The Little Car Company Bentley Blower Jnr review

Well, this a considerably simpler process than flaring up an original blower, with its ignition timing this and magneto that. In the Blower Jnr, you simply press the ‘start/stop’ button, wait for the screen by your right knee to display the bewinged Bentley logo, then press the brake and prod the drive selector (modelled on the ignition timing advance) into, um, Drive.

Is it fast?

The car doesn’t leap away with the boundless verve of a YouTube-hyping EV: it lopes leisurely, easily quick enough to keep up with town traffic on its way to a 45mph top speed. Hunker down behind the aero screen on a downhill run and you might see 47mph. We did.

What’s it like to drive?

Couple of things to be aware of. Firstly, wear driving gloves. Not only will you look the part, but it’ll save you from painful palm-chafing on the authentic string-wrapping four-spoke steering wheel, which jiggles and wriggles away merrily in your hands as the car canters along.

Also, it’s not especially comfortable. The seat is luxuriantly padded, which is just as well because it absorbs more bumps than the suspension.

Thing is, TLCC could have fitted the Blower Jnr with modern suspension geometry and state of the art adjustable dampers. After all, they chose to build the body from carbon fibre. But that’s largely unseen from the outside, and the whole point of this exercise is to make it as authentic as possible to the original Blower. So, the frictional dampers and leaf springs remain, only smaller than before. Frankly, as you shake, rattle and roll along watching the crossply tyres quiver, the main thought that bounces around your brain is: “I can’t believe people used to race stuff like this at Le Mans.”

How far will it go?

Expect a range of no more than 60-65 miles. That sounds paltry of course, but bear in mind what this is going to be used for. Pub runs. Village fetes. Caddish showing off. Ten minutes in one of these will put a bigger smile on your face than ten laps of the Nürburgring in a million-horsepower hypercar. Like the car itself, it’s a case of everything in moderation.

Anything else?

The weeny wind deflector is surprisingly effective, but if you’re venturing above 30mph then sunglasses or preferably goggles are a must. And be aware that if you’re an American buyer, the rules of the land of the free state the top speed must be limited to 25mph. So your Jnr will be slower than ours. Incidentally, you’re also the reason for the reversing camera…