1929 BENTLEY 4½ LITRE 'BLOWER'
W O Bentley was of the opinion that, to keep up with the opposition, a larger engine gave a faster car. The racing driver 'Tim' Birkin, one of the famous Bentley Boys, believed that more performance could be squeezed out of the existing 4½ litre car. Birkin decided to go his own way and set up a garage in Welwyn Garden City to produce a supercharged version. Birkin financed the project with his own money, earned from Nottinghamshire lace, together with funds from the wealthy eccentric, the Honourable Dorothy Paget.

This car, chassis HB3404/R, was the prototype Blower Bentley. The car was Bernard Rubin's personal car, fitted with a supercharger developed by Villiers. HB3404/R first raced at the TT at Ards in August 1929, although a supercharged car had first appeared in the Six Hour Race at Brooklands during the previous June.

Click on the image to close the window

Two supercharged cars were to be entered for the 1929 Le Mans race but the requisite 50 production cars were not completed in time for them to compete.

Birkin returned to Le Mans in 1930 with three Blower Bentleys. Last minute work to cure overheating problems meant that only two cars were ready to race, so HB3404/R did not manage to start. The other two cars suffered constant problems with shredded tyres, due to their immense power. In spite of this, Birkin drove the fastest lap. Eventually both Blower Bentleys were to retire with mechanical failure. This vindicated WO Bentley's reservations about the reliability of the supercharged car and his factory Speed Six cars crossed the line in first and second place.
The Blower Bentley was an extremely successful racing car and has entered the history books as the one that perhaps best embodies the spirit of British vintage racing.

KINDLY ON LOAN FROM MR WILLIAM E CONNOR II