Bentley Motors and The Little Car Company have teamed up to bring a street legal, 85% scale version of a vehicle that goes beyond classic, beyond vintage, and beyond expensive. Built to Bentley Motors’ quality standards, the all-electric Blower Jnr, inspired by the former’s historic 1929 Car No. 2, arrives as a truly unique blend of past and present you’ve gotta see.
Bentley Motors Ltd. currently holds clout as a century-old automotive brand recognized for its expertise in quality and luxury. Although the Bentley name still resonates as a status symbol for the wealthy, sustainability has not been one of its core pillars until recently.
The English automaker has promised to go entirely electric within the next ten years, expanding its lineup to include PHEVs including like the Bentayga and Flying Spur. To kick off 2022, Bentley announced its “Beyond100” electrification strategy, vowing again to go full EV by 2030 on the wings of a £2.5 billion (~$3.4 billion) investment in its Crewe manufacturing facility to manufacture five new BEVs – one arriving each year beginning in 2025.
While we await Bentley’s fully electric models, we’ve seen other smaller companies electrify classic models from the English automaker, like the S2 Continental. However, I don’t think we’ve seen anyone dig as deep into the past as the Little Car Company, who has created an electric version of the Blower Jnr – arguably the most famous Bentley ever built.
You’ve gotta see this “Little” electric Bentley
This new Blower Jnr debuts as an 85% scale recreation of Bentley Motors’ 1929 4½-liter Supercharged Car No. 2 from Bentley’s Heritage Collection. While the original never won an endurance race, the Blower Bentley was the outright fastest race car of the day and went down in history as the supercharged version that competed at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Through its collaboration with Bentley, The Little Car Company was given access to the original 1929 vehicle (which is insured for over $31 million by the way), in order to create a scaled replica that is hand built to the same standards as its original makers. The Little Car Company is proud to proclaim its all-electric Bentley Blower Jnr will have experts doing double takes. Here are some specs:
- 3.7 meters (12.1 ft) long and 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) wide
- 48V electric powertrain with a 15 kW (20 bhp) motor
- Top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h) in the UK and EU
- 25 mph (40 km/h) in the US due to legislation (Lame!)
- Expected range around 65 miles
- Tandem seating for two adults
- Painted steel frame with an authentic chassis specification attached
- Carbon fiber reach structure (rather than ash like the original)
- Front houses a charger port capable of Level 1 or 2 speeds
- Fuel pressure pump repurposed as the drive mode selector, with a choice of Comfort (2 kW), Bentley (8 kW) or Sport (15 kW)
To begin, The Little Car Company says it will build 99 First Edition versions of the electric Bentley Jnr, each with unique badges and an engraved numbered plaque. The side panel and radiator carry a period-correct racing number and the steering wheel is rope-bound (seen above). Those limited run versions will cost £90,000 (~$115,000), excluding taxes and shipping.
It’s important to point out that the Blower Jnr is also the first completely street legal vehicle from The Little Car Company, whether its in the UK, EU, or US. The Little electric Bentley will debut in front of a crowd of VIPs at Monterey Car Week this evening and make appearances throughout the annual event.
The Little Car Company says it production of the Blower Jnr is expected to begin in Q2 of 2024, beginning with the 99 First Edition models.