As Bentley Motors marked its 100th year in 2019, the quintessential British brand also honored its rich history of creating bespoke automobiles by releasing a special limited-edition Mulsanne that received the exquisite touch of Mulliner—a name as storied as Bentley is, and with whom Bentley has crafted individually specified models throughout its existence.
Released during Bentley’s centenary year was the Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner, which pays homage to company founder Walter Owen Bentley (or simply W.O. Bentley) and incorporates a genuine piece of the carmaker’s history in every vehicle. Displayed inside each of the 100 limited-edition Mulsannes is a slice of the original crankshaft taken from W.O. Bentley’s personal 8 Litre car, the last model he designed for Bentley Motors in 1930.
The Philippines, leveraging its stature in Bentley’s worldwide network, was among the few markets that secured one of these very limited production cars. This truly unique example is currently on exhibit at the Bentley Manila showroom in Bonifacio Global City.
Discerning customers were able to select their Mulsanne W.O. Edition from the Mulsanne model range, specifying it to their individual preference. Most opted for elegant Beluga black wheels evoking those on the 8 Litre, as well as a color-split leather interior cut from Heritage Hide, which reflects the patina of vintage cars. One of the highlights of the car is found at the rear of the cabin, where exquisitely displayed beneath a piece of glass in the highly bespoke cocktail cabinet or bottle cooler is the sliver of the crankshaft taken from W.O. Bentley’s 8 Litre.
At the Bentley Manila showroom, set to be presented soon alongside the Mulsanne W.O. Edition, is another very special Mulliner—a new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible finished in stunning Snow Quartz body color with a blue convertible top. Matching this is an interior rendered in a color-split of Newmarket Tan and Imperial Blue.
The new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible focuses even more on exquisite details, like the cut-crystal-inspired headlamps, and a bold Double Diamond grille flanked by bespoke Mulliner side vents. The new Double Diamond design was inspired by Bentley’s exclusive Diamond-in-Diamond interior quilting that adorns the car’s seats, door panels, rear quarters and the tonneau cover. It takes almost 400,000 stitches to deliver this quilting across the cabin of the car, with each diamond containing exactly 712 individual stitches, each one precisely aligned to point to the center of the diamond it creates.
Other items specified for the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible are mood lighting with seven different themes, illuminated Mulliner tread plates, and LED welcome lamps that project the Bentley wings to the ground from the door mirrors.
Offered in the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible is the top-of-the-range Naim for Bentley audio system that features 18 speakers and two Active Bass transducers driven by a 2,200-watt, 20-channel amplifier and eight DSP sound modes with Active Bass.
Complementing the muscular exterior profile of the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible are new 22-inch, 10-spoke painted and polished wheels fitted with floating, self-leveling badges.
The Continental GT Mulliner Convertible is powered by Bentley’s new-generation 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine. With this, the car can sprint from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 318 km/h.
Each client of the new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible receives a leather-wrapped key in a sumptuous, handcrafted Mulliner presentation box that matches the three-color interior specification of the car it is paired with. Plus, the new Continental GT Mulliner Convertible can be commissioned to come in any bespoke shade as Bentley and Mulliner artisan paint specialists delight in obliging clients’ wishes.