Bentley Blower

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Bentley Blower

Also called:	Bentley 4½ Litre
Manufacturer:	Bentley
Production:	1926–1930 720 produced
Predecessor:	Bentley 3 Litre
Class:	Sports car
Engine:	4.4 L I4 4.4 L supercharged I4
Wheelbase:	117½ in (2984 mm) 130 in (3302 mm)
Designer:	Walter Owen Bentley

Famous for his statement "there's no replacement for displacement," Walter Owen Bentley upped the displacement of his 3 Litre sports car in 1926, producing the 4½ Litre. In search of even more power, Bentley's "Bentley Boys" took control of the company, producing the famed "Blower" supercharged version of the car.

[edit] 4½ Litre

The 4½ Litre was an evolution of the 3 Litre, sharing that car's basic chassis, including its semi-elliptical suspension at all four wheels and 4-wheel brakes. The straight-4 engine was bored out to 100 mm (3.9 in) to produce 4.4 L (4398 cc/268 in³) of displacement. This was good for 110 hp (82 kW) in road-going models or 130 hp (97 kW) when tweaked for racing. However, the supercharged engine had a ridiculously huge thirst : the non-supercharged version, at 100mph, would have a fuel consumption of about 15 mpg while the supercharged version would do about 2.3 mpg.

A 4½ Litre Bentley claimed victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928 with drivers, Woolf Barnato and Bernard Rubin.

[edit] Blower

Although W. O. Bentley despised forced induction, his "Bentley Boys", and especially Henry "Tim" Birkin, wanted to supercharge the engine for more power. When the company ran out of money in 1925, millionaire Bentley Boy, Woolf Barnato bought the company, allowing a single "Blower" car to be built.

Demand for this new car was so high that Barnato directed the company to produce a series of Blower cars for competition and road use. The large Roots type supercharger was placed outside the engine cover, giving the Blowers a unique appearance. With 175 hp (130 kW) on tap, expectations for racing success were high, but durability was lacking and the Blowers never won a major race. In the end, it was W. O. Bentley's larger-displacement 6½ Litre car that would secure victories for the marque in 1929 and 1930.