Bentley Motors today announces the most recent and prestigious addition to its rejuvenated Heritage Collection – a bespoke 2020 Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase, the final example of the Mulsanne handcrafted at Bentley’s Dream Factory in Crewe, which has now returned home after service with the Royal household.
The last Mulsanne was commissioned by, and built for, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and includes a range of bespoke features to ensure the car was fit for royal duties. The starting point was an exterior in solid Barnato green, paired with an interior in Twine and Cumbrian hide, Burr Walnut wood veneers and deep lambswool carpets. To this, the specification added rear privacy curtains and the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom inlaid into the door waistrails, while the front centre armrests were removed in lieu of a custom-sized tray to accommodate the Queen’s handbag.
Discretely concealed blue police lights, a siren and a bullhorn were also installed, with a dedicated switch panel hidden beneath a walnut-veneered door behind the gear lever.
Bentley’s famous 537PS 6.75-litre V8 engine, 21” alloy wheels and chrome brightware for the grille and front wing vents and the iconic Flying B complete the car, which will be retained as the third and final Mulsanne in Bentley’s Heritage Collection. It will join the second Mulsanne ever built, VIN 0002 from 2010, and a 2019 Mulsanne Speed that previously saw service on Bentley’s press fleet. The three Mulsannes are part of an expanded 45-car Collection, 2.5 years into a three-year programme to completely rebuild a family of cars that together explain and describe Bentley’s 104-year history.
A History of Mulsanne
Launched at Pebble Beach in 2009, the Mulsanne was developed from scratch, housing a new variant of Bentley’s 6.75-litre V8 engine, a new chassis, as well as new exterior and interior designs.
In 2016, a new Mulsanne was launched at the Geneva Motor Show, with the car further raising the standards of luxury with a redesigned interior – featuring new seats, door trims, armrests, navigation technology and a brand new infotainment system. The front end of the car was also upgraded with new grilles, lights and a new bonnet.
Alongside the new Mulsanne in 2016, Bentley also launched the Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase, with a 250 mm extension of the Mulsanne’s footprint enabling space for an ornate folding table, centre console, electronic leg-rests and privacy curtains to deliver the best in class luxury experience for the rear-seat passengers.
Bidding farewell to the Mulsanne in 2020, the final 30 series production cars formed the unique ‘6.75 Edition by Mulliner’, with the name derived from the car’s legendary 6.75-litre engine – which also came to the end of production alongside the Mulsanne after more than 60 years.
The Mulsanne was in production for over a decade, with each of the 7,300 cars handcrafted at Bentley’s factory in Crewe.
The Bentley Heritage Collection
Bentley’s Heritage Collection now consists of 45 cars, from the oldest Bentley in the world (the 1919 3-Litre EXP2) through to the 2021 Continental GT Speed, with some of the most extraordinary Bentleys ever made representing every decade of the company’s 104-year history. 37 road registered, road legal cars describe the development of the Bentley model range over the same period, bolstered by eight of the most famous motorsport and record-breaking vehicles – including three Speed 8s, both generations of Continental GT3, and Pikes Peak and Ice Speed Record cars.
All of the cars in the Heritage Collection are maintained and on display at Bentley’s carbon neutral Dream Factory in Crewe, England. Customers, VIPs, media guests and Bentley colleagues are all able to view the company’s history through the Collection as part of the factory tour experience.