The Last Mulsanne Gives Bentley's Heritage Collection a Royal Flair.
The most recent and distinguished addition to Bentley Motors' revitalised Heritage Collection is a custom 2020 Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase. This is the last Mulsanne ever made at Bentley's Dream Factory in Crewe, and it has returned home after serving the Royal family.
The final Mulsanne was custom-built with a number of modifications to make it suitable for royal tasks. It was commissioned by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The exterior was a striking shade of Barnato green, while the interior included Cumbrian leather and Twine, Burr Walnut wood veneers, and plush lambswool carpeting. The specification replaced the front centre armrests with a specially-sized tray to hold the Queen's handbag, and it also had rear privacy curtains and the United Kingdom's royal coat of arms inlaid into the door waistrails.
There were also fitted a bullhorn, a siren, and discrete blue police lights. A specialised switch panel was tucked away under the gear lever, beneath a walnut-veneered door.
Complete with 21-inch alloy wheels, chrome brightware for the grille and front wing vents, and Bentley's renowned 5.37-liter V8 engine, the car will remain the third and last Mulsanne in Bentley's Heritage Collection. It will go beside the 2010 VIN 0002, the second Mulsanne ever made, and the 2019 Mulsanne Speed, which was once part of Bentley's press fleet. Three years into a three-year plan to entirely recreate a family of automobiles that together explain and define Bentley's 104-year history, the three Mulsannes are part of an extended 45-car Collection.
The Mulsanne was created from the ground up and debuted at Pebble Beach in 2009. It included a new chassis, a new version of Bentley's 6.75-liter V8 engine, and fresh external and interior styling.
The automobile further raised the bar for luxury when it debuted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show with a revised interior that included new seats, door trims, armrests, navigation, and a whole new infotainment system. The car's front appearance was also improved with new lights, grilles, and a bonnet.
Bentley introduced the Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase in 2016 in addition to the new Mulsanne. This 250 mm footprint extension allowed for the addition of an elaborate folding table, centre console, electronic legrests, and privacy curtains, giving the rear-seat passengers the finest possible luxury experience.
The final 30 series production Mulsannes were assembled to create the special "6.75 Edition by Mulliner" before the car's iconic 6.75-liter engine was discontinued in 2020, more than 60 years after it first went into production.
Every one of the 7,300 Mulsannes produced over a ten-year period was meticulously built at Bentley's Crewe facility.
The 1919 3-Litre EXP2, the oldest Bentley in the world, and the 2021 Continental GT Speed are among the 45 vehicles that make up Bentley's Heritage Collection. Almost every decade of the company's 104-year existence is represented by some of the most remarkable Bentleys ever produced. The evolution of the Bentley model line over the same period is described by 37 road registered, road legal automobiles, supported by eight of the most well-known motorsport and record-breaking vehicles: three Speed 8s, both iterations of the Continental GT3, and Pikes Peak and Ice Speed Record cars.
The Heritage Collection's vehicles are all kept in good condition and available for viewing at Bentley's carbon-neutral Dream Factory located in Crewe, England. As part of the factory tour experience, customers, VIPs, media guests, and Bentley coworkers may all explore the company's history through the Collection.