The (not so) Little car Company
Image: The Little Car Company
The Little Car Company is a small outfit in the UK that builds faithful reinterpretations of some of the world’s most famous cars. In the past, it has assembled small versions of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa and even offers a mini version of James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5. But for its latest creation, the company has taken on something a little larger with its reimagined Bentley Blower.
Called the Blower Junior, the new model is an 85 percent replica of the original Bentley Blower from the 1920s. To create it, The Little Car Company (TLCC) worked closely with Bentley to scan the original team car to capture every detail.
To remain as true to the original as possible, the Blower Junior is built around a painted steel frame and comes with scaled down leaf spring suspension and “period-correct” friction dampers at each corner. However, it isn’t all old tech, as TLCC has also fitted the car with Brembo disc brakes at the front and modern drum brakes at the rear to bring it to a safe stop.
Spot the difference.
Image: The Little Car Company
Other modern flourishes include carbon fiber construction of the rear bodywork, instead of the traditional ash wood used on the original, and even a USB charging port hidden in the dash.
The resulting car measures an impressive 12-feet long, which is longer than a Chevrolet Spark, and five feet wide, which is just a smidge skinnier than a Smart ForTwo. In contrast, TLCC’s Bugatti Baby recreation measures just nine feet long and about three feet wide.
As well as being much bigger than the company’s other models, the Blower Junior is also the first car from TLCC to be certified road legal. With space for two and luggage room at the rear, this means that the Blower could be used for a quick jaunt around the countryside, a run to the shops or even a quick commute to the office. Now, you don’t often see people doing that in the original Blower, that’s for sure.
Giving a new meaning to the term supercharger.
Image: The Little Car Company
If you are going to start commuting in the Blower Junior, you might be pleased to know that the 4.5-liter supercharged motor found in the original is out. Instead, the Blower Junior is built around a 48V electric powertrain with a 15 kW motor powering the wheels. The motor kicks out 20 hp, which TLCC says is enough to get the new model up to a top speed of 45 mph. Sadly, that speed will be limited to 25 mph in the U.S due to legislation.
With its onboard battery, TLCC says the Blower Junior has a range of up to 65 miles and, when the time comes to charge, the port can be found in the mock supercharger mounted to the front of the car. Very neat.
The company plans to build 99 First Edition examples of the Blower Junior, which will be finished in this gorgeous Blower Green color. Each will feature “first edition” badges on the hood, door sills and dash, as well as a “1 of 99” plaque.
Looks like the real deal.
Image: The Little Car Company
The car makes its debut at Monterey Car Week and full-scale production of the limited edition model is scheduled for the second quarter in 2024.
Keyword: The Little Car Company’s Awesome Bentley Blower Is Its First Road Legal Car