Tag: Blower Bentley

IN THE NEWS: Bentley Marks Anniversary with Mille Miglia Run

May 12, 2015 / moto+match / 0 Comments

(Crewe/Brescia, 12 May 2015) In 1930, ‘Bentley Boy’ Tim Birkin claimed his aborted attempt on the Mille Miglia in his legendary Blower was due to a lack of “due preparation”. 85 years on, Bentley has ensured all plans are in place for a successful Blower run in the 2015 event.

‘Bentley Boys’ the Hon. Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin and Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato were to be the first British drivers to attempt the thousand-mile Italian test of endurance, in a supercharged ‘Bentley Blower’ known as the No. 2 ‘Birkin Blower’. According to contemporary media reports, however, ‘much disappointment was felt at the news of the Bentley withdrawal from the Brescia Thousand Miles Race’.

This year, Bentley’s original 1930 4½-litre supercharged Blower is aiming to finish what its sibling never started, taking on the world-renowned cross-country route between 14 and 17 May.

Director of Royal and VIP Relations, Richard Charlesworth, who will be piloting the historic Blower, said: “When the Blower was built in 1930 the Mille Miglia was uncharted territory for British racers. Some 85 years on and the Bentley is now a familiar sight – this year will be the Blower’s fifth entry. Last year we achieved the best result ever for Bentley, and this year we are hoping to continue that success.”

One of just 50 examples built for the road, the 85-year-old Blower features its original Vanden Plas Open Sports Four-Seat body. It was described by Autocar magazine in September 1930 as having ‘the appeal of immense power, linked with great docility’ – qualities the team will be hoping to exploit in Italy.

Built for racing, all Blowers featured the legendary supercharger installation developed by Amherst Villiers. The car running the Mille Miglia this year started life in 1930 as one of the company’s first showroom demonstrators, and is still performing eight decades on. With its classic British Racing Green livery and distinctive exhaust note, the Blower is one of the most instantly recognisable cars of all time.

For more information on the Mille Miglia visit www.1000miglia.it.

IN THE NEWS: Blower Bentleys Primed for Mille Miglia Challenge

May 8, 2014 / moto+match / 0 Comments

(Crewe/Brescia, 8 May 2014) Bentley Motors is competing in Mille Miglia 2014 (15-18 May) with two of the company’s famous 4 ½ Litre supercharged ‘Blowers’ taking on the 1,700 km route.

The 1930 Le Mans ‘Team Car’ once owned by Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin, one of the most celebrated members of a group of British gentlemen racers known as the Bentley Boys, will be joined by a former company demonstrator Blower with its original Vanden Plas Open, Sports Four Seater body for this renowned race.

Even after nine decades on the road, this second Blower continues to delight customers and guests from around the world with demonstration drives during visits to Bentley’s Crewe Headquarters.

Both Bentleys have successfully completed the modern Mille Miglia challenge several times and, with their classic dark green livery and distinctive, rumbling exhaust note, they’re welcomed by the thousands of fans who line the route to support the drivers.

To celebrate the start of Mille Miglia 2014, the Bentley team will meet with customers and friends from the Bentley Drivers Club (www.bdcl.co.uk) in the city of Brescia on the afternoon before the race.

The pre-race gathering will see Bentley owners who have travelled from as far afield as Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa, the United States as well as the United Kingdom meet the Blowers and bring their own cars to create a unique line-up of machines bearing the famous Winged B emblem in Italy.

“We plan to see Bentley’s Blowers and their drivers off in style. There will be Bentleys from all eras, some of them extremely rare, in Brescia to mark the start of Mille Miglia and it should be a real celebration of great cars”, comments Steve Miller, Club Secretary of the Bentley Drivers Club.

Live updates from Mille Miglia 2014 will be provided over the course of the event via the Bentley Communications Twitter feed

IN THE NEWS: Iconic Blower Bentleys to Compete in 2013 Mille Miglia

May 16, 2013 / moto+match / 0 Comments

(Crewe, 14 May 2013) Bentley Motors will compete in this year’s Mille Miglia with two unique 4 ½ litre Supercharged “Blowers”; a 1930 Le Mans race car belonging to perhaps the most famous and daring of the Bentley Boys and a company demonstrator that is still going strong even after nine decades on the road.

The No. 2 Team Car – raced at Le Mans by Captain Tim Birkin – was brought by Bentley Motors in 2000 and has been regularly campaigned across the world by the company ever since. Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who has helped prepare the car for its third Mille Miglia challenge at Bentley’s Crewe headquarters, explains:

“This is a fantastic car to drive and remains extremely rapid as well. We take great pride in making sure all the cars Bentley owns continue to regularly compete or run and are not museum exhibits, which is very much the Bentley way, and we are all looking forward to the unique Mille Miglia experience.”

The car is perhaps best known for its epic duel with a 7 litre ‘Kompressor’ Mercedes (also supercharged) at Le Mans in 1930 with Birkin putting his off-side wheels on the grass as he completed a typically daring pass of his Mercedes opponent Rudolf Caracciola at 120mph. The Blower immediately threw one of its rear tyre treads, but somehow Birkin carried on to set the fastest lap.

Sadly Birkin’s campaign ended after 82 laps but the immense pressure he applied to the Mercedes is wildly credited with assisting his fellow Bentley Boys Woolf Barnato and Glenn Kidston to win the race in their Bentley Speed Six.

The second Bentley Blower to take-on Mille Miglia was completed in 1930 and is fitted with a beautiful Vanden Plas Open, Sports Four Seater body. It was owned by Bentley Motors as a customer demonstrator car before passing into private ownership. An early review praised it as “a car with the strongest possible individuality and it is certain that it is immensely likeable no matter what angle one may regard it”.

Repurchased by Bentley Motors in 1997, the car continues to turn heads at Bentley customer events across the world and is still faithfully fulfilling demonstration rides well into its ninth decade.

“There are currently over 100,000 miles on this elegant Blower Bentley but we’re certain it has completed many more than this,” comments Richard Charlesworth.

“However, everyone at Bentley is confident the car will run for many, many years to come and will complete the 1,000 mile round-trip to and from Brescia.”

Tag: Blower Bentley

IN THE NEWS: Bentley Marks Anniversary with Mille Miglia Run

IN THE NEWS: Blower Bentleys Primed for Mille Miglia Challenge

IN THE NEWS: Iconic Blower Bentleys to Compete in 2013 Mille Miglia

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