Hedley Studios’ Bentley Blower Jnr, along with three other models, will be on view at Bal Harbour Shops from February 11-17.
For one week, Bal Harbour Shops’ center courtyard will host a fleet of luxury vehicles—with a slightly smaller footprint. On the surface of it, the idea of a scaled-down version of an iconic motorcar might seem like a great gift idea for the kids, but that’s not what Ben Hedley had in mind when he set about pursuing his passion project.
An engineer who earned his master’s degree at Cambridge University, the founder and creative director of Hedley Studios grew up with a fascination for the work of the great figures within the automotive industry, including Enzo Ferrari, Bruce McLaren and Gordon Murray. When approached by carmaker Bugatti to design a recreation of the iconic Type 35 race car, Hedley’s interest in the automotive sphere transformed into his life’s work.
From March 14th to 17th, the Center Courtyard will host Cars & Coffee from 3 to 5 pm where you can chat about the Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Junior, seen here.
In 2019, work began on the ‘Bugatti Baby II,’ an official Bugatti vehicle and the first collaboration between Hedley and an automotive manufacturer. Just as with the Bugatti Baby, the new recreation is an all-electric vehicle with a strict production limit of 500 units.
Since that launch, the work of Hedley Studios has caught the attention of other premium automotive brands; there are now three additional all-electric recreations being produced, each with a unique story to tell.
The Bugatti Baby II is a reincarnation of the iconic Bugatti Type 35, developed using a full 3D scan of an original 1924 French Grand Prix car.
Second out of the gate was the Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Junior, a scaled-down, droptop version of the unforgettable DB5 driven into the spotlight by another British icon, James Bond. Larger in size than the Baby II, the DB5 J can fit two adults in a pinch, but has similar levels of performance to the Bugatti.
Continuing along the theme of reimagining iconic cars, there is the Ferrari Testa Rossa J. Limited to just 299 examples, this Hedley Studios model draws its inspiration from the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, one of the most successful race cars in the history of the brand. The Testa Rossa J is a 75 percent scale reproduction of that legendary race car with a 5.4-kWh battery pack and a top speed of up to 50 mph. Like the Ferrari models in the current line-up, this stunning car features a ‘manettino’ switch, which drivers use to select from four different drive modes ranging from novice to race.
Ferrari Testa Rossa J, a limited edition of 299, draws its inspiration from the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa.
Finally, there is the Bentley Blower Jnr, the only car in the Hedley Studios collection that is certified to be as street legal. Based on the 1929 Bentley Blower that raced at Le Mans, the Blower Jnr is an all-electric 85 percent scale model of the open-top classic.
All of the Hedley Studios models, apart from the Bugatti Baby II, are handcrafted at company headquarters in a former Royal Air Force site called Bicester Heritage. Here, the designers and engineers under Hedley’s watchful eye set about creating what he calls “drivable art.” Each model is personally signed by Hedley and features an official chassis plate from the original car manufacturer. The entire collection of Hedley Studios models will be on display at the Shops at Bal Harbour from February 11-17, 2025.
