Bentley will enter a 1930 4 1/2 litre supercharged Bentley Blower into this year’s Mille Miglia, in an attempt to complete the Italian race, despite Tim Birkin’s failure to do so in the 1930 running of the event in a similar car.
In 1930, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin and Woolf Barnato, known as the ‘Bentley Boys’, were the first British drivers to attempt the 1000 mile Italian race, in a Bentley Blower, called the No.2 ‘Birkin Blower’. However, they had to withdraw from the race because of a lack of “due preparation.”
In 2015, Bentley aim to finish what they started 85 years earlier, in an original 4 1/2 litre Blower. The race will take place between May 14-17.
“When the Blower was built in 1930 the Mille Miglia was uncharted territory for British racers,” said Director of Royal and VIP Relations, Richard Charlesworth, who will be piloting the historic Bentley. “Some 85 years on and the Bentley is now a familiar sight – this year will be the Blower’s fifth entry. Last year we achieved the best result ever for Bentley, and this year we are hoping to continue that success.”
The car they will enter is one of just 50 ever made, and has its original Vanden Plas Open Sports Four-Seat body. It started life in 1930 as one of the first showroom demonstrators for the company. The distinctive British Racing Green colour and its exhaust note will be a welcome addition to the fantastic Mille Miglia lineup.
