The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2023 - Issue 34

Jada Brookes is intrigued by The Little Car Company’s scaled reimagination of the historic Bentley Blower that took the Le Mans race track by storm. I n the 1920s and ‘30s, the Bentley Boys and Girls had an appetite for speed. The first generation, consisting of ex-fighter pilot and baronet Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin, aviator Glen Kidston, Harley Street specialist JD Benjafield and stuntman John Duff, were a close-knit group of extraordinary playboys, racers and adventurers. They inspired other Bentley drivers and admirers with their passion for driving and deep love of a challenge. Behind the wheel of Bentley cars, these men dominated Le Mans with five wins in eight years. While the boys set the pace, the girls made their mark in inimitable Bentley style. Mary Petre Bruce, the first woman fined for speeding in the UK aged 15, entered the Monte Carlo Rally in 1927. She covered 1,700 miles in 72 hours without sleep and finished sixth overall, winning the Coupe des Dames. The following year, she finished second. The wealthy and eccentric Dorothy Paget was taught to drive by Sir Tim Birkin and played a vital role in creating the 4 ½-litre supercharged Blower Bentley. Three-time Le Mans winnerWoolf Barnato’s daughter Diana Barnato Walker was an accomplished horse- woman and keen motorist. She drove a silver-grey Bentley 4 ¼-litre Park Ward saloon given to her by her father on her 21st birthday. Nicknamed Bentley’s Flying Lady, Diana flew solo at the Brooklands Flying Club in 1938 after six hours of instruction. She joined the Air Transport Auxiliary in 1941, delivering aircraft from the factories to front-line squadrons. Many enthusiasts consider the imposing 4 ½-litre super- charged Blower Bentley as the iconic racing Bentley of the pre-war years. Although it was the least successful of the Cricklewood Bentleys in competition, it went like a rocket, earning the marque a legion of fans at every race it entered. By 1928, the model had reached the end of its development, so Bentley increased the engine capacity to the 6 ½-litre Speed Six, which won the Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. However, Birkin preferred the 4 ½-litre Bentley to its successor. He commissioned a production series powered by a supercharger developed by independ- ent engineer Amherst Villiers in 1929, increasing its capacity from 110 bhp to 175 bhp. The racing rules of that period required 50 production Bentley Blowers to be made, accomplished with funding from wealthy heiress Dorothy Paget. Bentley founder W.O. Bentley opposed the idea but was overruled by chairmanWoolf Barnato’s approval. bitecars