Small but mighty - the Bentley from Hedley Studios
10/08/2024
The wind roars through the cockpit, the steering shakes, the front wheels follow the bumps in the road. Your gaze wanders over the hood with its handcrafted air vents and the free-standing fenders. The speed is perhaps 60 km/h and yet it all feels much faster. Almost like in the original Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Blower of the late 1920s, which once dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I've never had the chance to drive one of those racing cars, but it can't have felt that completely different.
However, our "Bentley" is slightly smaller, 15% smaller to be precise. The steering wheel is mounted in the middle, the passenger sits behind the pilot, tandem seats like in a Messerschmitt cabin scooter. And, this is probably the decisive difference to the original, the drive is an electric motor and not a turbocharged 4.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Those who are already reaching for their keyboards to write an angry comment should be reminded that Ettore Bugatti himself built a small version of his Grand Prix Bugatti and also equipped it with an electric motor at the time. However, that Bugatti Baby was intended for children, was built on a 1:2 scale and had to make do with relatively little propulsion and a 12-volt battery.
The Bentley Blower Jnr (for Junior), as built by Hedley Studios, has batteries with a capacity of 10.8 kWh on board for a range of around 100 km and runs at over 70 km/h with its 15 kW (20 hp) drive motor. Above all, however, a normal-sized Central European can easily fit into a well-supported seat behind the steering wheel and there is room for another passenger behind it, who does not have to be short either.
Driving the 85% Bentley - we had the pleasure of driving the second of seven prototypes thanks to Schmohl Exclusive Cars , the Swiss importer for the road-legal (!) Bentley Blower Jnr. It is enough to have the key with you, press the starter button and then select forward gear by moving a small rotary switch. Now release the mechanical handbrake on the outside right of the body and off you go. You can choose between three driving modes (Comfort/Bentley/Sport) and thus influence the maximum output of the motor as well as the range.
In typical electric car fashion, the little Bentley gets off to a dynamic start, with torque from below. From 50 km/h onwards, it struggles a little more, and at this point at the latest, the big brother, which weighed around three times as much, would pull away, after all, the 4.5-liter engine produced up to 243 hp thanks to the Roots supercharger. However, the prerequisite for a good performance in the historic car was a purposeful handling of the unsynchronized four-speed gearbox and the pedals with reversed accelerator and brake pedals. In addition, the oil balance of the engine and compressor had to be kept under constant observation if the journey was not to end prematurely.
You don't have such problems in the "Junior". You don't have to change gear at all and the accelerator pedal is on the far right as usual. It also decides on recuperation, but not too much energy can be recovered in the electric Bentley, especially as the brake pedal only acts on the hydraulically controlled disc and drum brakes (front/rear).
Little can be heard of the drive, most of it would be drowned out by the roar of the wind anyway. Up to around 30 km/h, the prototype produces a futuristic roar; the 99 production vehicles of the "First Edition" - number 1 could be sold by Schmohl Exclusive Cars in Switzerland - will then make an engine noise reminiscent of the Le Mans Bentley.
No shortcuts
Now you may turn up your nose at the modern imitation of the Le Mans legend. But firstly, Bentley itself has already created nostalgic copies with its "Continuations", albeit on a 1:1 scale and with an internal combustion engine, and secondly, you can only admire the enthusiasm and passion of the people at Hedley Studios when building the "Junior".
We were able to talk to John, the man responsible for the second prototype and also the builder of the vehicle, and we could really feel his pride in the result. Of course, the combustion engine is missing and compromises are necessary to accommodate the batteries and to ensure road approval, but wherever possible, tribute is paid to the original. For example, the small car has rigid axles, leaf springs and friction shock absorbers like the original.
The steering was also modeled on the number 2 team car. And the external handbrake is made easier by holes, just like in the Le Mans Bentley.
The dashboard also imitates the large 4.5-liter, and instruments have been modified for the intended purpose. Of course, the drip counter for the oil supply of the compressor is missing and the manual control for the fuel supply is also not necessary, but overall the displays of the original were lovingly recreated. The forward/reverse switch was created from the lever for setting the pre-ignition and post-ignition.
Artistic craftsmanship
Like the prototypes, the production models are built entirely by hand. True artists are at work here. The fenders and hoods are made of sheet aluminum, which is driven into the right shape by craftsmen using wooden blocks. Just like the original back then. The radiator is also built by hand. The seats are covered with particularly hard-wearing leather, as was also used in Bentley's Continuation Blowers. The starting numbers are carefully painted on by hand. Just like in the 1920s.
The series juniors (from the end of 2024, beginning of 2025) are assembled by small teams. This doesn't take hours, but days and weeks.
The result is at least as much a work of art as a car. The other miniaturized cars (e.g. Bugatti, Ferrari) from Hedley Studios ( formerly known as "The Little Car Company", where the Tamiya Wild One, enlarged to 1:1, is also under development ) are often displayed as sculptures in office buildings and private homes. However, at 3.72 meters long and 1.48 meters wide, the Bentley is almost a little big for that.
Hardly any comparable
Of course, the Bentley Blower Junior is not a vintage car, nor is it a classic, even if it looks like one. It is more reminiscent of nostalgic vehicles such as those from Excalibur (Mercedes-Benz SSK and Bugatti 35) or the resurrection of the Messerschmitt (KR 202 E and Co.) and the Isetta (Microlino). One could even use the Fiat 500e as a comparison; after all, its shape is also reminiscent of the Fiat Nuova 500 of the 1960s.
In contrast to the Bentley Blower Junior, whose construction is officially supported by Bentley, the other nostalgic vehicles are mainly optical copies or design developments, while the technology and functionality must meet modern requirements. Hedley Studios are much more committed to the original from back then and have, for example, scaled down the original supercharger housing to scale and housed the connection for charging the batteries in it.
The tank at the rear is also present, but primarily serves as storage space for charging cables and small items. The hood can be opened by undoing the leather straps, just like the original, and also houses a storage compartment underneath in the standard version.
Some features, such as the L7e road approval, are reminiscent of the Microlino or the Renault Twizy. The utility value should also be similar, i.e. typical commuter trips or excursions in the surrounding area. However, driving a Bentley Blower Jnr requires much more take-charge qualities, as there is no roof, no heating and the mini Brookland windshield only keeps the wind from destroying your hair to a limited extent. On the other hand, the little Bentley has much more charm and style. If this is worth a six-figure sum in CHF or euros, you can still try to get hold of one of the 99 First Edition cars.
At any rate, the ride in the scaled-down Le Mans car is a lot of fun, but also makes you want to try out the big brother from back then. But obviously only a few people get the chance to take the wheel of team car number 2, now valued at over 20 million pounds. But you can still dream ...
P.S. If you would like to see more and larger pictures, a special collection of Bentley Blower Junior pictures has been set up .
