The Iconic Bentley Blower Returns To Competition Racing
The first car of Bentley’s Blower Continuation Series – known as Car Zero – will race at a series of events in 2023, invoking the history of its ancestor. Blower Car Zero will take to tracks in the UK, France and Belgium in a set of races that will test its performance and endurance.
The Blower Continuation Series is the first pre-war continuation series ever created. It has been built by hand using a combination of modern laser-scanned data and original drawings. 1929 4 ½-litre supercharged Team Car #2, Bentley’s most famous car, has provided the inspiration with blueprints and 3D data taken from the car. 93 years after that car competed at Le Mans, Car Zero will race at European circuits. It is due to be the first Bentley works car to race at Le Mans since the Speed 8’s victory in 2003.
Minor and safety-related modifications have been made to Car Zero to allow it to go racing. These include;
- the installation of a rain light
- wing mirrors
- towing points
- a fire extinguisher
- a battery isolation switch
The car also now holds a Historic Technical Passport (HTP), which certifies the car as eligible to compete in FIA-sanctioned events for historic vehicles.
Mulliner, the bespoke and personalisation division of Bentley, has commissioned 12 further Blower Continuation Series cars after Car Zero, with eight already delivered and four still in build. You may be able to see some of these customer cars as they compete alongside Car Zero at Le Mans in the summer, together with original Bentley Team cars from the 1920s.
Car Zero recently completed a six-hour endurance test at full race pace, at the Goodwood Motor Circuit to prepare for its racing debut. Driven by British driver Stuart Morely, the car covered 380 miles, averaging 83 miles per hour. A mix of experienced motoring journalists with racing credentials alongside professional racing drivers will drive for the race programme, with the full line-up confirmed shortly.
Blower Car Zero will compete at three tracks in 2023:
- Donnington Park, UK, 29-30 April
- Le Mans, France, 29 June – 3 July
- Spa, Belgium, 28-30 September
Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Bentley News Room