Bentley has announced the official start of production for the new Bentley "Blower," the first in over 90 years, at Bentley Mulliner’s bespoke factory. "Car Zero" is the engineering prototype for 12 Bentley "Blower Continuation Series" cars, each featuring a hand-built 4.5-liter supercharged engine based on the design of the unique 1929 Team Car raced by Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin. These 12 cars will be the first continuation series for a pre-war model globally, and all have already been pre-ordered.

The first component to be completed in the workshop is the chassis, the skeleton of the project onto which all other parts will be fitted. This was followed by the fuel tank and radiator, and then the ash frame. Subsequently, the headlights, the engine remade by Amherst Villiers superchargers, the front axle assembly, and leaf springs began to be assembled.

The parts were ordered by precisely laser-scanning the frame and its components after disassembling Bentley's own #2 Team Car, and then combining the resulting digital CAD data with original 1920s engineering drawings and sketches.

The chassis is hand-built by specialists at Israel’s Newton & Sons, finished with hot forming from thick steel plates. The Vintage Car Radiator Company, based in Bicester Heritage, accurately reproduced key Blower components such as the mirror-polished nickel-plated radiator shell and the hand-beaten fuel tank made of steel and copper.

The leaf springs and shackles are to original specifications from Jones Springs, a company with approximately 75 years of experience and a history that began with a blacksmith’s forge. The Blower’s iconic headlamps have been reproduced by Vintage Headlamp Restoration International in Sheffield.

The 4.5-liter engine, designed by W.O. Bentley and recreated by Nail Davis of NDR, incorporates many innovative technologies found in 1970s sports car engines, such as aluminum pistons, overhead camshafts, four valves, and twin-spark ignition. It also features a newly machined Amherst Villiers roots-type supercharger, accurately reproduced, generating approximately 240ps.

Over the coming weeks, parts for Car Zero will be progressively completed and test-fitted. The new engine and supercharger will be run on Bentley’s own engine development test bed in Crewe, and the chassis will receive its period-appropriate paint before final assembly begins. The completed Car Zero is scheduled for its public debut in the autumn, following its unveiling to the 12 customers of this special project.

Tim Hanley of Bentley Mulliner commented, “After nearly a year of detailed engineering work, it is incredibly rewarding to see the first parts completed to recreate the Bentley Blower after more than 90 years. The engineering and craftsmanship of our team, who have finalized the specifications for hundreds of individual parts, is matched by the skill of the artisans across the country who have hand-built the components we are now beginning to bolt together. We will refine the design and fix any issues, but this is exactly what building a prototype is for. We are truly excited to complete this first car and reveal it to the world later this year.”