Bentley 4½ Litre Blower

The Blower Bentley is the most famous racing Bentley of the pre-war era, even though its supercharger was controversial within the company. W.O. Bentley preferred displacement to forced induction, but Tim Birkin secured chairman Woolf Barnato's approval for the supercharged project, while Dorothy Paget supported the competition team. The car was fast and spectacular, with a huge external blower, exposed exhausts and a long bonnet. Only 55 were built, and they became the defining image of Bentley's racing years.