autoevolution 16 Dec 2020, 14:07 UTC ·
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If anyone wants a drive down Bentley memory lane, there are twelve continuation examples of the iconic 4½ Litre Blower on their way. And we know that because the Crewe-based automaker just revealed the looks of “
Car Zero,” which is the prototype used for thorough durability and performance testing. There’s just one problem – all Blowers have already been sold. 7 photos
Well, if this weren’t Bentley – a luxury automaker who doesn’t embark on journeys it can’t pay for – there would be a second chance with the second “
Car Zero” prototype of the week. But since we’re dealing with Bentley’s Mulliner Bacalar, the entire run of 12 customer cars of the modern coachbuilt series has also sold out.
autoevolution 10 Dec 2020, 0:42 UTC ·
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The limited-edition Bacalar with Continental GT underpinnings may be the most expensive Bentley in production today, but it’s not the most expensive Bentley overall. That title goes to a pre-war model known as the 4½ Litre Blower, which hammered for $6.6 million eight years ago. 19 photos
In the hands of Sir Henry Tim Birkin, chassis number HB 3402 held the Brooklands motor course record for top speed from 1931 to 1934. The legendary Bentley Boy pushed the supercharged old-timer to 137.96 miles per hour (222.03 kph), which is absolutely insane when you think about it.
Even more insane, the British automaker from Crewe went to great lengths to create a perfect reproduction of chassis number HB 3403 that was raced by Birkin in the late 1920s. The prototype that previews 12 continuation cars – lovingly called Car Zero – is the first 4½ Litre Blower produced since 1930.