Bentley Blower
Encyclopedia
The Bentley 4½ Litre is a British
sports car
built by Bentley Motors. Replacing the Bentley 3 Litre
, it is famous for epitomizing prewar British motor racing and for its popular slogan "there's no replacement for displacement", created by the founder of Bentley, Walter Owen Bentley. Bentley sought to produce a more powerful race car by increasing engine displacement.
At the time, noted car manufacturers like Bugatti
and Lorraine-Dietrich
focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.
A total of 720 4½ Litre were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 models with a supercharged engine known as the Blower Bentley. Some of these Bentleys did win a few competitions, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Though its overall competitive performance was not particularly outstanding, the 4½ Litre Bentley managed to beat several speed records, most famously in 1932 at Brooklands
with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h.
. The inaugural race was held May 26–27, 1923, and attracted many drivers, mostly French. There were two foreign competitors in the first race, Frank Clement
and Canadian John Duff
, the latter winning the 1924 competition in his personal car, a Bentley 3 Litre.
"Made with precision and the finest material," and with recent success, the luxurious Bentley cars attracted attention. After two years without success, Bentley convened a group of wealthy British men, "united by their love of insouciance, elegant tailoring, and a need for speed," to renew Bentley's success. Both drivers and mechanics, these men, later nicknamed the "Bentley Boys
", drove Bentley automobiles to victory in several races between 1927 and 1931, including four consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and forged the brands reputation.
It was within this context that, in 1927, Bentley developed the Bentley 4½ Litre. Two cylinders were removed from the 6½ Litre model, reducing the displacement to 4.4 litres. At the time, the 3 Litre and the 6½ Litre were already available, but the 3 Litre was an outdated, under-powered model and the 6½ Litre's image was tarnished by poor tyre performance.
Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin, described as "the greatest Briton of his time" by W.O. Bentley, was one of the Bentley Boys. He refused to adhere strictly to Bentley's assertion that increasing displacement is always preferable to forced induction
. Birkin, aided by a former Bentley mechanic, decided to produce a series of five supercharged models for the competition at the 24 Hours de Le Mans; Mercedes-Benz
had been using compressors for a few years.
Thus the Blower Bentley was born. It was officially presented in 1929 at the British International Motor Show
in London and 55 copies were produced by Birkin and his team in a workshop in Welwyn Garden City to comply with 24 Hours de Le Mans regulations. Despite his dislike of the Blower, W.O. Bentley couldn't object to Birkin's actions, the latter having garnered the support of Woolf Barnato
, the "chief" Bentley Boy, whose fortune helped Bentley avoid filing for bankruptcy in May 1926, as well as that of Dorothy Paget, a wealthy horse racing enthusiast.
The robustness of the 4½ Litre's latticed chassis
, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine.
Together with two double carburetor
s and dual ignition
with Bosch
magneto
s, this engine, with a displacement of 4398 cc, with a 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and a 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke, was "resolutely modern" for the time. The engine also produces a high power output of 110 hp for the Touring model and 130 hp for the racing model. The engine speed is limited to 4,000 rpm. The valvetrain
has four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees, and actuated by a single overhead camshaft. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder.
With motor racing as its main mission, the Bentley's radiator has a filler cap that does not unscrew but is easily removed with one stroke of the lever. This mechanism minimizes downtime during refueling stops and is used for the oil and gasoline tanks as well.
The 4½ also comes equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann
body. The structure is very light but still resistant to wind; the rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps the hood needed to be closed. The steering wheel, measuring about 45 cm (17.7 in) in diameter, is itself a solid braided rope held tight for optimal operation.
By contrast, the brakes are not particularly innovative, consisting of classical and impressive 17-inch drum brake
s, serrated for improved cooling and operated by cable. The front axle is held rigid and the rear drive axle is supported by semi-elliptic leaf spring
s.
.
A guard protects the carburetor, now located near the compressor, and the headlights are exposed to shocks. Similar protection is used (both in the 4½ Litre and the Blower) for the gas tank at the rear, because a flying stone punctured the 3 Litre of Frank Clement and John Duff during the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, possibly depriving them of victory.
Villiers chose a Roots type supercharger
. The weight of the crankshaft, another set of pistons and a piston lubrication dry sump, nevertheless, are adapted to the engine. Supercharged, the Blower Bentley produces 175 hp (130 kW) at 3,500 rpm for the Touring model and 240 hp (177 kW) at 2,400 rpm for the racing version—more powerful than the Bentley 6½ Litre despite lacking the two additional cylinders.
Far from being the most powerful in the competitions, the 4½ Litre of Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin, raced neck and neck against a Blackhawk Stutz DV16, setting a new record average speed of 111.12 km/h; Tim Birkin and Jean Chassagne finished fifth. The next year, three 4½ Litres finished second, third, and fourth behind another Bentley, the Speed Six, which possessed two more cylinders.
The naturally aspirated 4½ Litre was noted for its good reliability. The supercharged models were not; the two Blower models entered in the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans by Dorothy Paget
, one of which was co-driven by Tim Birkin, did not complete the race. In 1930, Birkin finished second in the French Grand Prix at the Circuit de Pau behind a Bugatti Type 35
. Ettore Bugatti
, annoyed by the performance of Bentley, called the 4½ Litre the "fastest truck in the world." The Type 35 is much lighter and consumes much less petrol. Blower Bentleys consume 4 liters per minute at full speed.
Although ill-suited for endurance events, Mildred Bruce
, a British female racer, achieved a 24-hour distance record at Montlhery, with an average speed of 89.4 mph (143.89 km/h). In 1930, the Daily Herald
offered a trophy for the fastest driver at an event at Brooklands. The first year, Tim Birkin and Don Kaye competed and Don Kaye won with a speed of 137.58 mph (221.41 km/h). In 1932, Tim Birkin won driving his red Blower "Monoposto," clocking 137.96 mph (222.03 km/h).
for £125,175, a victim of the recession that hit Europe following the Wall Street Crash of 1929
.
Ian Fleming's
character James Bond
drives a 1930 Blower Bentley in three of the 007 Novels, Casino Royale
, Live and Let Die
and Moonraker. In the book, Bond drives one of the last Blower Bentleys built, a battleship grey Convertible Coupé, with French Marchal headlamps and an Amherst Villiers
supercharger. Interestingly, Ian Fleming
himself owned a Blower from whence the inspiration for Bond's car came. Fleming bought his car from Amherst Villiers
after it was produced for him by Bentley.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
built by Bentley Motors. Replacing the Bentley 3 Litre
Bentley 3 Litre
The 3 Litre was the sports car that put Bentley on the automotive map. It was a large car compared to the tiny, lightweight Bugattis then dominating racing, but its innovative technology and strength made up for its weight...
, it is famous for epitomizing prewar British motor racing and for its popular slogan "there's no replacement for displacement", created by the founder of Bentley, Walter Owen Bentley. Bentley sought to produce a more powerful race car by increasing engine displacement.
At the time, noted car manufacturers like Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
and Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissments de Dietrich and Cie branched into the manufacture of automobiles...
focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.
A total of 720 4½ Litre were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 models with a supercharged engine known as the Blower Bentley. Some of these Bentleys did win a few competitions, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Though its overall competitive performance was not particularly outstanding, the 4½ Litre Bentley managed to beat several speed records, most famously in 1932 at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h.
Bentley at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race is a 24 hour race around the Circuit de la SartheCircuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year...
. The inaugural race was held May 26–27, 1923, and attracted many drivers, mostly French. There were two foreign competitors in the first race, Frank Clement
Frank Clement
Frank Clement may refer to:*Frank G. Clement, former governor of Tennessee *Frank Clement , British racing driver who won the 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans*Frank Clement -See also:*Frank Clementé, Belgian model...
and Canadian John Duff
John Duff
John Francis Duff was a Canadian racecar driver who won many races and has been inducted in the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. He was one of only two Canadians who raced and won on England’s famous Brooklands Motor Course. The other, Kay Petre, is already an honoured member of the CMHF...
, the latter winning the 1924 competition in his personal car, a Bentley 3 Litre.
"Made with precision and the finest material," and with recent success, the luxurious Bentley cars attracted attention. After two years without success, Bentley convened a group of wealthy British men, "united by their love of insouciance, elegant tailoring, and a need for speed," to renew Bentley's success. Both drivers and mechanics, these men, later nicknamed the "Bentley Boys
Bentley Boys
The Bentley Boys were a group of wealthy British motorists who drove Bentley sports cars to victory in the 1920s and kept the marque's reputation for high performance alive...
", drove Bentley automobiles to victory in several races between 1927 and 1931, including four consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and forged the brands reputation.
It was within this context that, in 1927, Bentley developed the Bentley 4½ Litre. Two cylinders were removed from the 6½ Litre model, reducing the displacement to 4.4 litres. At the time, the 3 Litre and the 6½ Litre were already available, but the 3 Litre was an outdated, under-powered model and the 6½ Litre's image was tarnished by poor tyre performance.
Tim Birkin and the Blower Bentley
Forced induction
Forced induction is the process of compressing air on the intake of an internal combustion engine . A forced induction engine uses a gas compressor to increase the pressure, temperature and density of the air...
. Birkin, aided by a former Bentley mechanic, decided to produce a series of five supercharged models for the competition at the 24 Hours de Le Mans; Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
had been using compressors for a few years.
Thus the Blower Bentley was born. It was officially presented in 1929 at the British International Motor Show
British International Motor Show
The British International Motor Show is an automobile show held biennially in the United Kingdom. It is recognised as an international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles. The 2008 was the last event with no news of a return of the British International Motor Show...
in London and 55 copies were produced by Birkin and his team in a workshop in Welwyn Garden City to comply with 24 Hours de Le Mans regulations. Despite his dislike of the Blower, W.O. Bentley couldn't object to Birkin's actions, the latter having garnered the support of Woolf Barnato
Woolf Barnato
Joel Woolf Barnato was a British financier and racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s. He achieved three consecutive wins out of three entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.-Early life:...
, the "chief" Bentley Boy, whose fortune helped Bentley avoid filing for bankruptcy in May 1926, as well as that of Dorothy Paget, a wealthy horse racing enthusiast.
Bentley 4½ Litre
Although the Bentley 4½ Litre is heavy, weighing 1625 kg (3,582.5 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4380 mm (172.4 in) and a wheelbase of 3302 mm (130 in), it remains well-balanced and steers nimbly. The manual transmission, however, demands control, as its four gears are unsynchronized.The robustness of the 4½ Litre's latticed chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine.
Together with two double carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s and dual ignition
Ignition
Ignition may refer to:*Making fire*CombustionEvents* Ignition , a Burning Man regional event held in Montreal, QuebecIn Media* Ignition , a top-down racing game for PC published in 1997...
with Bosch
Bosch
Bosch is a popular surname in Catalan and Dutch; it means forest. It may refer to:Buildings:*Huis ten Bosch, an official palace of the Dutch Royal Family in The Hague, Netherlands*Bosch Palace, the official residence of the U.S...
magneto
Magneto
A magneto is a type of electrical generator.Magneto may also refer to:* Magneto , permanent magnetic alternating current rotary generator* ignition magneto, magnetos on internal combustion engines...
s, this engine, with a displacement of 4398 cc, with a 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and a 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke, was "resolutely modern" for the time. The engine also produces a high power output of 110 hp for the Touring model and 130 hp for the racing model. The engine speed is limited to 4,000 rpm. The valvetrain
Valvetrain
Valvetrain is an all-encompassing term used to describe the mechanisms and parts which control the operation of the valves. A traditional reciprocating internal combustion engine uses valves to control air and fuel flow into and out of the cylinders, facilitating combustion.-Layout:Valvetrain: The...
has four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees, and actuated by a single overhead camshaft. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder.
With motor racing as its main mission, the Bentley's radiator has a filler cap that does not unscrew but is easily removed with one stroke of the lever. This mechanism minimizes downtime during refueling stops and is used for the oil and gasoline tanks as well.
The 4½ also comes equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann
Weymann Fabric Bodies
Weymann Fabric Bodies is a patented design system for fuselages for aircraft and superlight coachwork for motor vehicles. The system used a patent-jointed wood frame covered in fabric...
body. The structure is very light but still resistant to wind; the rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps the hood needed to be closed. The steering wheel, measuring about 45 cm (17.7 in) in diameter, is itself a solid braided rope held tight for optimal operation.
By contrast, the brakes are not particularly innovative, consisting of classical and impressive 17-inch drum brake
Drum brake
A drum brake is a brake in which the friction is caused by a set of shoes or pads that press against a rotating drum-shaped part called a brake drum....
s, serrated for improved cooling and operated by cable. The front axle is held rigid and the rear drive axle is supported by semi-elliptic leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s.
Blower Bentley
The most significant difference between the Bentley 4½ Litre and the Blower is the engine. The Blower engine is supercharged by a mechanical compressor designed by engineer Charles Amherst Villiers. W.O. Bentley, being hostile to forced induction, believed that "to supercharge a Bentley engine was to pervert its design and corrupt its performance." He refused to allow the engine to be modified to incorporate the compressor; the latter is therefore placed at the end of the crankshaft, in front of the radiator, giving the Blower Bentley a unique and easily recognizable profile and exacerbating its understeerUndersteer
Understeer and oversteer are vehicle dynamics terms used to describe the sensitivity of a vehicle to steering. Simply put, oversteer is what occurs when a car turns by more than the amount commanded by the driver...
.
A guard protects the carburetor, now located near the compressor, and the headlights are exposed to shocks. Similar protection is used (both in the 4½ Litre and the Blower) for the gas tank at the rear, because a flying stone punctured the 3 Litre of Frank Clement and John Duff during the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, possibly depriving them of victory.
Villiers chose a Roots type supercharger
Roots type supercharger
The Roots type supercharger or Roots blower is a positive displacement lobe pump which operates by pumping fluids with a pair of meshing lobes not unlike a set of stretched gears. Fluid is trapped in pockets surrounding the lobes and carried from the intake side to the exhaust...
. The weight of the crankshaft, another set of pistons and a piston lubrication dry sump, nevertheless, are adapted to the engine. Supercharged, the Blower Bentley produces 175 hp (130 kW) at 3,500 rpm for the Touring model and 240 hp (177 kW) at 2,400 rpm for the racing version—more powerful than the Bentley 6½ Litre despite lacking the two additional cylinders.
Competition Performance
Between 1927 and 1931 the Bentley 4½ Litre competed in several competitions, primarily the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first was the Old Mother Gun at the 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven as a prototype before production. Favored to win, it instead crashed and did not finish. Its performance was sufficient for Bentley to decide to start production and deliver the first models the same year.Far from being the most powerful in the competitions, the 4½ Litre of Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin, raced neck and neck against a Blackhawk Stutz DV16, setting a new record average speed of 111.12 km/h; Tim Birkin and Jean Chassagne finished fifth. The next year, three 4½ Litres finished second, third, and fourth behind another Bentley, the Speed Six, which possessed two more cylinders.
The naturally aspirated 4½ Litre was noted for its good reliability. The supercharged models were not; the two Blower models entered in the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans by Dorothy Paget
Dorothy Paget
Dorothy Wyndham Paget was a British racehorse owner.She was the daughter of Lord Queenborough and Pauline Payne Whitney of the United States Whitney family. She was a cousin of Jock Whitney, owner of the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Easter Hero and latterly American Ambassador in London. She...
, one of which was co-driven by Tim Birkin, did not complete the race. In 1930, Birkin finished second in the French Grand Prix at the Circuit de Pau behind a Bugatti Type 35
Bugatti Type 35
The Type 35 was the most successful of the Bugatti racing models. Its version of the Bugatti arch-shaped radiator that had evolved from the more architectural one of the Bugatti Type 13 Brescia, was to become the one that the marque is most known for though even in the ranks of the various Type 35s...
. Ettore Bugatti
Ettore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
, annoyed by the performance of Bentley, called the 4½ Litre the "fastest truck in the world." The Type 35 is much lighter and consumes much less petrol. Blower Bentleys consume 4 liters per minute at full speed.
Although ill-suited for endurance events, Mildred Bruce
Mildred Bruce
The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce was a British record-breaking racing motorist, speedboat racer, aviatrix in the 1920s and 1930s, and later, successful businesswoman...
, a British female racer, achieved a 24-hour distance record at Montlhery, with an average speed of 89.4 mph (143.89 km/h). In 1930, the Daily Herald
Daily Herald
The Daily Herald was a British newspaper, published in London from 1912 to 1964 . It ceased publication when it was relaunched as The Sun.- Origins :...
offered a trophy for the fastest driver at an event at Brooklands. The first year, Tim Birkin and Don Kaye competed and Don Kaye won with a speed of 137.58 mph (221.41 km/h). In 1932, Tim Birkin won driving his red Blower "Monoposto," clocking 137.96 mph (222.03 km/h).
| Year | Competition | Position | Drivers | Team | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
1928 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 6th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 1928.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap - #3 Bentley Motors Ltd... |
|
 United Kingdom Woolf BarnatoWoolf Barnato Joel Woolf Barnato was a British financier and racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s. He achieved three consecutive wins out of three entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.-Early life:... United Kingdom Bernard RubinBernard Rubin Bernard Rubin was a British racing driver and pilot who was a member of the "Bentley Boys" team at the Bentley Motor Company and winner of the 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans.-Personal life:... |
United Kingdom Bentley Motors Ltd. Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
Bentley 4½ Litre |
| |
1929 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 7th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16 1929.Prior to the event, the ACO modified the course near the actual town of Le Mans so that it did not enter as far into the suburbs... |
|
United Kingdom Jock Lawson Dunfee United Kingdom Glen Kidston Glen Kidston George Pearson Glen Kidston was a record-breaking aviator and motor racing driver from Britain. He was a member of the well known Bentley Boys of the late 1920s, and possibly the wealthiest of that already wealthy set. His father, A.G. Kidston, was a grandson of the original A.G... |
United Kingdom Bentley Motors Ltd. Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
Bentley 4½ Litre |
| |
United Kingdom Dr. Dudley Benjafield Dudley Benjafield Joseph Dudley Benjafield, MD was born on 6 August 1887, in Edmonton, London, UK. He attended the University of London and received his MD from University College Hospital in 1912...  Early Modern France André d’Erlanger |
United Kingdom Bentley Motors Ltd. Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
Bentley 4½ Litre | ||
| |
French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships.... |
|
United Kingdom Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin |
United Kingdom Bentley Motors Ltd. Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
Blower Bentley |
| Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields... |
|
United Kingdom Dr. Dudley Benjafield Dudley Benjafield Joseph Dudley Benjafield, MD was born on 6 August 1887, in Edmonton, London, UK. He attended the University of London and received his MD from University College Hospital in 1912... United Kingdom Edward R. Hall |
United Kingdom Bentley Motors Ltd. Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later... |
Bentley 4½ Litre |
End of production
In November 1931, after selling 720 copies of the 4½ Litre - 655 aspirated and 55 supercharged - in three different models (Tourer, Drophead Coupé and Sporting Four Seater), Bentley was forced to sell his company to Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
for £125,175, a victim of the recession that hit Europe following the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
.
Current status
Today, Bentley 4½ Litre automobiles from this pre-war period, the "Belle Époque" of the automobile for some, sell for around €100,000 and Blowers can fetch more than €1.5 million. The Blower is the most iconic pre-war Bentley and is coveted by collectors despite never winning a single race. For many, the 4½ Litre is to automobiles what the Spitfire is to aircraft.Ian Fleming's
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
character James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
drives a 1930 Blower Bentley in three of the 007 Novels, Casino Royale
Casino Royale (novel)
Casino Royale is Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel. It paved the way for a further eleven novels by Fleming himself, in addition to two short story collections, followed by many "continuation" Bond novels by other authors....
, Live and Let Die
Live and Let Die (novel)
Live and Let Die is the second novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, first published in the UK by Jonathan Cape on 5 April 1954, where the initial print run of 7,500 copies quickly sold out. As with Fleming's first novel, Casino Royale, Live and Let Die was broadly well received by the critics...
and Moonraker. In the book, Bond drives one of the last Blower Bentleys built, a battleship grey Convertible Coupé, with French Marchal headlamps and an Amherst Villiers
Amherst Villiers
Amherst Villiers was an English automotive, aeronautical and astronautic engineer and portrait painter.He designed a land speed record-breaking car for Malcolm Campbell, and developed the supercharged "Blower Bentley", driven by Henry Birkin and by James Bond.-Early life:Charles Amherst Villiers...
supercharger. Interestingly, Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
himself owned a Blower from whence the inspiration for Bond's car came. Fleming bought his car from Amherst Villiers
Amherst Villiers
Amherst Villiers was an English automotive, aeronautical and astronautic engineer and portrait painter.He designed a land speed record-breaking car for Malcolm Campbell, and developed the supercharged "Blower Bentley", driven by Henry Birkin and by James Bond.-Early life:Charles Amherst Villiers...
after it was produced for him by Bentley.