Bentley Motors has confirmed it has selected Salon Privé (21 – 23 July 2010) as one of the key venues to reveal the its new flagship, the Mulsanne, as well as the 202mph Continental Supersports Convertible.

Offering all the refinement and coach built elegance for which the Bentley marque is renowned, the Mulsanne has been developed from the ground-up at Bentley’s Crewe headquarters and over 170 are invested in  hand-crafting each car’s luxurious interior.

The new, 6-litre, 630PS Continental Supersports Convertible, is the world’s fastest four-seat convertible and the firm’s most powerful drop-top ever. The Supersports also underlines Bentley’s ongoing commitment to the environment; the car’s sophisticated FlexFuel technology system means that it can run on petrol, E85 biofuel or any combination of the two.

Bentley is attending Salon Privé through its official Mayfair dealership, Jack Barclay London. 

Tom King of Jack Barclay, said:  “Salon Privé is the perfect environment for our customers to see these new models because like Bentley, the event is a showcase for the best in luxury, performance and style.”

Salon Privé will once again transform the famous lawns of London’s Hurlingham Club, with Europe’s largest single display of luxury cars, supercars and some of the finest classic cars, creating a motoring and social occasion unlike any other.  Bentley is the latest in a host of luxury brands to confirm attendance at the UK’s most refined and exclusive motoring event.

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• BENTLEY MULSANNE TESTING AND SIGN-OFF
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Whilst quality checks are fundamental to every stage of the Mulsanne’s build, it is at the penultimate sign-off stage ‘Checkpoint 7’ that the complete car is given the most rigorous examination possible. Every Mulsanne must pass through 503 individual checks conducted by Donna Morrey and her inspectors from the Quality team.

The inspection lasts a full two hours and features all of the functional measures you’d expect of a modern automotive plant but with key two critical differences; Bentley reviews every single Mulsanne, without exception, and the inspection team sets the most exacting standards of quality which are commensurate with a flagship model at the pinnacle of the ultra-luxury segment.

“New colleagues are sometimes surprised by the lengths we go to and have been honest enough to admit that what we consider an issue would not register at another facility.” Donna Morrey explains.

Whilst checking that every function works (first time, every time and on every car) Donna’s team is also tasked with looking beyond the merely operational. In her own words the team will also act as the ‘hands and eyes of the customer’ and a skilled inspector has a natural empathy for the car and how it should look and feel. Morrey adds:

“This element is not an exact science. However, it is a crucial skill that we value greatly and it is particularly relevant for a car like the Mulsanne which features so much craftsmanship and character. For example, we will run a hand across a particular surface in the cabin to ensure it feels right and that it delivers the tactile experience the craftsman wanted to create.”

After testing on the shake rig and rolling road, every Mulsanne completes a rigorous on-road evaluation. Jason Davies and his colleagues have an in-depth knowledge of the roads surrounding Bentley’s headquarters and the 21-mile route has been chosen to assess the Mulsanne’s engine performance, ride quality and cabin refinement. Morrey comments:

“Jason and his team have one of the most enviable jobs at the factory but their work involves something far more important than completing some basic checks and enjoying a drive. Each Mulsanne is driven on a wide range of carefully selected roads offering variations in camber and surface quality. Road types range from narrow English country lanes to fast dual carriageways, allowing the car to be comprehensively evaluated.”

Once the car returns to the Pyms Lane factory it enters a special test facility that simulates monsoon-like weather conditions to ensure that it is completely watertight before heading for the very final sign-off stage – ‘Checkpoint 8’. Here, the car progresses through a long line of ultra-bright overhead and side lights (nicknamed the ‘shipping lane’) which enables the Quality team to inspect every surface in the most minute detail.

During the critical pre-production stage senior Bentley managers from right across the business join the vehicle review at ‘Checkpoint 8’ to examine the culmination of their efforts, despite having previously completed hundreds of their own checks.

“The way all the teams come together to view the pre-production models demonstrates just how much genuine pride goes into the building of these very first cars,” Morrey notes.

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• BENTLEY MULSANNE – THE ART OF COLOUR
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Exacting standards of craftsmanship and technology are employed by Bentley’s body assembly team to create the new Mulsanne’s distinctive, hand-crafted ‘hewn from solid’ appearance. But this is just a precursor to the painstaking attention to detail afforded to Bentley’s new 4-door flagship in the paint facility at the company’s headquarters in Crewe, England.

The new Mulsanne will be offered in no fewer than 115 ‘standard colours’ and that is just the start of the story – because, like every grand Bentley – the only real limit on the colour of the car is the customer’s imagination.

Once the bare metal, pre-production Mulsanne bodyshell arrives at the paint shop via the automated overhead gantry, it passes through a series of full-immersion tanks, designed first to de-grease, then in turn to clean, condition, rinse, phosphate and passivate the steel and aluminium structure.

At each tank the shell is immersed before being tipped fore and aft to ensure that every single crevice is reached. Once drained, the bodyshell is lowered into an electro-coating tank, where power is increased to 320 volts, attracting particles-in-solution which deposit on the charged, metal bodywork to form, in conjunction with the phosphate, a hard protective shell of corrosion-proof zinc primer.

From this point, the judgement and skill of Bentley’s craftsmen come to the fore. A two-coat primer is applied by hand, ready for the colour-of-choice to be applied. Each primed body is minutely inspected, sanded – or flatted – using a combination of hand and power tools. Only when the primer coat is flawless will the colour basecoat be applied, again by hand, to achieve the optimum finish. Clear lacquer coats are then applied robotically followed by final polishing for a perfectionist finish and detailed inspection in the specialist bays created for the Mulsanne.

But if the lacquer can be applied by robotics, why not the colour? Dave Walton of the Mulsanne bespoke paint shop explains:

“Different colours have markedly different characteristics and your perception of a colour’s shade changes according to how deep the coat is. Then there’s the fact that no two expert sprayers would apply that colour basecoat in exactly the same way. You learn to trust each craftsman’s eyes and skills, not just the process.

“It takes many months of in-depth training for a quality control inspector to learn how to identify defects that an owner might never notice, yet each one will be rectified, even if this means sending it around the entire process again. We always operate way above customer expectations of quality.”

With the introduction of new satin paint finishes and two-tone colour schemes to Bentley’s extensive portfolio, Walton says the skills of the team are always evolving. Satin in particular can’t be locally reworked and polished, so even the most miniscule imperfection means the entire panel is refinished.

However, Bentley’s craftsmen are eagerly awaiting the moment the Mulsanne goes into full production according to Walton:

“We’ve been asked to match a paint finish to a cherished nail polish, a 50-year old classic Bentley and on one occasion a shade of turquoise on a food mixer for our Arnage, Brooklands and Azure customers. But even with over a hundred ‘standard colours’ to choose from we’re still looking forward to that first commission to create a bespoke colour from scratch and execute it perfectly.”

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While paying homage to past Bentley greats, the brief for the new Mulsanne’s design and engineering teams was to create a Bentley that represents the pinnacle of British luxury motoring.

The new Mulsanne, designed and engineered at Crewe from the ground-up, reaffirms the marque’s intent to create a new flagship Bentley with refined performance, unparalleled levels of interior luxury and coach building skills to the fore.

The return of the Mulsanne name underlines Bentley’s sporting heritage and passion for power and speed. Nothing reflects that prowess better than the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours race. Bentley has enjoyed success on six occasions at Le Mans, where its powerful and reliable race cars have thundered down the long straight into the famous Mulsanne corner, from which the new model takes its name.

A pure expression of Bentley design

The design of the new Mulsanne is a unique fusion of sportiness, coachbuilt elegance and solidity. Echoing the Bentley S -Type of the 1950s, the Mulsanne features a bold frontal design dominated by the traditional Bentley matrix grille and highly prominent, classic round inner headlamps with chrome surrounds, flanked by two, smaller outboard lamp clusters, all featuring the latest in lighting technology. The iconic ‘Flying B’ retractable radiator mascot is available as an option.

The long bonnet, short front overhang and long rear overhang help to convey a sense of power and movement, reinforced by muscular haunches and sharply sculptured lines which flow gracefully from the front wings to the rear. Uniquely designed 20-inch (and optional 21-inch) wheels reinforce the Mulsanne’s powerful, sporting stance.

Design Director Dirk van Braeckel explains the inspiration behind the Mulsanne’s distinctive appearance:

“The opportunity to design a new flagship Bentley is something afforded to very few designers. The team set out to create a sculpted form that blended classic Bentley heritage cues with modern lines.”

The body is produced in a new manufacturing facility at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe where traditional metalworking skills, developed over six decades, are still used extensively during the nine-week build process. It is the very opposite of volume-production car-building… but the very epitome of Bentley.

The rear screen, for example is fully enveloped by the coachwork. This provides a flowing, flawless line to the rear of the car, complementing the exquisitely formed D-pillars – whose complex curves can only be created by skilled coach-builders. The complex form of the aluminium front wings, impossible to achieve with normal pressing techniques, is created using superforming, a technology usually reserved for the aerospace industry. This also makes the wings lighter, stiffer and provides superb surface definition. New construction techniques meant the designers could also incorporate details such as the ‘floating’ elliptical LED tail lights, which uniquely echo the shape of the exhaust tailpipes.

To accentuate the beauty of the bodywork, the Mulsanne features ‘brightware’ exclusively in polished stainless steel, including sill treadplates and matrix grilles. Bentley is the only manufacturer in the world to do this.

The door handles incorporate the traditional Bentley ‘knurling’ to their inboard surface for enhanced grip, reflecting the company’s typical attention to detail, while .the sporting character of the Mulsanne is reinforced by front wing vents and wide oval tailpipe finishers.

Bentley customers have a world of infinite choice when commissioning their cars. There are over 100 paint colours in the range that include everything from unusual heritage colours, special satin and pearlescent finishes and duo-tone combinations. But the choice does not end there. Through the bespoke world of Bentley Mulliner, unique colours can exactly match a customer’s vision and taste.

Sumptuous interior meets advanced technology

The latest in-car technologies are discreetly placed within the Mulsanne’s sumptuous interior. A multimedia system with 60GB hard disc drives satellite navigation, audio/video, personal data, telephone and Bluetooth® connectivity. The upper dashboard houses an 8-inch multimedia screen, positioned unobtrusively behind an electrically operated veneered door, while below sits a stylish, leather-lined media player stowage drawer with connectors for iPod, USB, Mini USB and 3.5mm aux.

A state-of-the-art 14-speaker audio system with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and 6-CD autochanger is provided as standard while the Naim for Bentley premium audio system may be specified as an option. This forging of two British luxury brands provides customers with the world’s most powerful production in-car amplifier with 2200 Watts, eight dedicated DSP modes and 20 custom-made speakers, delivering an unparalleled sound quality.

A personalised keyless entry system allows multiple pre-programmed configurations and automatically sets radio stations, phone book, seat (including ventilation and massage modes, both front and rear), steering column and seatbelt settings and even the electrically operated rear-seat blinds for side and rear windows. The keyless system operates with the chrome door handles which incorporate touch points to initiate communication with the key for verification and entry. The Mulsanne also features keyless start, having a stop/start button on the centre console.

The Bentley interior design team has continued to develop and evolve the luxurious interiors for which their cars are renowned, based on a large-scale, research programme to identify the classic signature features that have defined Bentleys from the 1920s to the present day.

Armed with this invaluable resource, the Mulsanne’s design team set itself highly challenging targets for key interior characteristics such as material design, smell, colour harmony and handcrafting. Similar targets were set for the operational refinement and robustness of all control mechanisms. The result is a hand-crafted interior that fully reflects traditional Bentley values, executed to the highest possible standards.

As Head of Interior Design, Robin Page says:

“Over 170 hours – almost half the entire build process – goes into crafting the interior of the new Mulsanne. At Crewe, Bentley’s way of working is the opposite of mass production – we start where others stop.”

The use of wood and leather hides has increased significantly to create an even more refined and luxurious cabin. While classic design features such as bulls-eye air vents (now also fitted in the rear compartment), high-quality mirror-matched wood veneers, leather hides and hand-finished stainless steel are retained, they are mixed with new touches such as beautiful ‘glass’ switches.

The entire cabin is encased within a ‘ring of wood’ waistrail with an unbroken panel of wood gracing the Mulsanne’s dashboard. Inverted dial needles within the instrument cluster are evocative of early Bentleys while the entire dashboard and console design is a subtle reminder of the Bentley wings motif.

Customers may select from an extensive range of premium quality veneers, unbleached for a natural appearance, and two marquetry options: picture frame and contemporary crossbanding. True to the Bentley ethos, customers may also select from a virtually unlimited palette of leather hides, including 24 ‘standard’ colours, of which three are new for Bentley. This unrivalled choice of veneers, leather hides and paint colours ensures that the needs of all customers can be matched perfectly.

Following detailed customer feedback, a traditional tanning process has been re-instated to match the rich, worn leather smell that is so evocative of vintage Bentleys. Only a very few hide suppliers worldwide have the capability to do this.

The carpet of the Mulsanne is unique to Bentley, its increased fibre depth, density and feel enhancing cabin quality. It is available in a range of colours to complement each individual hide. Pure wool, deep pile Wilton-weave over mats can add a further touch of comfort and luxury.

These exquisite materials are fashioned by craftsmen and women with up to 40 years’ experience. Each steering wheel, for example, can take 15 hours to hand-stitch while stainless steel brightware gleams so perfectly thanks to an intensive 10-hour finishing process. A wood veneer takes five weeks to turn from a rough root ball into a full set of mirror-matched, fine-polished leaves.

Re-engineered V8 engine and new chassis: power, refinement and efficiency

The Bentley powertrain engineers were set three objectives for the Mulsanne:
1) To produce the effortless torque from extremely low revs that customers expect of a grand Bentley
2) To maintain the highest levels of refinement
3) To satisfy strict current and future environmental standards through improved engine efficiency

While other powertrain configurations were considered early on in the project, it soon became clear that these targets could best be achieved with a totally revised version of the 6¾-litre V8 engine – the very configuration that had been used so successfully in the past. However for the new Mulsanne, all the major building blocks of the engine would be comprehensively re-engineered to integrate the very latest technologies.

Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, Bentley Motors’ Director of Engineering, explains the reasons behind the Mulsanne’s V8:
“Using our V8 guaranteed the immense power at low revs and unstressed performance that are the hallmarks of a flagship Bentley. But we also set our engineers the challenge of maintaining high levels of refinement at any speed and, equally important, improving efficiency.”

To achieve a significant reduction in fuel consumption and CO2. emissions, the Mulsanne V8 sees the introduction of two new control systems: cam phasing and, a first for the ultra-luxury sector, variable displacement.

The pioneering use of these two technologies in combination allows the Mulsanne’s engine management system not only to adjust the V8’s breathing for improved engine idle quality and torque delivery, but also to close the valves of four of the eight cylinders for maximum fuel economy when cruising.

New lightweight componentry including pistons, connecting rods and forged crankshaft reduce reciprocating mass and internal friction for improved engine response.

In the new Mulsanne, the 6¾-litre V8 develops 512 PS (505 bhp/377 kW) while the massive torque (1020 Nm / 752 lb ft) is now delivered even earlier at 1750 rev/min. This dramatic improvement in torque delivery from just above idle and right across the rev range ensures that with a mere tap of the accelerator the driver is immediately rewarded with that characteristic deep, muffled V8 burble and phenomenal acceleration.

These new technologies are complemented by the new eight-speed automatic transmission which, for the first time on a flagship Bentley, comes with steering-wheel mounted paddleshift.

Overall, CO2 emissions and fuel consumption are reduced by more than 15 percent, in line with Bentley’s environmental commitment.

Prodigious power and torque are complemented by an all-new chassis, unique to the new Mulsanne. Both lighter and stiffer than previous flagship Bentleys, the new chassis benefits both ride and handling.

A new Drive Dynamics Control system, operated by a rotary switch mounted next to the gearshift selector, can be used to choose from three standard modes – Bentley, Sport and Comfort – offering precise calibration of suspension and steering control systems.

A fourth mode, ‘Custom’, allows the driver to select bespoke settings via the multimedia system to ‘tune’ the Mulsanne to a preferred driving style.

A new air suspension system with Continuous Damping Control (CDC) creates an even more refined and comfortable ride at lower speeds, yet can reduce the Mulsanne’s ride height automatically at high speeds to reduce lift and improve aerodynamic stability. With 20-inch alloy wheels and 265/45 ZR 20 tyres as standard, dynamic handling is assured. Customers may also opt for 21-inch wheels, available in two styles, fitted with 265/40 ZR 21 tyres.

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Motor show visitors will be able to choose from a selection of Bentley branded merchandise from the Bentley Collection, together with a limited edition range of new products designed exclusively for the 2010 show.

Also on display will be a number of products produced for Bentley under licence from best-in-class partners: Breitling watches, Tibaldi pens, Stockinger safes, Estede eyewear and zai skis.

The branded merchandise is themed around “A Celebration of Colour”. Bentley have selected vibrant accents from the exciting new colour hues of the cars on the show stand, and have worked with Robert Ettinger of London to produce a Limited Edition range of small leather goods comprising luggage tags, key fobs, passport holders and coin purses. Hand-stitched entirely in England from Bentley’s own hides, Ettinger’s leather goods reflect the finest workmanship and materials. Ettinger is proud to hold royal warrants.  

Other beautiful gifts will also be available to purchase such as sterling silver cufflinks, hand-made in England and assured with Bentley’s own hallmark; sumptuous silk ties, pure merino wool accessories, hand-stitched gloves, model cars and a range of classic clothing and caps.

These are some examples of these beautiful gifts you just can’t afford.

The zai for Bentley ski range will be a limited quantity only, numbered 1/250. The skis will be priced as follows:
6,800 EUR
9,800 CHF
9,800 USD
5,900 GBP

Estede Eyewear ( shades to you and I) RRP approx. pricing – Silver palladium €1,400, 18 carat gold €4,100 and platinum €11,500

Tibaldi pens range from the absurdly cheap “Continental” at a RRP approx € 500 – € 850 to the “Mulsanne” with a retail price range approx € 3,900 – € 4,500

What can I say?

Form an orderly queue!

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The Continental Supersports Convertible further strengthens Bentley’s supercar range, following the introduction of the Continental Supersports Coupé in 2009. The new Supersports Convertible, with the same 630PS (621bhp/463kW) twin-turbocharged W12 engine, is the fastest, most potent drop-top Bentley has ever built, offering the ultimate Bentley driving experience in the world’s most dramatic convertible.

The inspiration for the ‘Supersports’ name is the 1925 Bentley Supersports, a race-bred version of the iconic Bentley 3-litre, that delivered 85bhp when more ordinary cars were equipped with a modest 15bhp. It was also the first production car to reach 100mph – extreme performance in its day.

The new, muscular four-seat Supersports Convertible is unmistakably Bentley in its design and craftsmanship but its interior signifies a dramatic re-interpretation of Bentley luxury. Satin-finished carbon fibre, Alcantara™ and ‘Soft Grip’ leather create a unique ambience with a distinctly sporting and contemporary style.

All models in the Continental model range, including the new Supersports Convertible are now capable of running on both petrol (gasoline) and E85 bioethanol or any combination of the two, reaffirming Bentley’s ongoing commitment to make all its cars bio-fuel compatible by 2012. Pioneered by the Supersports Coupe, this FlexFuel technology offers a reduction of up to 70 per cent in CO2 emissions on a ‘well-to-wheel’ basis, a measure of a fuel’s net contribution to the atmosphere, not just tailpipe emissions.

To ensure seamless power delivery, the on-board fuel supply system detects the blending ratio of the fuel in the tank and ensures that power and torque remain constant regardless of the ratio of petrol to biofuel.

Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen welcomes the new addition to the Bentley range, as well as the standardisation of the FlexFuel W12 engine on all 2011 Continental models:

“The new Supersports Convertible blends thrilling performance and dramatic styling with luxury and practicality in the Bentley open-top tradition. Extreme power combines with pioneering FlexFuel technology, now shared with all Continental models, reflecting Bentley’s ongoing commitment to more environmental motoring.”

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The design of the Mulsanne, Bentley’s new flagship, is a compelling fusion of sportiness, solidity and coach-built elegance – created on a grand scale. Its sweeping bonnet and long overhang convey a sense of power and movement, enhanced by the muscular haunches and sharply sculpted lines flowing gracefully from the front wings to the rear.

Now Bentley is offering an early preview of the complex processes, advanced technology, traditional British coachbuilding skills and painstaking attention to detail that will deliver the design and engineering vision of a car created without compromise.

The shining bare metal shells that will eventually become Bentley’s new flagship are created using a combination of high-strength steels and aluminium. These components are assembled into a complete shell using techniques that range from industry-leading adhesives through to hand-crafted brazing skills.

It requires 125 man-hours to create the body of a pre-production Mulsanne at the new 7,500m2 Assembly Centre. And inside the multi-million pound facility, robotic arms carrying massive self-piercing riveters work in harmony with coachbuilders renowned for their metalworking skills at the company’s Crewe factory.

For example, the Mulsanne’s hewn from solid appearance without visible panel seams is impossible in volume car manufacture. The seamless sweep of the Mulsanne’s roof, rear wing and boot can only be achieved by crafting a hand-brazed seam midway down the D-pillar, a task still best performed with ‘hand and eye’ by Bentley’s award-winning craftsmen. The quality of this type of work has earned Crewe’s craftsmen the rare distinction of a medal from the British Institute of Sheet Metal Engineering.

In complete contrast to the craftsman’s time-honoured skills, is the use of superforming which is essential to create the highly-complex three dimensional curves of the Mulsanne’s front wings. This advanced technique, primarily used by the aerospace industry, heats a single sheet of aluminium to 500 degrees centigrade and then forces it onto a single surface tool using air pressure.

As Bentley prepares to produce the very first customer cars later this year, the body assembly team are undertaking a range of exhaustive tests on the first bodies being developed in pre-production.

This includes tearing apart completed bodies with specialist cutting gear to analyse the breaking point of a seam or weld as well as minutely measuring the accuracy of finished components and bodyshells – a remarkable 588 functions and relationships are measured to ensure complete precision. In addition to cutting apart bodyshells, Bentley uses ultrasonic measuring equipment to analyse the strength and consistency of individual welds.

Gary Picken, Senior Production Manager, explains:

“During these early, pre-production stages we are exhaustively testing the build process to achieve the absolute precision and quality we are seeking for our customers.”

Prospective Mulsanne customers will be able to see their cars take shape, from individual panels to finished body, in a specially designed viewing gallery. It has been created to offer a perfect view of every stage of the build process and watch the 100-strong team at work. Gary Picken adds:

“The Mulsanne has a beautiful and very complex body made from an intelligent mix of high-strength steels, aluminium and composites. Within one assembly area we’re utilising traditional skills for which Bentley is renowned right alongside state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. We combine these two different approaches because it is the best possible route to create a car that will be enjoyed by generations of drivers.”

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The Bentley Drivers Club will return to Silverstone for its 61st Annual Race Meeting on 7th August 2010, continuing its unbroken run of annual BDC events at the circuit, from 1949 right through to the present day. In 2010, however, the Bentley Drivers Club will be celebrating a very special anniversary… 30 years of the mighty Bentley Mulsanne.

“We hope to illustrate the full 30-year heritage of the Bentley Mulsanne at Silverstone on 7th August,” says Sebastian Welch, Competitions Captain of the BDC, “from the earliest models of Mulsanne produced in 1980, through to the brand-new 2010 Mulsanne being built at Crewe – a breathtaking, modern-day flagship for the marque.”

While the Bentley Mulsanne will be a strong theme of the August meeting, there will additionally be an enormous variety of Bentleys from all eras, racing flat-out on the Silverstone circuit. Plus plenty of other marques, too… The meeting will include a round of the Thoroughbred Sports Car Championship and of the Morgan Challenge Race Series, while the Allcomers’ race attracts not only Bentleys but Aston Martins and Jaguars, through to the Ginetta G4 and the Kurtis 500S. In total, there will be 10 races at this ever-popular meeting. 

Highlights will include the unique Bentley Handicap race, which starts in the pit lane; and the Bentley Scratch race, which sees cars ranging from a Vintage 3 Litre to the very latest Continental GT competing for honours – a real David and Goliath battle to the chequered flag.  

Meanwhile, the Bentley Parade invites all club members arriving with a Bentley, old or new – or somewhere in between – to drive a couple of laps of the circuit, with the Le Mans-winning Bentley Speed 8 providing an exhilarating display of skill at high speed.

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The new Mulsanne, designed and engineered at Crewe from the ground-up, reaffirms the marque’s intent to create a new flagship Bentley with refined performance and unparalleled levels of luxury with the coach building elegance for which the marque has long been renowned.

The Series 51 Continental GTC represents Bentley exterior and interior styling at its most vibrant and will enable customers to order ‘off the peg’ from an exclusive range created by Dirk van Braeckel’s renowned team of Crewe-based designers.

‘The Detroit Motor Show remains an important stop for Bentley on the annual calendar of international motoring events,’ said Christophe Georges, President & Chief Operating Officer for Bentley Motors Inc. ‘Detroit is also the motor show debut for our flagship Mulsanne and the Series 51 Continental in The Americas region – our single largest worldwide – so it is an important opportunity to reach key influencers.

‘Our annual NAIAS private customer previews have also proved successful and that proud record looks set to continue especially as we’re the only ultra-luxury manufacturer with a stand alone display this year,’ Georges added. ‘Bentley has a busy year ahead and displaying our Mulsanne and Series 51 Continental GTC among Detroit’s automotive insiders, influencers and customers is central to our launch strategy.’

Flagship Bentley Mulsanne
The Bentley Mulsanne, which goes on sale in the fall of this year, will be priced at $285,000 in the United States. The Mulsanne will offer customers a degree of choice when commissioning their cars which is unmatched in the industry.  The luxury Bentley flagship offers a palette of 114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides, all of which will be tanned using a decades-old process to ensure this future classic retains its distinctive scent. 

In addition, through Bentley’s bespoke service, unique colours can be developed which will exactly match a customer’s vision and taste. With more standard leather and wood veneer than any other Bentley in the modern era, it is understandable that each Mulsanne will take nine weeks to build.

Bentley’s legendary hand-assembled V8 engine pays homage to its predecessors yet for the new Mulsanne it has been comprehensively re-engineered to employ advanced technologies that deliver unstressed, refined performance. The new Bentley V8 engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing, a combination that can significantly reduce both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Advanced technology is exquisitely packaged within the Mulsanne’s opulent cabin. Behind its heritage-inspired dials and new glass-effect switches lay leading edge features including iPod and mp3 connectivity, Bluetooth and a SIM card reader, as well as a 3G MMI system.  Those opting for NAIM’s premium audio system will be treated to the world’s most powerful system fitted to a production vehicle – a 20-channel 2,200-watt experience.

Series 51 Continental GTC
The Series 51 package, available on the Continental range’s GT, GT Speed, GTC and GTC Speed models, will be priced from $192,750 for the GT coupe model. It provides for a virtually bespoke vehicle experience due to the thousands of configurations available through Bentley’s expansive colour and trim catalogue.

Series 51 is named after the year that the first official styling department was established in Crewe by the gifted John Blatchley, who shaped the original and iconic 1950s Bentley Continentals. Every Series 51 car will feature a highly-distinctive interior colour palette and unique exterior design cues.

Bentley’s Colour and Trim team, managed by Melinda – June Jenkins, has designed some specially tailored three-tone interiors which demonstrate the full potential of leather hide colours and showcase the creative application of contrast stitching and piping. The colour combination on the Detroit show car is Imperial Blue as the main and secondary hide, Linen seat and door inserts and Saddle contrast stitching and piping.

Bentley’s designers have also selected a range of premium-quality materials for the dashboard and centre console to complement the three-tone interiors. The Dark and Bright ‘Engine Spin’ aluminium options provide a striking contrast with darker and lighter hide colour choices and a special, limited-edition Amboyna veneer reserved for solely for Series 51.

Both the Continental GT and GTC offer a powerful road presence and the Series 51 cars further accentuate these sporting credentials with some eye-catching exterior styling.  A 20’ 14-spoke polished Diamond wheel with a dark centre cap provides Series 51 cars with a purposeful and stylish appearance. The cars will be distinguished by a signature ‘51’ badge on the front wings.

To enhance and personalise the Continental GT still further, a new two-tone paint can be commissioned which complements the contrasting interior configuration. This highly distinctive colour split (with one colour running over the bonnet, roof and flowing down to the boot) is a classic design used on many sporting Bentleys of the past.

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Bentley Motors today announced more details of its all-new flagship motorcar, the Mulsanne, following successful debuts at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August and Frankfurt’s IAA motor show in September. More than 1,000 private customer previews of Mulsanne have been held at the company’s factory in Crewe, England as well as a series of preview events held at dealerships across the UK, Continental Europe and the United States.

To be priced at £220,000* in the United Kingdom, the Mulsanne has been designed and engineered without compromise by Bentley’s craftsmen and engineers to combine refined performance and unparalleled levels of luxury with the coach building elegance for which the marque has long been renowned.

Stuart McCullough, Member of the Board for Sales & Marketing for Bentley Motors, comments:

‘Even at this very early stage, the expression of interest we’ve received easily exceeds our 2010 production targets. Mulsanne’s credentials are a pure expression of Bentley design and craftsmanship, and that’s struck a chord with Bentley enthusiasts across the globe as well as many of the potential customers we have welcomed for tours in Crewe this year. We’ve been encouraged by the positive commentary, notably from our American customers as the Mulsanne was privately previewed in seven metro markets across the country.’

Production of the Mulsanne will commence at Bentley’s Crewe (England) headquarters in the second quarter of 2010. A newly constructed body production facility, dedicated to Mulsanne, is being completed where leading-edge body assembly technology, such as superforming of the aluminium front wings for superb surface definition, will complement traditional, highly skilled metalworking including hand-brazing of steel joints for a ‘hewn from solid’ appearance.

Bentley’s Mulsanne will arrive in the UK in the Summer of 2010 and will offer customers a world of infinite choice when commissioning their cars. The luxury Bentley flagship offers a palette of 114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides, all of which will be tanned using a decades-old process to ensure this future classic never loses its scent. In addition, through Bentley’s bespoke service, unique colours can exactly match a customer’s vision and taste. With more standard leather and wood veneer than any other Bentley in the modern era, the Mulsanne will take nine weeks to build.

Bentley’s legendary hand-assembled V8 engine pays homage to its predecessors but for the new Mulsanne is comprehensively re-engineered employing advanced technologies to deliver unstressed refined performance. The new Bentley V8 engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing, contributing to a significant reduction in both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Advanced technology is exquisitely packaged within the Mulsanne’s opulent cabin. Behind its heritage-inspired dials and new glass-effect switches are leading edge features including iPod and mp3 connectivity, Bluetooth and a SIM card reader, as well as a 3G MMI system. Those opting for NAIM’s premium audio system will be treated to the world’s most powerful system fitted to a production vehicle – a 20-channel 2,200-watt sound experience.

Bentley Motors will announce further pricing news for international markets in the near future as well as further information about the extensive range of additional options with which the Mulsanne can be specified.

Founder W.O. Bentley had a vision of building ‘a good car, a fast car, the best in its class.’ 90 years later, Bentley’s new flagship Mulsanne will be positioned at the pinnacle of the premium segment with respect to quality, authenticity and supremacy.

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A former London Routemaster bus, which has been luxuriously restored by Bentley Motors, has today been handed over to the hospice St Luke’s.

St Luke’s, who are based in Winsford, Cheshire, secured the double-decker bus earlier this year and appealed to the luxury car manufacturer Bentley for help in its restoration. Bentley Motors has supported the hospice for the past three years, most recently in April when it helped renovate one of the hospice’s charity shops and rejuvenated the hospice garden during a production shutdown at its Crewe factory.

This latest project has taken 2000 hours to complete with 59 Bentley workers involved  The team has sought to retain many of the original features of the bus but adapt it to the needs of St Luke’s in a typical Bentley way.

This has meant using the leather for which Bentley cars are synonymous throughout, all hand stitched with the St Luke’s and Bentley logos. Other skilled craftsmen from Bentley’s woodshop, toolroom and maintenance departments developed bespoke work surfaces, rails, kitchen unit and shelves to help St Luke’s staff in their public awareness and fundraising activities.

The craftsmen are particularly proud of the ‘used ticket’ bin, a feature at the exit of all Routemaster buses which has now been converted into a donation tin.

The Bentley production manager in charge of the project, Gary Lazenby, said:‘This has been a real labour of love for all those involved. Bentley staff are incredibly proud of the cars we produce but applying those skills to a bus was a totally new experience for all. We are very grateful to the many local suppliers who provided materials free of charge to help make this iconic vehicle fit for a new lease of life.’ 

The bus, named Luke, will be used as a travelling shop for colleges and universities as well as an education and awareness base to visit schools and other events.

There will also be an on-board charity shop to help the hospice raise funds while on the road.

St Luke’s corporate fundraiser Karen Burns said: ‘Bentley’s support has been invaluable to us over the past three years and we are astounded by our new community bus.

‘This is a world-first, a community charity bus finished to Bentley standard, with plush leather interiors and Bentley wings on show to promote our relationship with the organisation.

‘As a charity, we could only dream about Luke undergoing such a transformation. What we have is not only unique but is also a practical tool for us to share the St Luke’s story.’

Doug Dickson, board member for manufacturing at Bentley Motors said: ‘Many of our associates have accrued time as the global downturn forced us to reduce production and shutdown for a number of weeks earlier this year

‘We offered the team the opportunity to use some of their downtime to help the hospice and were overwhelmed with the response. Rather than stay at home, so many skilled Bentley team members volunteered to help St Luke’s. The result is a vehicle which combines the best of British luxury craftsmanship and manufacturing skill within an historic vehicle which is a symbol of British transport. We hope it helps make a difference here, in our local community.’

The bus was officially unveiled at Bentley Motors, Pyms Lane, Crewe at 11am on Thursday, November 26.

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Bentley Continental, Corniche & Azure – Revised, Reformatted Edition by Martin Bennett

This newly revised and re-formatted book from Veloce Publishing provides the definitive history of the most sought-after, fastest and elegant Bentleys built in the British ownership era: the Continentals. It includes Bentley Continental R and S-Types (1951 on), Bentley Corniche, Continental Convertible, Continental R/S/T and Azure. This beautifully illustrated 256-page hardback volume is available now from bookshops or from www.velocebooks.com. In a portfolio of over 300 illustrations, it paints a unique portrait of the development of these elegant and powerful cars over a fifty-year period, revealing why they are so rewarding to drive and own.

Bentley Continental, Corniche & Azure 1951-2002 – Revised Edition
by Martin Bennett
ISBN  9781845842109
UPC 636847042103
UK £75.00, USA $150.00

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Bentley Motors has launched a new collection of accessories highlighting the British company’s design and craftsmanship skills. Whether purely functional or created to further accentuate and personalise the appearance of a customer’s car, each accessory reflects the attention to detail at which Crewe’s stylists and engineers excel.

One of the highlights of the new collection is the striking Vented Wings available for the Bentley Continental GT and GTC. Styled by Raul Pires, Bentley’s head of exterior design, the sleek, vented wings further emphasize the Continental’s sporting lines. Positioned to the rear of the front wheel arch, the vents are cut into a newly tooled wing panel and feature a black mesh finish. An alternative chrome mesh is currently under development and will be available in early 2010. This accessory will also be offered on Continental Flying Spur models. 

The Bentley ethos of tailoring hand craftsmanship to customers’ personal needs is now extended to the company’s smallest enthusiasts. Customers may now commission a new selection of bespoke Child Seats with the hide colour matching that of their car’s interior including, where appropriate, the same piping, fluting and hand-stitching. As a further option, a child’s name may be embroidered on the seat back beneath the Bentley Wings.

Bentley’s new Self-Levelling Wheel Badges offer Arnage, Azure, Brooklands and Continental customers the opportunity subtly to personalise their Bentley. The badges fit into the centre of the wheel and feature Bentley’s classic ‘B’ symbol surrounded by the ‘Bentley Motors’ script and remain completely level and upright at speeds of up to 70mph (112 Km/h). Once the car comes to a halt the wheel badges will also automatically self-level.

Offering excellent indoor and outdoor protection (and tailored to specifically fit each model) Bentley’s branded Car Covers are now available for the Continental Supersports and Series 51 GT and GTC models. The covers are branded with unique Supersports and Series 51 logos with the name of the model embroidered on the side. In addition, Bentley is now offering Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur customers the opportunity to personalise their indoor car covers with their own bespoke text – for example, a cherished registration number.

Originally launched in 2004, the Bentley Jewelled Torch has been a notable hit with Bentley drivers and enthusiasts of the marque. The lightweight torch retains its powerful LED spot beam but for an extra dash of style and practicality, the Bentley ‘B’ is now lasered into the lens and Bentley’s unique knurling has been added around the beam adjustment bezel. The new version of this compact torch is presented in a branded box and can be recharged from the car’s cigar lighter.

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Bentley Motors will preview an exciting new design direction for the company’s Continental GT and GTC models at the 2009 Frankfurt Show. The Series 51 Continental models represent Bentley exterior and interior styling at its most vibrant and will enable customers to order ‘off the peg’ from an exclusive range created by Dirk van Braeckel’s renowned team of Crewe-based designers.

Series 51 is named after the year that the first official styling department was established in Crewe by the gifted John Blatchley, who shaped the original and iconic 1950s Bentley Continentals. Every Series 51 car will feature a highly-distinctive interior colour palette and unique exterior design cues.

Bentley’s Colour and Trim team, managed by Melinda – June Jenkins, have designed some bespoke three-tone interiors which demonstrate the full potential of leather hide colours and showcase the creative application of contrast stitching and piping. The first example of their work will be the Continental GTC displayed at Frankfurt which features Imperial Blue as a main and secondary hide, Linen seat and door inserts and Newmarket Tan as the accent colour.

Series 51 cars will also feature several unique interior details including the use of non-indented hide for diamond quilting, contrast piping for the seats and doors as well as bespoke Series 51 treadplates.

Bentley’s designers have selected a range of premium-quality materials for the dashboard and centre console to complement the three-tone interiors. The Dark and Bright ‘Engine Spin’ aluminium options provide a striking contrast with darker and lighter hide colour choices and a special, limited-edition Amboyna veneer reserved for Series 51.

A belief that even the smallest detail presents an opportunity to delight and surprise customers has always be a key element of the Bentley design story. Series 51 follows this principle, where even the overmats and boot carpets are now colour matched and given contrast binding.

Both the Continental GT and GTC offer a powerful road presence and the Series 51 cars further accentuate these sporting credentials with some eye-catching exterior styling. A 20” 14-spoke polished Diamond wheel with a dark centre cap provides Series 51 cars with a purposeful and stylish appearance. The cars will be further distinguished by a signature ‘51’ badge on the front wings.

To further enhance and personalise the Continental GT a new two-tone paint can be commissioned which complements the contrasting interior configuration. This highly distinctive colour split (with one colour running over the bonnet, roof and flowing down to the boot) is a classic design used on many sporting Bentleys of the past.

Detailed information about all of the available three-tone interior designs and further additional options and accessories are available at www.bentleymotors.com. The new Series 51 models can be ordered from 1st September 2009.

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The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-litre. And it was W.O.’s own sensitively conserved company car that shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers – until now.

Nearly 80 years later, while paying respect to this illustrious past, the new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern statement of luxury driving and grand touring. Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne, with its completely new and unique platform, goes into production next year in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory.

Introducing the Bentley Mulsanne at Pebble Beach, where Bentley was the featured marque, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said:

‘The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world’s most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned.’

The Bentley design team, lead by Dirk van Braeckel, have created a flagship that offers the classic sporting, styling cues long-associated with Bentley – expressed in a thoroughly contemporary way.

‘From the very first hand sketches in the styling studio, we were inspired by the traditions of the grand touring Bentleys and have sought to evolve this story for a new generation of Bentley enthusiasts.’

The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley’s iconic ‘Winged B’ emblem underlines the company’s racing pedigree and nowhere reflects that heritage better than the famed Le Mans circuit, the scene of no fewer than six Bentley triumphs. Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner.

The Bentley 8-litre displayed alongside the Mulsanne in California was first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show. It was the second-built and was W.O. Bentley’s company car for two years. Capable of reaching more than 100 mph, the 8-litre demonstrated W.O. Bentley’s ambition and ability to build a grand luxury car capable of surpassing every other leading manufacturer of the day. A total of 100 cars were built in 1930 and 1931.

‘The 8-litre’s breathtaking performance and quality was perhaps the finest example of a ‘pure’ grand Bentley. Every mechanical detail carried W.O. Bentley’s unique stamp and it was the clearest demonstration of a car built without compromise,’ commented Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Member of the Board Engineering.

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