Bentley 'Blower' Sets Record, Selling for Over $7 Million at Goodwood Festival of Speed
The legendary 4.5-liter supercharged ‘Blower’ Bentley has set a record for the most expensive Bentley sold at an auction, when it went for over $7 million (£4.5 million) at the Bonhams auction during this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The single seater race car set plenty of records in its time, owned by Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin, and now has another record in its name. Packing 240-hp under the hood, the supercharged red racer topped the previous best of £2.8 million (approximately $4.4 million) that the infamous Speed Six got back at the Le Mans Classic in 2004.
The ‘Blower’ is most famous for setting a record back in 1932 when it hit 137.96-mph at Brooklands, an astonishing speed at that period in time.
“Birkin along with his Bentley racing friends like Woolf Barnato, Dudley Benjafield and Glen Kidston were true sporting superstars, renowned not only for their driving ability and courage but living life to the full and in some considerable style. They would create the enduring legend of the Bentley Boy racer at Brooklands and Le Mans and this new record price for a Bentley achieved by Bonhams reflects the enduring respect and admiration for their story and their cars,” said Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of VIP and Royal Relations.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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