Overview

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The Bentley Birkin Racer

The Birkin single-seater Bentley was, in effect, the Concorde of its time, the fastest car around the high Brooklands bankings. It was driven by a great British Baronet hero in Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin and was the most glamorous racing car of the era.

The ex-Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin 1929 4½ litre supercharged ‘Blower’ Bentley single-seater, which when new raised the Brooklands Outer Circuit record to 137mph. It was sold for £5,042,000 at Bonhams Auction at Goodwood in 2012.

First there was the fearless and charismatic aristocrat who was behind the wheel for the record lap. Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin who became one of the most famed of the legendary ‘Bentley Boys’ of the 1920s – 30s. For an entire generation of British motor racing enthusiasts, the moustached ‘Tiger Tim’ in his goggles, wind cap and polka-dot scarf was the epitome of Imperial power, speed and daring – a very British kind of hero. Intensely competitive, he was a born sportsman who raced for racing’s sake and was whole-heartedly committed to making the most of his natural talent.

Bentley cars were designed with the motto: “To build a good car, a fast car, the best in class”, and indeed they won the Le Mans 24-Hour Endurance Race on a number of occasions and set many records at the French track. Although the supercharged ‘Blower’ version was developed by Birkin with the backing of his financiers, it was based on the original 1927 design.

Built buy – Petersen Engineering

Petersen Engineering who specialises in vintage pre-war Bentleys, was asked by one of his clients to build an authentic tool room copy of the ‘Birkin’ Racer after seeing the original car. The car has been built to the nearest and exact specification using the patterns and dimensions of the original, with a few modern touches. Utilising a genuine 1935 Bentley.

Bob Petersen agreed to do this under duress as the build is complicated and the lead time would be long he warned… Based in a small village in the heart of rural Devon,

Petersen Engineering has been established for 30+ years and completed more than 100 cars for customers. They are well known worldwide for producing sought-after unique coach built cars. Using best quality materials to produce beautifully detailed exteriors and interiors. Bob Gathercole the godson of WO Bentley said his godfather would have approved of Petersens work and the use of modern techniques.

Petersen motor cars give the customer a chance to experience their dream right from the beginning, in exactly the same way as the original first owners did back in the 1930’s including all the different extras, such as interior design, the layout of the dashboard and individual specifications. This is what originality is all about when building an anachronism.

Reliability is obviously one of the most quoted priorities. There are few people who can afford the luxury of a backup van filled with vintage parts, tools and two trained mechanics when embarking on a rally or holiday.

Petersen cars are rugged and durable and offer real vintage motoring with the reliability of any modern vehicle, but that is where the compromise to real vintage motoring stops.

A dedicated team of craftsmen are proud of the high quality of workmanship consistently produced in their workshop.

For ongoing servicing, parts and advice Petersen Engineering will be your direct support and contact at all times.