Bentley Downsizes and Electrifies the Iconic 1929 Blower

A Bentley-approved good or service is this recreation of the original 1929 Blower that is 85% scale.

It is classified as a Neighbourhood Electric Car or truck and features a 20 horsepower electric motor with a top speed of 25 mph.

It is expected to have a six-figure price tag and was manufactured in the U.K. by Very Little Vehicle Organisation (LCC).

When Bentley created a “continuation” run of its well-known ‘Blower’ from the 1920s, it charged $2.1 million for each one and only allowed the production of 12 vehicles, all of which were successfully sold before the application was formally announced. Anyone who lost out on that allotment now has the opportunity to purchase the Bentley Blower Junior, an extremely slightly scaled-down version of the exact same vehicle in electric vehicle form.

The Blower Junior is the latest product from the Minimal Motor vehicle Enterprise in the U.K., which was just unveiled at Monterey Auto Week. This is the same company behind the Bugatti Infant II as well as other scaled-down and electrified classics like an Aston Martin DB5, Ferrari Testa Rossa, and Jaguar E-Type—plus the upcoming enlarged Tamiya Wild One Max that we previously told you about. The Blower Junior, however, is the most potent common evocation to date, growing to be twice as huge (an 85 percent scale reproduction of the original car) and boasting the uniqueness of being road legal on both sides of the Atlantic.

Not that it will be appropriate for leisurely long-distance travel. With a top speed of 45 mph in Europe, the Blower Junior’s rear-mounted 20-hp electric motor will enable it to be sold as a “L7e quadricycle” that can be used on most streets aside from high-speed highways. However, stricter regulations in the US mean that the Junior will be classified as a Community Electric Vehicle, limited to 25 mph, and, in most states, not permitted to lawfully travel on any roadway with a posted velocity limit more than 35 mph. This means that only a small number of American customers are likely to ever question the claim that the Blower Junior will be able to control roughly 65 miles of range using Europe’s WLTP screening technique.

Despite the Blower Junior’s limited likelihood of velocity, it is a stunning feature. The hand-crafted louvres in the middle-hinged aluminium hood, which are secured in place by leather straps, are just one example of how LCC utilised many of the design strategies used for the distinctive car. When we viewed the prototype model, the lack of an engine up front meant that it was possible to see some non-prototypical daylight by these gaps, but LCC adds that it is looking into ways to use the house for luggage accommodation—in other words, a very elegant frunk. The prototype used to include a small amount of storage space in the accurately modelled gas tank at the back of the car, which hinges open to reveal a lockable trunk, without the need for gasoline. A plug integrated into the forged’supercharger’ at the front of the car recharges the 10.8-kWh, 48-volt battery pack, which is located beneath the flooring.

LCC has experimented with keeping the new Bentley chassis parts very similar to people of the original car, with elliptical springs and circular friction dampers at each corner, as it did with its previous miniature recreations. However, the braking system has been improved with hydraulic actuation for the front discs and rear drums in the interest of safety. When we drove the ‘continuation’ Blower two years ago, its braking system was the least up-to-date aspect. The Junior also has a typical layout for its brake and accelerator pedals (the original car pre-dated standardisation and had the brake on the right).

Aside from the electric drivetrain, a few other facts have been altered. The Blower Junior’s back body is composed of carbon fibre rather than wood, although it still has impregnated cloth for the surface. The new car’s smaller proportions also indicate that its seating arrangement is unconventional, with the passenger sitting farther to the driver’s right. Inelegant pillars for 3-level seatbelts have also been introduced due to the necessity of meeting basic safety requirements for highway use. The polished aluminium dashboard of the Junior automatically has fewer dials than that of the original Blower, but it still has period details such the continued use of household light switches. And we appreciate the steering wheel that is wrapped in string.

Junior drivers only need to choose between Push and Reverse, eliminating the need to ponder and deal with a stubborn pre-sychromesh ‘crash’ gearbox like those seen in comprehensive-sized vehicles. Additionally, there are three energy modes that may be selected using the round wooden handle that served as the gasoline pump in the special car. Convenience caps the output at 2.7 horsepower, Bentley boosts it to 10.7 horsepower, and Sport adds a whopping 20 horsepower to the mix. Acceleration will likely be slow with that up against an occupant-free body weight of all over 1200 kg.

The Bentley Blower Junior won’t be particularly cheap, despite being far more affordable than the Continuation Blower. According to LCC, the limited-to-99 1st Edition, which is entirely made of British Racing Inexperienced and features a Union Jack flag on the side, will cost £90,000, or $115,000 at the current currency rate. For a vehicle that can only travel at 25 mph, that amount of money is impressive, but not for a classic Bentley.

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