Smith: Guine Bissau/1928 Blower Bentley

Description

In the early part of the twentieth century, the name Bentley was synonymous with all that was stylish and sporting in an automobile. Named after its inventor -- Walter Owen Bentley -- this sleek British automobile was first introduced in 1919 at the Olympic Motor Show in London. It sported a three-liter engine and hadthe speed and power of a racing car ... yet was docile enough to be driven in town. One of the reasons for the trememdous power of the Bentley automobiles was the innovative use of aluminum pistons in the engines which increased horsepowerwithout extra weight. The speed of Bentley car was never questioned, especiallyat the world famous twenty-four hour road race at LeMans ... for it was there that the Bentley mystique was created by winning this prestigious race five timesfrom 1924 to 1930. As the Bentley's reputation as a racy British sports car grew, Walter Bentley sought to make his car faster and even more powerful. Thus, one of the Bentley models was modified in 1928 to include a supercharged 4 1/2 liter engine which gave the sport car a spectacular increase in power. However, this new supercharged automobile was not the success it was hoped to be, and sales of the stylish auto declined. And the last of the sporty Bentleys rolled off theproduction line in the early 1930s. However, the Bentley automobile still carries the image of a full-blooded British sports car even today.