Suppose you think all cars should have generous ground clearance and an electric/electrified small motor, wrapped in a crossover-y body style. In that case, you probably don't know that Rolls-Royce makes the best and most luxurious sedan that money can buy, and it's called the Phantom. But that wasn't always the case, you see, because there was a time when their arch rivals at Bentley used to make a similarly sized limo. Yep, we're talking about the Mulsanne, and this story is dedicated to it, and one special copy that we will talk about towards the end.
Succeeding the Arnage, the Mulsanne was put into production in 2010, and it lived until 2020 in its three body styles, standard, extended wheelbase, and Grand Limousine. That's when they pulled the plug on it for good, giving the flagship sedan role to the smaller and more affordable Flying Spur. Along with the Mulsanne, Bentley also discontinued the iconic 6.75-liter V8 after more than 60 years. The final vehicle to feature the engine, whose configuration and bore spacing have remained the same since 1959, was the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner.
With 523 horsepower (530 ps/394 kW) and 811 pound-feet (1,100 Nm) of torque on tap, this 30-unit limited edition features subtle tributes to the legendary mill all over the interior. Several dark tint elements can be seen on the outside, like the ones on the grille, exhaust tips, and Flying B, and the 21-inch wheels feature glossy black pockets and a bespoke bright-machined finish. Black instead of silver was used on the intake manifold, and the plaque under the hood bears the signature of Adrian Hallmark, Bentley's head honcho.
A true challenger to the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Mulsanne was almost as big as its direct rival. Meanwhile, its indirect successor, the third-gen Flying Spur, is smaller than the Rolls-Royce Ghost. It shares its VW Group platform with the Continental GT and Porsche Panamera and remains the brand's most luxurious sedan, joining the Volkswagen Touareg-based Bentayga in trying to attract more deep-pocketed enthusiasts to the company that is slowly but surely embracing its electrified future.
Photo: Klassen
The void left by the demise of the Mulsanne has yet to be filled. Realistically speaking, it probably never will, and that's sad, considering that Bentley continues to expand the family with additional models. Then again, it's also no surprise that they are not interested in another limo, considering that these do not tend to sell like hotcakes. However, something to put the Phantom in its place would've been an excellent addition to the lineup, especially with a dedicated platform, a big V8 under the hood, and superior luxury, tech, and safety amenities.
In today's market, a nice Bentley Mulsanne will cost you over $100,000. Some of the best-preserved examples out there, with not that many miles on the odo will set you back over $200,000 and in the region of $250,000, which doesn't sound that bad, considering that a brand-new Rolls-Royce Phantom kicks off at just under $500,000. As for the pictured copy, you will have to fork out much more than that. You're looking at a true luxury limousine with even more space between the axles for a generous rear passenger compartment that's likely equipped with many bells and whistles.
Truth be told, we cannot tell you about those accouterments as the vendor, Klassen in this case, has refrained from saying anything about it. What's more surprising is that we only managed to source three pictures of the car that reveal it from as many angles, with its blue look, shiny chrome trim, black central pillars, and privacy windows. In all likelihood, this is one pristine copy of the previous-gen British luxury model that's suited for chauffeured driving experiences only. This being Klassen, we cannot help but wonder if it features any ballistic protection or other accessories that should be worth noting.
If we were to guess, we'd say that it is probably a seven-digit affair and that it boasts all kinds of goodies on the inside that will be appreciated by its future owner in their daily duties. If you are interested in it and are planning to get in touch with the vendor, feel free to drop a line below and tell us how much they are asking for it. In the meantime, we will remind you that you can get about five brand-new Mercedes-Maybach S-Classes for roughly $1 million, assuming that this is the asking price of the pictured Bentley Mulsanne, with the three-pointed star's luxury sedan kicking off at $184,900 in our market, excluding destination, dealer fees, and options. So, if money was no issue at all, what high-end four-door model would you buy in a heartbeat and why? For me, it would probably still be the Ghost, even if I had a somewhat disappointing encounter with it last year.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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