When Bentley resurrected the Mulsanne nameplate in the late 2000s, it was so that it could replace the Arnage as the carmaker’s new flagship model. They really paraded it around too, with appearances at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, and the 2010 North American International Auto Show.
It then went on to achieve immortality, becoming one of the most popular luxury cars in the world. I mean, once The Weeknd drops your name in one of his songs, you pretty much know you’re the “bomb”.
Also, let’s not forget that this car was developed from scratch, rocking Bentley’s 6.75-liter V8 engine, a new chassis, plus a new design language both inside and out. Later on, come 2016, an updated car was unveiled in Geneva, alongside an Extended Wheelbase variant featuring an extra 9.84 inches.
The Mulsanne was in production for more than a decade, and the last ever bespoke vehicle produced was handcrafted at the carmaker’s factory in Crewe in 2020. It was an Extended Wheelbase model, and as it so happens, it was commissioned by, and built for, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
It is this exact Mulsanne that you’re admiring right now, featuring a solid Barnato Green exterior with 21” wheels and chrome ‘brightware’, working alongside a Twine and Cumbrian hide cabin with Burr Walnut wood veneers and deep lambswool carpets. It also came with rear privacy curtains and the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom inlaid into the door waistrails. Meanwhile, the front center armrests were removed to make room for a custom-sized tray for the Queen’s handbag.
Before you freak out, no, the car isn’t for sale – but rather it was just added to the carmaker’s Heritage Collection.
Anyway, let’s continue with the specs, because this is no “regular” Mulsanne, as you have surely already discerned. It also comes with concealed blue police lights, a siren, and a bullhorn, while a dedicated switch panel lies hidden beneath a walnut-veneered door behind the gear lever.
Photo: Bentley
Powering this luxury sedan is the previously mentioned twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V8, with over 500 horsepower of royal muscle.
This has now been retained as the third and final Mulsanne to grace Bentley’s Heritage Collection, where it joins the second Mulsanne ever built (VIN 0002), and a 2019 Mulsanne Speed. This trio of Mulsannes belong to a collection that now holds 45 vehicles, from the oldest Bentley in the world (1919 3-liter EXP2) to the 2021 Continental GT Speed.
It’s also worth noting that when Bentley bid farewell to the Mulsanne in 2020, it did so by creating 30 final series production units formed by the bespoke ‘6.75 Edition by Mulliner’, with the moniker obviously being derived from the 6.75-liter V8 engine, which was also retired.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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