Bentley Continental GT Le Mans Collection: 1 OF 24!

12-07-2023 14:29 -

This year's Le Mans Classic will see a collection of Bentley models, displayed statically at the Club Azure/Garden 24, adjacent to the heart of the Le Mans track, the village and in the paddock. To celebrate the sixth win of Bentley at Le Mans 24 Hours, the brand is highlighting six milestones honouring the history of the brand. Firstly, a limited-edition of 48 Continental GTs globally, including 24 coupes in Europe, have been created to mark 20 years since Bentley's sixth victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 100 years since the first running of the legendary race. Each of the exclusive GT Le Mans Collection features unique product content such as the three-way Bentley Rotating Display, offering a choice of touchscreen, dual veneer or analogue dials – but with a twist; in place of the standard central dial is a Vitrine displaying an engine valve from the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 of the 2003 Le Mans winning Bentley Speed 8. The car will be displayed in the Club Azure area.

The 1929 4½ Litre Supercharged, team car #2, UU 5872 will indeed be statically displayed. No pre-war Bentley had an impact like the 4½ Litre ‘Blower' Bentley. Its thunderous performance thrilled thousands - including author Ian Fleming, who later gave fictional hero James Bond a supercharged 4½ Litre Bentley. UU 5872 was driven by Bentley Boy Henry (Tim) Birkin at Le Mans in 1930. Owned by Bentley Motors since 2000, the UU 5872 is today part of the Heritage Garage located within the original 1930s brick-built factory and was previously the ‘project forum', where models such as the 2003 Continental GT were planned and developed. Part of the centenary of Bentley Motors, the company announced the creation of a continuation series of 12 Bentley Blowers, using laser-scanned 3D CAD data taken from the No. 2 Team Car, which have now been all delivered. Out of the 12, a pair of Blower Continuation Series cars will take part in the Grid 1 race. Both the factory-owned Blower Car Zero and a customer car will be racing, with the former building on its recent first test race at Donington Park in the UK.