Bentley Mulsanne Key Celebrates Its Centenary
Bentley's bespoke coachbuilding division, Mulliner, has designed a unique keycase to mark the centennial of the company. Made from Dark Stained Burr Walnut and Piano Black veneer, it includes a flying "B" paperweight, a set of keys, and a brochure with never-before-seen 1930 8 Litre images.
It is the perfect gift to introduce a new owner to their opulent vehicle.
Aesthetics
Bentley is a company who takes its aesthetics seriously. This is evident in the precise placement of its quilting, the use of leather that is made from leftovers from cattle and sustainable managed forests, and the innovative patterns of its levers. A car like the Continental GT W12 beckons as you drive by and showcases its stunning sculptural design and power with carefully selected lighting.
The Continental GT is the most sophisticated open-top Bentley ever designed. Its rear tonneau for example, showcased the largest piece of dark-stained, book-matched Burr Walnut veneer ever applied to a production Bentley. Similarly, the electrically-operated glass sunroof and champagne cooler that incorporated hand-blown and hand-cut lead crystal bottles marked a new benchmark in luxury and innovation.
It is this bespoke design, quality and attention to detail that have established Bentley as the most sought-after automobile brand. The company continues to push boundaries by utilizing the most advanced technology and craft, including the introduction of an instrument cluster with digital technology with an electric tilt-opening back glass sunroof, a handcrafted docking station for Apple iPads, and electrochromic "smart" glass that can be changed from transparent to opaque by a button.
Bentley celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, 100 years after the marque was founded. The marque, now owned by Volkswagen alone following years of conflict with BMW and BMW, had planned a number of special events and launches to commemorate this milestone. The marque planned a number special occasions and launches to mark the occasion before the pandemic was declared a priority.
Design
Bentley is a luxury car manufacturer that produces extravagant and luxurious vehicles. But even the keys are an oath. The Bentayga key is made from sterling silver and features a large 'B' logo that tells everyone you're a Bentley. The key is also decorated with the years 1919 and 2019 to mark the company’s centenary.
Bentley Mulliner redesigned and developed the Mulsanne to be the ultimate Grand Touring vehicle. It comes with two pairs of rear seats inspired by luxury private aviation, providing passengers with unparalleled comfort and privacy. The unique heating and ventilation as well as air conditioning system was created to give each passenger the ideal climate control settings.
Alongside a range of refined styling updates The Mulsanne is powered by twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre W12 engine that can produce 560bhp and 479lbft of torque. keys bentley is paired with a new suspension system that gives Bentley's famously quiet ride.
In celebration of its Centenary, Bentley introduced a unique specification called the Centenary Specification for cars that were built in 2019. This includes contrast stitching and cross-stitching in Centenary Gold thread throughout the cabin. The Bentley Wings on the headrests and seats are embossed in Centenary Gold, adding to the feeling of celebration. A custom Bentley key case is also included in the Centenary Specification, making the Bentley experience all-inclusive.
Function
The Bentley Mulsanne key features an opening button for the trunk and a second button that starts the car. The key also has a button to turn on the parking brake. The knob can be used to fold or unfold the mirrors when parking in a tight spot. This feature helps you get in and out of your vehicle.
The key is constructed from vegetable tanned leather and takes two days to create each one. It is hand cut to shape, sewn sealed, and polished to produce an extremely high-end finish. It is compact and strong, and it fits the Bentley key perfectly. Its design resembles the Volkswagen Phaeton's massive car key, but it feels more substantial and luxurious.
It also comes with Secure-A-Key, which helps prevent keyless entry theft. The device is inserted into the remote control fob, and disables it when the key has not been used for a short period of time. It prevents thieves from transmitting the key's frequency to other devices which can unlock and start the vehicle.
Bentley's distinctive style reflects the company's values of exquisite craftsmanship engineering expertise, as well as modern technology. Over 4,000 employees work at the Crewe headquarters, responsible for the design, development and production of Bentley automobiles. They apply their skills that have been passed through generations to current automotive technology. This is British manufacturing at its finest.
Personalisation
Bentley's Mulliner division allows customers to design their own vehicle. The "mood station" allows guests to select images that inspire them. These can be anything from stunning views to sporting events. As each selection is made, a pattern will emerge which shows the design and color preferences for the personalized Bentley.
The guests are given a key case made by hand that contains the R.F.I.D. enabled key cards. Keys can also be fitted with Bentley Muliner Personalised Welcome Lamps that light up the door's opening path with the owner's name or logo as they approach the vehicle.
Bentley estimates that it requires 500 man-hours to construct and build a Mulsanne. The reluctance to embrace modern technology is the main factor to this time-consuming task. The Crewe factory workers don't use a machine to space perfectly matched cross stitched leather seats. Instead, they do it by hand. And rather than letting the car's built in sensors guide it to parallel and perpendicular parking spaces drivers must perform the task by hand.
The event also saw Bentley displayed its Mulliner personalization capabilities using one of a kind that was the Mulsanne W.O. Edition, which pays homage to the man who founded the company, William Osler Bentley. The limited edition cars are available in 100. an exclusive key that shows a slice of the 1930 8 Litre's crankshaft.