CAD complete on Bentley's Birkin Blower
The new Blowers get one step closer to completion, as the digital rendering is finished
Those using their newfound working from home status to binge watch Friends or take Morecambe to glory on Football Manager should look away now: the Bentley boys (and girls) have been busy, despite the obvious obstacles. No longer at their Crewe offices, the Bentley Mulliner Classic Division have nonetheless completed what's been called an "important milestone" for the Blower Continuation Series: the CAD model is ready.
You'll remember the painstakingly in-depth process of constructing a Continuation Series car; detailed last year, it involves a 3D scan of an original Blower - chassis HB 3403 - as well as "a sympathetic and conservative mechanical restoration" when it was being put back together again. Then the digital recreation could happen, then Bentley could maybe consider beginning to build the cars. Using moulds and jigs from the 1920s. Nobody said it would be easy...
However, having the digital copy ready is a big deal. Bentley reckons it's taken 1,200 hours for two CAD engineers to complete from the scan data (so that's not including all the time taken in breaking down, restoring and reassembling the Blower) and is made up of 630 components across 70 assemblies. Just this one digital model is more than 2GB in size - that's the level of detail. It is, unsurprisingly, the first time that a 1920s Bentley has been replicated digitally.
So, what's next? The dozen customers are in the process of choosing their spec, using the CAD model with Bentley Design to create accurate renderings of how the finished car might look. Bentley's Car Zero prototype will also begin the "first stages of build" very soon. Suffice it to say nothing is going to happen too swiftly, given both what's being worked with and Bentley's fastidious attention to detail. Then the Mulliner technicians can begin assembly.
The Blower Continuation Series ought to be an incredible project to watch unfold, the process of resurrecting a hundred-year-old car arguably as captivating as the end product promises to be. Expect another update soon, or rather when progress deems one suitable - this Blower isn't going to be rushed, that's for certain.
This image from the article surely can't be the CAD model from their scans? It looks like it was done in Sketchup.
Bentley only built the engine and chassis. The bodywork were built seperately, to the customers choice. Sometimes, the customers would ask for two bodies for the same chassis: a heavy, closed salokn for winter and an open, touring style for summer. Mulliner,s later Mulliner Park Ward or MPW was bought by Rolls Royce. Mulliners were bought by standard triumph, and Tickford by Aston Martin.
That body they have scanned is, I belivet a design and build of Vanden Plas. Which was bought, eventually by auatin. Which became, BMc, BMH, BLMC, BL, AR, Rover, MG Rover and now, I believe owned by the Chinese.
Might Bentley be facing a patent infringement from Nanjing Automotive forr a 100 year old design feature??
This image from the article surely can't be the CAD model from their scans? It looks like it was done in Sketchup.
Just switching the background colour and changing to a slightly different rendering mode makes it look miles more up to date however.
This image from the article surely can't be the CAD model from their scans? It looks like it was done in Sketchup.
At the moment (and for a long time already), CATIA is the software most modern cars and their components are modeled with.
This image from the article surely can't be the CAD model from their scans? It looks like it was done in Sketchup.
At the moment (and for a long time already), CATIA is the software most modern cars and their components are modeled with.
Bentley only built the engine and chassis. The bodywork were built seperately, to the customers choice. Sometimes, the customers would ask for two bodies for the same chassis: a heavy, closed salokn for winter and an open, touring style for summer. Mulliner,s later Mulliner Park Ward or MPW was bought by Rolls Royce. Mulliners were bought by standard triumph, and Tickford by Aston Martin.
That body they have scanned is, I belivet a design and build of Vanden Plas. Which was bought, eventually by auatin. Which became, BMc, BMH, BLMC, BL, AR, Rover, MG Rover and now, I believe owned by the Chinese.
Might Bentley be facing a patent infringement from Nanjing Automotive forr a 100 year old design feature??
You can buy every bit for these cars already. How do you think the originals are still going?
Buy a real 4.5 litre for 500k give it to NDR or VBE for a year, write them a check for say 200k. You will get the same thing except with real history.
Just seems pointless to me.
You can buy every bit for these cars already. How do you think the originals are still going?
Buy a real 4.5 litre for 500k give it to NDR or VBE for a year, write them a check for say 200k. You will get the same thing except with real history.
Just seems pointless to me.
You can buy every bit for these cars already. How do you think the originals are still going?
Buy a real 4.5 litre for 500k give it to NDR or VBE for a year, write them a check for say 200k. You will get the same thing except with real history.
Just seems pointless to me.
You can buy every bit for these cars already. How do you think the originals are still going?
Buy a real 4.5 litre for 500k give it to NDR or VBE for a year, write them a check for say 200k. You will get the same thing except with real history.
Just seems pointless to me.
This image from the article surely can't be the CAD model from their scans? It looks like it was done in Sketchup.
mate Concorde was done on paper.You can buy every bit for these cars already. How do you think the originals are still going?
Buy a real 4.5 litre for 500k give it to NDR or VBE for a year, write them a check for say 200k. You will get the same thing except with real history.
Just seems pointless to me.
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