This rather special Bentley “Blower” has appeared on auctioneers Gooding and Company, albeit the name comes from the addition of a supercharger to the already tested four and a half litre inline 4 cylinder engine.

W.O. Bentley, on the other hand, was firmly against the supercharging of his cars. The Bentley racing strategy was based on endurance and reliability, all too often pushing hard at the onset of a race and forcing the supercharged competitors to break; easy victory ensued. W.O. remained confident in the awe-inspiring Speed Six with its normally aspirated 6 1/2-litre engine.

After a hard but heroic 8th position in the 1928 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, Sir Henry Tim Birkin was adamant  that the Bentley 4 1/2 Litre could be substantially more competitive through supercharging considering Mercedes podium first second and third.

This is where Birkin turned to Amherst Villiers who in turn entered into an agreement with Bentley Motors and Amherst Villiers. The supercharged 4 1/2 Litre would have to be production model to which Bentley agreed.

The production of the supercharged car was to be delivered in June and they aimed for two production “Blowers” at the 1929 Olympia Show.

The following year, production blowers were being ordered by customers. A total of 50 cars were built over the two-year period, which resulted in Birkin met the Automobile Club de l’Ouest requirements to compete at Le Mans.

If you fancy some nostalgia then you can purchase the car with a guide price of $8,000,000 – $10,000,000 .