I'm pretty sure this is the other antique automobile on display that is valued at over a million dollars. It was parked right next to the 1928 Mercedes-Benz which was posted last week. I didn't catch what year this model is, but I would imagine it was circa 1925. Notice the leather belts holding the engine cover/hood in place.
This blown Bentley is the car driven by James Bond, 007, in Ian Fleming's book Casino Royal.
ReplyDeleteThe Bentley Company produced only 55 of these Blower Bentleys, and these days they fetch close to $2 million, if they ever come up for sale. This car won the 1928 Le Mans race and came in second and third in 1929. Bentley made the last of these 4.5 L Blower Bentleys in 1931. Back in 1929 the Blower Bentley was clocked at over 130 mph.
DeleteThanks you for the information Jeff. After I read your reply, I had to go and search the web and was able to find out quite a bit about this auto and the other Blower Bentley's. I only knew it as a Bentley, and your information narrowed my search to this model. It's a very interesting auto with quite a legacy.
DeleteYou see the blower right below the radiator in your photos. This car is a true classic. When it was built it was one of, if not the fastest car on the planet in 1928-1931. Thank you for posting excellent pictures of it. It's a joy to see.
ReplyDeleteEd, I just read today that the Goodings & Co. car auction sold this fall a 1928 4.5 liter Blower Bentley Le Mans for the staggering figure of $6,050,000. There are people out there with too much money. The car was fast for 1928, but they have a four speed, non-synchromesh transmission which is difficult to shift. It is an historic and beautiful car, but over six million? Seems too much money to me.
DeleteThat is a lot of money. I wonder what they cost new and what the return on one's investment would be. I think I'd rather spend that $6,000,000 on some new camera equipment and/or a good photography course.
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