skill as a driver that he should
take on the role of hare for
the greater good of the team,
as well as being a demonstration
of the car's outstanding performance.
It was no mean feat to battle
wheel to wheel with Caracciola,
one of the greatest drivers
in history, while giving away
two and a half litres; the car
handled superbly and supercharging
the single overhead camshaft,
four valve, six cylinder engine
did not embarrass the chassis
in the least.
Later in the year Birkin gave
an even more impressive demonstration
of the car's abilities when
he entered the French Grand
Prix. Many chuckled when he
arrived - he intended to race
against Grand Prix cars in a
four seater tourer - but they
stayed to cheer when he brought
his car home in second place.
It remains one of the most remarkable
feats in motor racing history.
It was performances like this
which fed the legend of the
'Blower' Bentley although examples
raced at international level
for only a comparatively short
time. By 1930 Bentley was in
even worse financial straits
than usual and before long it
was to become one of the many
victims of the Depression; it
was acquired by Rolls-Royce,
whose priorities did not include
motor racing. Blower Bentleys
in private hands remained competitive
for many years in British racing
at Brooklands, becoming almost
synonymous with the track. With
their distinctive engine note,
they epitomise a golden era
and perhaps no other Bentley
has as much glamour as a Blower.
Built on a 1953 modified Bentley
Mk VI chassis, and using all
Bentley and Petersen parts,
the example on offer is a one
of kind creation. The body was
custom fabricated by Carrosserie
and the engine, transmission
and brakes have all been built
specially to complement the
car's touring capabilities;
photographs and video footage
have documented this impressive
transformation. Since the completion
of the vehicle in 2005 it has
covered only 12,000 miles. Equally
suited for use in grand touring
events or concourse competition,
this fine example comes with
a current MoT test certificate
and comprehensive documentation
recording the zealous craftsmanship
that has gone into this special
Bentley. Its current owner has
relished the comfort, reliability
and iconic styling offered by
this 4½ Litre Bentley,
and at a fraction of the cost
of an original Blower.
Estimate: £65,000-£85,000
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