Miguel Sánchez
If you follow closely the news about the best elegance contests, you may have noticed the presence of a vehicle as attractive as it is unexpected. It is a kind of Bentley very similar in its lines to the 1952 Continental although with a smaller size and an open-air body.
It is certainly a delight in proportions and elegance. So much so that one wonders how Bentley never brought into production this concept which, in the history of motoring, has come to be called The blizzard.
So, the first thing to keep in mind is that this vehicle is not at all some kind of jewel lost for decades in some warehouse until it is happily recovered. Far from it, The Blizzard It is a current product materialized by a small british workshop dedicated to its production with an expected run of around 15 units.
However, the most interesting thing about this whole story is that our protagonist is not the fruit of some kind of assumption about what a hypothetical convertible version of the Continental could have been like; it is something anchored in real history of Bentley.
JAGUAR XK120, A MODEL TO ROLE
After World War II Jaguar looked for a replacement for its SS100 discontinued in 1939. Likewise, it did not want to put the cart before the horse, therefore placing the greatest emphasis on the presentation of a new engine that was to be the foundation on which almost all the technical evolution of its range would be based over the following two decades.
In this context, the London Salon 1948 This was the setting chosen for the presentation of the new XK engine with six in-line cylinders. However, since an engine - as excellent as it is - does not seem to look too good in the promotional images, the management headed by William Lyons thought it appropriate to wrap it in a simple, fluid and light convertible body.
This is how the design of the future Jaguar XK120 was born, which would be so successful at the show - awakening the public's desires thanks to its elegant yet sporty appearance - as to encourage the serial production of the concept. And yes, that was an excellent idea, since from 1948 to 1854 the British manufacturer sold more than 12.000 units, counting all the series.
BENTLEY THINKS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCESS MODEL
The XK120's runaway success had many echoes in the international market. What's more, it was a clear success in the United States, thus opening the door to the great number of "roadster” with which British brands took off in America during the fifties and sixties; excellent news for Triumph, MG and of course Jaguar itself.
At this point, Ivan Everden -designer and project manager at Bentley- thought about the convenience of having an entry-level model in its range, just in the style of that interpreted by the lucrative Jaguar model.
Without a doubt, a whole revulsive for that brand that, after having fallen under the domination of Rolls-Royce in 1931, was struggling to find its own personality in which to once again give free rein to his former sportsmanship.
With all this he outlined a project that he named The Blizzard, capturing in his first sketches a two-seater convertible as stylish as it is recognisable for the brand based on its grille. What's more, it is clear how the style of the future Continental was based on all this work.
THE BLIZZARD, FROM DISCARD TO CURRENT RECREATION
Even when looking into sources relating to Bentley's history, the data regarding The Blizzard is really scarce. However, in general everything points to the direction of the brand He dismissed the possibility to create even a prototype due to not seeing clearly the possible success of its bet against the already more than consolidated Jaguar.
In this way, prudence won over everything else, leaving Ivan Evernden's sketches to fall into oblivion in order to concentrate both on the production of his sedans and on the development of an imposing, comfortable and efficient GT: the 1952 Continental advertised as “the silent sports car".
However, all this happened - happily - in the United Kingdom: undoubtedly the European country with the greatest automotive culture and - by far - a better and more varied specialized press. Thanks to this, the “runes runesThe Blizzard's "The Last of Us" never fell completely on deaf ears, being reborn in recent years with the work of a small artisan workshop entirely dedicated to its recreation.
To do this they use a large number of period elements - the engine is a 4.9-litre R-Type block while the steering and suspensions are taken from donor MKVI/R units - wrapping the whole thing with a hand made bodywork It is based on a new chassis, but is absolutely faithful to those worn by Bentleys in the 1950s. In short, something as special as it is interesting when it comes to recovering this episode in the brand's history.
Images: Unai Ona / The Blizzard
