The Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner
A unique car to mark an extraordinary milestone
Bentley Motors is demonstrating the beauty of bespoke with a very special limited edition Mulsanne. The Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner pays homage to the founding father of the company and incorporates a genuine piece of Bentley history in every car. Inside each of the 100 limited edition Mulsannes, a slice of the original crankshaft taken from W.O. Bentley's personal 8 Litre car from decades ago – the last model he designed for Bentley Motors back in 1930 – is displayed.
As Bentley approaches its centenary in 2019, Mulliner designers reflected on the last 99 years of an extraordinary British automotive story to imagine the new Mulsanne W.O. Edition. In doing so, they have created a truly unique collector's item.
The Mulsanne W.O. Edition can be specified on any of the three-model Mulsanne range, based on customer preference. Key features include a colour split interior cut from Heritage Hide reflecting the patina of vintage cars, elegant Beluga black wheels, and a stunning cocktail cabinet or bottle cooler featuring a slice of W.O.'S own 8 Litre crankshaft set into the armrest. This special model will make its public debut at Monterey Car Week in California USA in late August, with customer deliveries commencing in 2019, Bentley's centenary year.
The new Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner draws on design cues taken from the 8 Litre, built in an era that has been defined as the ‘golden age' of motoring
in Britain. The interior displays a range of exquisite features inspired by luxury living in the 1930s – key to which is the Mulliner illuminated cocktail cabinet. A marquetry scene on the handcrafted unit – depicting the geometric front matrix grille and headlight of the 8 Litre – reveals a display window, inside which a piece of the crankshaft from W.O. Bentley's own 8 Litre car is showcased. Just below the machined metal display case is an inscription detailing the significance of the Bentley artefact.
The 8 Litre was described as W.O. Bentley's finest grand tourer. Launched in 1930, it was also the last car he personally designed for Bentley Motors. It was the largest and most luxurious Bentley of its time, featuring the most powerful engine of any car available in Britain – a 7,983cc straight six that offered remarkable performance. W.O. said of the 8 Litre, “I have always wanted to produce a dead silent 100mph car, and now I think we have done it.”
The 10th of July 2018 marks the start of Bentley's 100th year and the countdown to the brand's centenary in 2019. This extraordinary milestone will be a cause for celebration of the company's history and its global success today.