Photo Gallery: How Bentley is recreating a 91-year old racecar in 2020
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Bentley prepares to assemble the first of its Bentley Blower 4½-Litre continuations
In September last year, Bentley announced the ambitious project of creating 12 ‘new’ examples of their iconic 4½-litre Le Mans-winning Bentley Blower.
Of course, recreating a 91-year old car is no easy feat; and to do so, Bentley have had to completely disassemble their one and only Team Blower – chassis no.HB3403, the number #2 car.
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Upon disassembling every nut and bolt: the Bentley Blower’s frame was laser scanned, while all other components were 3D-scanned, digitised with 3D CAD modelling and cross-referenced with original 1920s engineering drawings and drafts for total and exacting reproduction.
Elsewhere, the completion of the historic pre-war Bentley hinges on more artisanal manufacture techniques not possessed by the modern-day Bentley company anymore. As such, Bentley has enlisted a number of historic independent British firms to aid the development of this thoroughly bespoke behicle.
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Israel Newton & Sons, a 200-year old boilermaker company which usually produces components for steam locomotives, have been recruited to hand-form the new Blower’s heavy-gauge steel chassis, whilst Jones Springs, a blacksmith business of over 75 years, will produce the massive leaf springs and shackles needed to suspend the British brute’s body.
The Bentley Blower’s signature headlamps have been faithfully recreated father and son Silversmiths, Vintage Headlamp Restoration International, and a new ash frame has been constructed by Lomax Coachbuilders and will receive hand-made carpentry and further coachwork from Bentley’s Mulliner trim shop.
Nickel-plated radiator shells and fuel tanks are hand-beaten and formed in steel and copper, while the innovatively supercharged engine is built in-house by Bentley’s bespoke Mulliner division with aluminium pistons, overhead-camshaft, four-valve per cylinder and twin-spark ignition.
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The soon-to-be assembled car will act as prototype "car zero" for the Bentley Blower continuation project, following a bench test of the powertrain.
Tim Hannig of Bentley Mulliner stated: "After a year of highly detailed engineering work, it is extremely rewarding to see the first parts coming together to form the first Bentley Blower in over 90 years".
"The skill of our engineers and technicians in completing hundreds of individual part specifications is equalled only by that of the artisans across the country that have handmade the components that we’re starting to bolt together".
"We’re all really excited to get this first car finished, and to show it to the world later this year".
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