Customise Your Own Bentley Blower Jnr Online: A Blend Of Luxury And Heritage

Published: Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 20:51 [IST]

The first edition models of the electric, road-legal, scaled version of the iconic 1929 Bentley Blower have sold out. Crafted by Hedley Studios (formerly The Little Car Company), this 85 per cent scale model is now available for customisation through a newly launched configurator. Limited to 250 units, customers can visualise and personalise their specifications online.

Following its global debut last year, the Bentley Blower Jnr made a public appearance at Monterey Car Week in California on 15 August. Displayed in Old English White with a Cricket Ball leather interior, the 'White Pack' Bentley Blower Jnr was showcased at the House of The Macallan powered by Bentley. This event marked the launch of configurable options for this unique vehicle.

Customers can now use an online configurator to create a bespoke Bentley Blower Jnr. With thousands of possible configurations, including various interior and exterior colours, personalisation extends to hand-painted numbers and national flags on the body. This tool allows buyers to build and commission a car that is entirely unique to them.

Hedley Studios offers six curated packs through the configurator, each celebrating a chapter of Bentley’s history. For instance, 'The Blue Pack' commemorates Woolf Barnato’s race against the Blue Train from Côte d’Azur to Calais in his Bentley Speed Six. Similarly, 'The Grey Pack' honours the Speed Six that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930 before being converted into a road-going coupé.

The Blower Jnr is a collaboration between Hedley Studios and Bentley’s Heritage Collection. Using the original Team Car from 1929 as a reference, Hedley Studios recreated details at an 85 per cent scale. The result is a vehicle measuring 3.7 metres long and 1.5 metres wide that closely resembles its predecessor.

Unlike other products from Hedley Studios, the Blower Jnr is fully road legal and designed for city use. It features a 48V electric powertrain with a 15 kW motor, allowing for a top speed of 45 mph in the UK and EU (25 mph in the USA) and an expected range of around 65 miles. The car includes tandem seating for two adults.

Engineering Excellence

The frame of the Blower Jnr is painted steel with an authentic chassis specification attached. Leaf springs and period-correct friction dampers ensure a comfortable ride, while Brembo disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear provide stopping power. The electric motor is mounted across the rear axle, with batteries and drive electronics housed in a hidden undertray.

The bodywork consists of two sections; while the rear structure is crafted in carbon fibre instead of an ash frame, it’s covered in impregnated fabric like the original. The bonnet features multiple cooling louvres and is hand-crafted in aluminium using traditional techniques, fastened with leather buckled straps.

Interior Details

The cockpit has a central adjustable driving position with tandem seating for two adults. An optional bespoke weekend bag fits behind in a scaled-down fuel tank with a lockable latch. At the front, the supercharger houses the charging port surrounded by Bentley’s mesh grille within an authentic nickel-plated radiator housing.

The dashboard replicates the original's look with Engine Turned Aluminium forming its base. The fuel pressurisation hand pump has been repurposed as a drive mode selector offering Comfort (2 kW), Bentley (8 kW), or Sport (15 kW). Forward, Neutral, and Reverse are selected via a lever resembling the ignition advance control from the original Blower.

Modern Conveniences

Other switchgear mimics magneto switches from the Team Car while maintaining modern functionality such as headlights and indicators controls. A USB charging point remains concealed until needed, complemented by a dual-function display serving as both Garmin satellite navigation screen and reversing camera.

Ben Hedley, Founder and CEO of Hedley Studios stated: "Since we launched the Bentley Blower Jnr last year, its reception has continued to blow us away... Craftsmanship lies at the heart of what we do... Each configured pack we have on offer bears its own unique story..."

This collaboration between Hedley Studios and Bentley ensures that even experts will look twice at this faithful homage to automotive history.