The new 85% scale Bentley Blower Jnr (right) alongside the 1929 full-sized original
The new 85% scale Bentley Blower Jnr (right) alongside the 1929 full-sized original
Image: Supplied

UK-based Hedley Studios has begun production of a road-legal 85% scale recreation of the famous 1929 Bentley Blower racing car.

Formerly known as the Little Car Company, the firm is known for its creation of miniature, drivable replicas of classic cars.

The Bentley Blower Jnr, designed in conjunction with Bentley Motors, is an electric-powered recreation of the original petrol-powered and supercharged 4.5l Bentley. It has completed 18 months of on-road testing and 349 examples will go into production.

Prospective owners are able to customise their cars with different colour finishes and a choice racing number.

At 85% scale the Bentley Blower Jnr measures 3.7m long and 1.5m wide. The two-person cockpit is in a 1+1 layout, with a central adjustable driving position and the passenger travelling behind in the rear seat.

Crafted by hand to the same standards as any Bentley, and adorned with beautiful details all inspired by the original racing car, Blower Jnr is built around a 48V electric power train with a 15kW motor, with a top speed of 72km/h in the UK and EU (40km/h in the US due to legislation) and an expected range of around 105km.

The bodywork is crafted in two sections, with the rear made of carbon fibre and the bonnet handcrafted in aluminium with leather buckled straps.

Like the original, the car rides on leaf spring suspension and period-correct friction dampers, with Brembo disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear. The electric motor is mounted across the rear axle, while the batteries and drive electronics are all housed in a hidden undertray

The aluminium dashboard looks like a scaled-down replica of the original. The fuel pressurisation hand pump has been repurposed as the drive mode selector, with a choice of Comfort, Bentley or Sport. Forward, Neutral and Reverse are selected via a lever that looks like the ignition advance control from the original Bentley Blower.

“Hedley Studios has reimagined a car that sits at the very heart of Bentley’s history and heritage, with extraordinary attention to detail and craftsmanship. The Blower Jnr may be smaller in scale, but its presence, performance and sense of occasion invoke the spirit of the original,” says Mike Sayer, head of product communications and the Bentley Heritage Collection for Bentley Motors.

The price is around £90,000 (R2.15m). 

Business Day.

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