Latest news with #HedleyStudios
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
This $90,000 Ferrari Testa Rossa Sculpture Is Ready For Your Wall
As well as electric replicas, Hedley Studios now sells scaled-down Ferrari bodywork as wall-mounted ... More art. Hedley Studios, the company best known for producing electric scale replicas of some of the world's most beautiful cars, has now got into the sculpture business, with stunning results. The British company has taken the aluminum body of its 75 percent scale Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa J (for Junior), finished it in bare, hand-formed and polished metal, and made it available for wall hanging. The sculpture includes the full car body, along with Ferrari's official prancing horse badges, front and rear lamp lenses, and hood straps. Just 19 examples will be produced, matching the number of so-called 'Pontoon Fender' versions of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa race car of the late-1950s. Made of hand-polished aluminum, the sculpture features genuine Ferrari badges, plus light lenses and ... More hood straps. Hedley Studios suggests how the car body could be mounted on the wall of a garage, lounge or, my personal favorite, alongside the glassware of your home bar. Wherever you decide, you'll need plenty of space, since the aluminum sculpture measures 122 inches long, 43 inches wide and about 28 inches tall. The company says each body takes over 300 hours to create, with the metalwork shaped using traditional panel beating techniques. After that, the sculpture undergoes a two-week hand machining process to create the polished finish. Hedley Studios is best known for producing electric scale replicas of cars like the Bugatti Type 35, Bentley Blower, and Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. I drove the latter in track-honed Pacco Gara specification back in 2023. Powered by a 19 horsepower motor, the miniature car has a top speed of over 50 mph, a leather interior, authentic wire wheels, and is priced from around $100,000 plus tax. Limited to 19 examples, the sculpture is available to order from Hedley Studios in Bicester, ... More England. Ben Hedley, founder and CEO of Hedley Studios (formerly The Little Car Company), said of the sculpture, 'The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is a car steeped in history and magic, and with our stunning wall sculpture, we've aimed to capture the spirit of the original icon's creation. 'The legends of Maranello that masterminded and crafted the 250 Testa Rossa were meticulous and delicate in their technique, and our team of engineers have emulated this focus and dedication in their hours spent crafting our wonderful Testa Rossa J sculpture.' The sculpture is priced at $91,000 plus tax and shipping from Hedley Studios' headquarters in Bicester, England. For something truly unique, the company says bespoke customization options are available on request.
Miami Herald
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Company creates $92K Ferrari wall sculpture for car fans
By Dean Murray A British company has created the ultimate wall-hanging for car fans - a $92K Ferrari. Crafted as a 75% scale representation of the legendary 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa J, the 3.1m-long piece will be limited to just 19 examples worldwide. Oxfordshire-based Hedley Studios says each piece is created using traditional hand-forming and polishing techniques, taking over 300 hours of skilled craftsmanship. Officially recognized by Ferrari, the sculpture features authentic details including the Prancing Horse badge, front and rear light lenses, and bonnet straps. Ben Hedley, Founder and CEO of Hedley Studios, said: "The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is a car steeped in history and magic, and with our stunning wall sculpture, we've aimed to capture the spirit of the original icon's creation. "The legends of Maranello that masterminded and crafted the 250 Testa Rossa were meticulous and delicate in their technique, and our team of engineers have emulated this focus and dedication in their hours spent crafting our wonderful Testa Rossa J sculpture." The post Company creates $92K Ferrari wall sculpture for car fans appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Top Gear
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
You could own this Ferrari Testa Rossa J sculpture for a cool £68,000
You could own this Ferrari Testa Rossa J sculpture for a cool £68,000 Only 19 of these special 3:4 models will be made available to buy from Hedley Studios Skip 15 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 15 Check out this gorgeous Ferrari Testa Rossa J artwork, costing less than a painted Banksy, at a cool £68,000 (ish). It's the work of Hedley Studios – formerly The Little Car Company (yup, those guys that made the baby Bentley Blower Jr. and a dinky Aston DB5). It's a 75 per cent scaled reinterpretation, handcrafted from aluminium, and shipped ready to hang from a wall. Advertisement - Page continues below With permission from Ferrari itself, the bodywork has been embellished with a genuine Prancing Horse badge, front and rear light lenses and bonnet straps to give the artpiece an extra dollop of authenticity. We're told it took over 300 hours to get that fabulously polished finish. Founder, Ben Hedley said: 'The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is a car steeped in history and magic, and with our stunning wall sculpture, we've aimed to capture the spirit of the original icon's creation. The legends of Maranello that masterminded and crafted the 250 Testa Rossa were meticulous and delicate in their technique, and our team of engineers have emulated this focus and dedication in their hours spent crafting our wonderful Testa Rossa J sculpture. 'A statement piece that simultaneously captures attention and celebrates heritage and automotive greatness, like that of Scaglietti, the sculpture has already been met with resounding enthusiasm from a selection of VIPs that were lucky enough to get a sneak peek.' Hedley plans to make a limited 19 examples, and customise on request - thusly, expect to pay more. Advertisement - Page continues below Maybe it sounds a lot for a car you'll never drive – but hey, at least it's meant to be that way. So, where are you hanging yours? Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Telegraph
15-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Bentley Blower Junior review: ‘Too much money to be taken seriously'
My schoolfriend had a go-kart with a Villiers lawnmower engine and a two-speed axle. How jealous were the rest of us? I wish he could see me now, driving this miniaturised version of Bentley's most revered Le Mans racing car of the Twenties, when the imperious British firm dominated, taking four consecutive victories in the famed 24-hour event from 1927. To be precise, this Bentley Blower Junior is an 85 per cent scale replica of the famous ex-Tim Birkin 4 1/2-litre 'Blower' (named after its supercharged engine), one of the most famous racing cars ever. It famously helped Bentley overcome the Mercedes threat at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours, acting as the hare; eventually the high speeds took their toll on the German cars. Birkin's car also expired, but its exploits allowed one of the works Bentley Speed Six models to win. Bentley owns that Birkin car, registered UU5872. It is in the most original form, all 240bhp and 125mph of it – with an insurance value of £25 million. The Blower Junior, built by what was formerly the Light Car Company (now Hedley Studios) of Bicester, can only muster 20bhp, a top speed of just over 50mph and has a price of £155,400 if you include VAT. It's an EV, of course, with a 10.8kWh lithium-ion battery located between the longitudinal parts of the steel ladder-frame chassis. The motor produces 15kW continuous, more like 22kW at peak and the WLTP range is 65 miles, with 60 miles more realistic. It will charge fully in between three and five hours using a 7.4kW household wallbox, but there's no faster charging as the battery is air-cooled and therefore can't manage its internal temperatures as well as a liquid-cooled item. Made road-legal (homologated) under the UK's quadricycle rules (L7e/LSV), the kerb weight without the battery is 450kg, with the battery it's 550kg so no prizes for guessing how much the power source adds. Skip to: On the road The Telegraph verdict The facts at a glance Walk around It really is the most wonderful evocation, rather than a replica. If you don't look too closely, there are times when you could genuinely be looking at a brand-new Blower from the Twenties. It's sensitive to light, colour and the angle from which you observe, although it's actually quite large (3.72 metres long, 1.48m wide and 1.27m high). The ungainly stalks sitting out of the bodywork, incidentally, are the anchor posts for the mandatory seatbelts. The body is a combination of hand-beaten aluminium carbon-fibre for the body tub, which is covered with a cellulose-textured fabric recreated for vintage restorations so it resembles the original. The finned aluminium casting at the front, incidentally, is not an Amherst Villiers supercharger as per the original but the charging port, while the imitation saddle fuel tank at the back is a sizable luggage compartment. The hand-crafting and attention to detail is extraordinary, from the handbrake lever and single-door entry to the driving position and the tiny electronic display, which has an analogue clock and driving data in a correct period fount. This is a two-seater in tandem form with a central driving position. The seats are wonderfully upholstered if a bit overstuffed, although the passenger sits right at the rear of the body, with a profound sense of vulnerability. Ben Hedley, CEO of the eponymous creator, says he was the only one in the company brave (or stupid) enough to sit in the back seat during the handling sign-off process. There are 99 Blower lookalikes to be built (even down to the stickers), followed by a further 250 non-Le Mans replica cars, then it's over. On the road Climb in from the left side using the diminutive foot pad and you are confronted with an machined metal facia and a four-spoked steering wheel in the correct Bluemels style. Haphazard might best describe the instrument and control layout (as it was originally) but at least the maker has sourced suitably vintage-looking dials, instruments and old-fashioned switches. It's not a facsimile of an original Blower and that's OK, but they have managed to contrive an order of instrumentation which is almost entirely obscured if you are driving with both hands on the wheel. In addition, the speedometer stopped working soon into the drive. In addition, three out of four test cars simply stopped during the road test, while mine also restricted itself to 20mph. Repeatedly turning on and off solved some of these issues, but it was inauspicious to say the least. The driving position (partly as a result of the sight lines required to gain type approval) is high, far too high in fact. People were smaller in the late 1920s when the full-sized cars were made, modern frames are taller and on a plump leather seat you are stuck out in the full blast of the wind with little protection from the aero screen, which is on the legal limit of size before a wiper and washer would need to be added to conform to regulations. Frankly you look like a circus act; the first thing an owner would do is engage the services of a good upholsterer to sit lower in the body. I felt a bit ridiculous driving it, although the Jersey islanders smiled and waved indulgently as I passed. As with any EV, with only two pedals it is stupidly easy to drive, especially compared with a proper Blower with its notoriously recalcitrant crash gearbox; it's just press and go, although the electronic whirring, which is also required by law, is not very edifying. Nor is it very fast, but it's brisk from a standstill even if it runs out of puff at 45mph, yet it will creep to about 50mph if you keep the pedal to the floor, although by that time the wind blast is on the verge of removing your scalp. Despite suspension aping the original 1930s design, with half-elliptic leaf springs and lever-arm friction dampers, it rides pretty well. Something to do with the narrow tyres, possibly. It also handles predictably, even if the steering box system is a trifle vague. The traction isn't too bad, although a brisk getaway on a damp upward slope will have the inside wheel spinning madly, but on Jersey's 346 miles of road this isn't really an issue. The brakes (modern Brembo discs hidden in the wheels) are sensational, which adds a sense of confidence to the drive. The Telegraph verdict Hedley reckons that what he and Bentley were after 'was the ultimate pub car' (what the rest of us might call an indulgent toy for local jaunts) and after producing tiny Aston Martins, Ferraris and Bugattis, this bonsai Bentley is Hedley Studios's best car yet. And so it should be, given the price. The initial 99 First Edition cars, which are now being delivered, cost about £108,000 including taxes. Something of a bargain considering the rest of the 349-strong production run will cost £129,500, which with VAT is £155,400. Alternatives to the ultimate pub car might include a tweaked MG TC for about £20,000 or a Morgan Three Wheeler for half as much again. In fact there's any number of rare and interesting machines that could do the same job for considerably less (although perhaps not as cleanly and quietly). There's much to admire in the way this car has been built and the use of authentic materials and design, but it is really too much money to be taken at all seriously. Telegraph rating: Two stars out of five The facts On test: Bentley Blower Junior Body style: tandem-seat EV LE7/LSV quadricycle On sale: now How much? from £155,400 How fast? 45mph, 0-62mph n/a How economical? 6.0 mpkWh Electric powertrain: 15kWh gross lithium-ion NMC air-cooled battery, rear-wheel drive via a step-down gear Electric range: 65 miles
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Can It Be A Blower Bentley Without A Blower?
The 4½-Liter Blower Bentley is, perhaps, the most iconic Bentley ever built. It's a car created by W.O. Bentley himself in response to the increasing power of race cars. A mere 54 were built from 1929 through 1931, with four fitted as race cars. Despite having never won an international race, they've become the stuff of legend and a favorite of many, including author Ian Fleming. Street-legal versions of the supercharged car produced 175 horsepower, while track models generated a considerable 240 horsepower. In recent years, Bentley has revisited its famous model, including in 2019, when the company commenced a continuation series of 12 Blower Bentleys, based on the 1929 Bentley 4½-Liter Number Two Team Car, shown below. Late last month, Bentley Motors announced that it is working with Hedley Studios in Oxfordshire, England, to produce the Bentley Blower Jnr, a street-legal 85% scale recreation of the 1929 Bentley Blower. Measuring 146 inches long and 59 inches wide, it features tandem seating for two and is built by hand, much like the original. "With only 349 examples of the Bentley Blower Jnr to be built, we're very excited to embark on this production process and see these pieces of handcrafted art out on the roads," said Ben Hedley, CEO and Founder of Hedley Studios, where the car is built. Calling it a Bentley Blower is a bit misleading, since the Bentley Blower Jnr lacks a blower, aka a supercharger. Instead, the Bentley Blower Jnr uses a fully-electric 48-volt powertrain with a 15-kWh (20 bhp) electric motor that has an estimated range of 65 miles and a top speed of 72 kph. That's 45 mph to us Yanks. It employs a steel frame, rather the original's ash frame. The rear body structure is made of carbon fiber covered in impregnated fabric, like the original. The hood is aluminum and finished with leather straps and a nickel-plated radiator. Underneath, it's fitted with a leaf-spring suspension, friction dampers and, in a nod to modern-day safety, front disc/rear drum Brembo brakes. Inside, an engine-turned aluminium instrument panel looks much like the original, although with the addition of a drive mode selector featuring a choice of Comfort, Bentley or Sport. A Forward, Neutral and Reverse switch takes the place of the original's fuel pressurization hand pump, while a battery charge gauge replaces the original ammeter. With a starting price of $115,000, the Bentley Blower Jnr represents a reimagining of an automotive icon for the modern age. Its small size and relatively low range and top speed ensures that it remains a novelty at best, without the visceral thrills and driving challenge characteristic of a true 4½-Liter Blower Bentley. Accepting it for what it is means you'll enjoy what few other vehicles that can provide: a modern-day link to the past. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
