Bentley Continental GT Convertible Number 1 Edition Pays Homage To Legendary 1929 Original

Bentley has just announced the final Limited Edition model in its centenary trilogy range. Based on the Bentley Continental GT Convertible, it honors the iconic 1929 No.1 Bentley Blower racing car. Just 100 of these luxury models will be handcrafted during Bentley’s centenary year and each will feature numerous bespoke elements, finished in either Dragon Red II or Beluga, with a Claret or Beluga folding hood, carbon body kit, and rounded off by the painted Number 1 front grille.

The Number 1 Edition takes its inspiration from the original No. 1 Blower, which set the Outer Circuit record at the Brooklands racetrack in 1932. Driven by Bentley Boy Tim Birkin, the 4.5-liter car averaged 137 mph, a record that remained unbroken for two years. The big 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine that does duty in the Continental GT Convertible is in many ways just as ground-breaking as the original; in standard form it produces 626hp and 665lb-ft of torque. However, Bentley says the Number 1 Edition is fitted with an enhanced version so we can expect slightly enhanced power and performance figures.

Aside from the numerous centenary badges (the ones on the front wings are 18 carat gold-plated) this new model also has Grand Black wood veneer enhanced by 18 carat gold-plated organ stops, bespoke treadplates and a British Jaeger clock featuring a Number 1 face. A uniquely crafted dashboard incorporates a turned aluminum finish popular on racing cars in the 1920s and ’30s as it limited light reflection.

Images courtesy of Bentley