#relacoespublicas #rp #rpmoda #pr #publicrelations » 2013 Maio 15 » Famous, supercharged Bentleys set for 1,000 mile Italian epic
01:54 Famous, supercharged Bentleys set for 1,000 mile Italian epic | |
Bentley Motors will compete in this year’s Mille
Miglia with two unique 4 ½ litre Supercharged "Blowers”; a 1930 Le Mans
race car belonging to perhaps the most famous and daring of the Bentley
Boys and a company demonstrator that is still going strong even after
nine decades on the road.
The No. 2 Team Car – raced at Le Mans by Captain Tim Birkin – was
brought by Bentley Motors in 2000 and has been regularly campaigned
across the world by the company ever since. Richard Charlesworth,
Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who has helped prepare
the car for its third Mille Miglia challenge at Bentley’s Crewe
headquarters, explains:
"This is a fantastic car to drive and remains extremely rapid as well.
We take great pride in making sure all the cars Bentley owns continue to
regularly compete or run and are not museum exhibits, which is very
much the Bentley way, and we are all looking forward to the unique Mille
Miglia experience.”
The car is perhaps best known for its epic duel with a 7 litre
‘Kompressor’ Mercedes (also supercharged) at Le Mans in 1930 with Birkin
putting his off-side wheels on the grass as he completed a typically
daring pass of his Mercedes opponent Rudolf Caracciola at 120mph. The
Blower immediately threw one of its rear tyre treads, but somehow Birkin
carried on to set the fastest lap.
Sadly Birkin’s campaign ended after 82 laps but the immense pressure he
applied to the Mercedes is wildly credited with assisting his fellow
Bentley Boys Woolf Barnato and Glenn Kidston to win the race in their
Bentley Speed Six.
The second Bentley Blower to take-on Mille Miglia was completed in 1930
and is fitted with a beautiful Vanden Plas Open, Sports Four Seater
body. It was owned by Bentley Motors as a customer demonstrator car
before passing into private ownership. An early review praised it as "a
car with the strongest possible individuality and it is certain that it
is immensely likeable no matter what angle one may regard it".
Repurchased by Bentley Motors in 1997, the car continues to turn heads
at Bentley customer events across the world and is still faithfully
fulfilling demonstration rides well into its ninth decade.  by Bentley | |
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