1931 Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged, Vanden Plas
Serial No. MS3941 ~ Engine No. MS3944

Four-cylinder in-line engine, single overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder, Roots-type supercharger, 4396 cc (268.36 cubic inches), 240 hp at 4200 rpm.

The Blower Bentley represented one of two solutions to a problem. In 1928, despite the fourcylinder 4½ Litre’s Le Mans win, the consensus at the Bentley works was that it was no longer competitive. W.O. Bentley’s decision was to create the Speed Six. The other decision was to supercharge the four.

W.O. hated this latter idea. But Sir Henry Birkin, whose notion it was, had persuaded fellow Bentley team driver Woolf Barnato that it was worth a try – and, since Barnato’s heavy investment in Bentley Motors, Ltd. was the principal reason the company was still alive, W.O. had no recourse but to grudgingly give his okay, and incidentally find room at his factory for production of the 50 cars necessary to qualify for Le Mans. Fortunately, Birkin had also convinced the Hon. Dorothy Paget to finance premises at Welwyn for the conversion of 4½ blown production cars into race cars – so W.O. did not have to witness the final desecration which would, in his words, “pervert” his engine and “corrupt its performance.”

Actually, the performance of the Blower Bentley was spectacular – in short spurts. Blindingly fast, the car was also woefully unreliable. A Speed Six won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. The Blower never did win a race. Its best finish was second in the 1930 French Grand Prix to a Bugatti that was half its weight. This was a compelling achievement, but didn’t impress W.O. much. The Blower’s other moment of competitive glory was at Brooklands in 1932 when Birkin broke the Outer Circuit record at 137.96 mph.

At $7375, the Blower Bentley was priced about $2000 more than an unsupercharged version. The car on display, distinguished by its flared wings, cutaway sides and liberal use of chrome plating, was originally ordered by the adventurous Miss N. McCaw. It was brought to this country in 1932 and was owned for a time by the Packard Motor Car Company.

Given its competition record, the Blower Bentley might have been forgotten. But some cars achieve mythic status through sheer audacity. Ian Fleming helped when he provided James Bond a Blower Bentley to drive in his earlier novels. A secret agent behind the wheel of this conspicuous car? Fiction nicely complemented fact.

Photos – Peter Harholdt

"I am trying to gather facts and write about my rather mysterious and obviously speed loving and wealthy Great Aunt Miss Nora (Hardy) McCaw.

She owned many Bentleys in the 1930s. Details of the W.O. Bentley can be seen below:

GN 6090 (Blower)
GJ 7597 (4½ Litre)
GX 2338 (8 Litre)
GK 8443 (perhaps the most famous of all The Green Hornet.)

I think there are more and then she moved on to Rolls Royces in the 1950s.

Is there any way you can search your records for past owners? You obviously have the most fabulous data base and I wondered if you can help me in my quest to track down some of her cars?"

Pebble Beach, 2001
"Miles Collier brought the ex-Briggs Cunningham Blower 4½ Litre Bentley (MS3941) with Vanden Plas tourer coachwork. Very original and authentic." — By John W. de Campi (NH)

Art rendering by Leslie Saalburg.

1931 Bentley 4 1/2-Litre Supercharged Tourer by Vanden Plas was owned by Miles C. Collier of Naples, Florida, in the late 1980s.

"Still in Collier Collection. In very original condition. Black with red hide, and red under wings. Shown at Pebble Beach in 2001." — Greg Porter - April 21, 2010

1931 Sport Touring

"This is the Collier Blower in its current form." — Greg Porter - April 21, 2010

Car is a 4½ Litre Blower Bentley.

"The Collier Blower while in the Cunningham collection in California." — Greg Porter - April 21, 2010

The first 25 production Supercharged 4½ Litre cars where Chassis Nos. SM3901-SM3925, all with "smooth-case" blowers. The next 25 were Chassis Nos. MS3926-MS3950 and had "rib-case" blowers.

Production Blower Bentleys had handbrake handles made from rectangular stainless steel, whereas the five 4½ litre race cars for Tim Birkin had the "H" section handle, but were drilled for lightness.