While most manufacturers forged their reputations over several decades, the legend surrounding the Bentley marque was created in as little as 12 years.

Famed for combining ultimate luxury with sporting prowess, Bentley is still synonymous with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, though the company’s most famous model—the ‘Blower Bentley’—was not originally a Cricklewood creation.

Bentley’s 4½-Litre model could trace its origins back to the formation of the company, in being an evolution of the 3 Litre.

Predominantly fitted with a 10-foot 10-inch chassis, the 4½-Litre formed the backbone of the Competition department’s efforts at Le Mans, Brooklands, and Montlhéry before the arrival of the dominant Speed Six.

While the Speed Six utilised Bentley’s tried-and-tested formula of reliable long-stroke engines providing effortless torque, Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin was convinced that a lighter car with forced induction through supercharging was the answer for achieving outright speed.

With the backing o...