Bentley rips apart a 90-year-old racecar to make replicas

Bentley says it will be taking apart a pre-WWII racecar known as the 4 ½-Litre Team Blower to study its original components and produce replicas for the new Continuation Series. A total of 12 vehicles will roll off the lines, referencing the number of races the original Team Blower participated in.

The car came out back in 1929 in a batch of four. All four took part in various racing events in Europe, but the second car (chassis No. UU 5872) was generally considered the best of all. Unfortunately, Bentley was only able to obtain a different copy (chassis No. HB 3403) for the project.

The engineer team will disassemble the prototype racecar down to the last screw, enter all parts into a database and then scan each part with a 3D scanner. Each Continuation replica will feature a stainless-steel frame and semi-elliptical spring suspension. A 16-valve turbo-four engine rated at 240 hp (179 kW) will power the limited edition.

Once all 12 vehicles have been produced, Bentley will restore the 4 ½-Litre Team Blower to its original condition.