Bentley Mulsanne Key Celebrates Its Centenary

Bentley’s custom coachbuilding division, Mulliner, has designed a unique key case to celebrate the brand’s centenary. It is made of Dark Stained Burr Walnut with Piano Black Veneer and includes a fluttering „B“ paperweight keys, as well as an original 1930s booklet that features never-before-seen 1930s 8 Litre images.

It’s the perfect present to welcome a new owner into their opulent vehicle.

Aesthetics

As a design-oriented company Bentley takes its aesthetics seriously. It’s evident in the precise placement of its quilting, the selection of leather from by-products of cattle production, the timber from forests that are sustainably managed and the unique patterns on its levers. A car like the Continental GT W12 beckons as you take it in to show its sculptural beauty and power through carefully planned lighting.

The Continental GT is Bentley’s most sophisticated open-top car. The rear tonneau of Continental GT, for example was the largest piece ever made of dark-stained Burr Walnut veneer that was book-matched. 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.

Bentley is the most sought-after automobile brand in the world due to its distinctive design and workmanship. The company continues to push the boundaries with the latest technologies and hand-crafted products. This includes the introduction of an electronic tilt-opening rear window sunroof and a handcrafted Apple iPad docking station.

Bentley celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019 100 years after the marque was established. The marque, which is now owned by Volkswagen independently following years of disputes with BMW and BMW, had planned a variety of special events and launches to commemorate this milestone. The marque planned a variety of special occasions and launches to mark the milestone event before the pandemic was declared a priority.

Design

Bentley is known for its lavish and extravagant automobiles and keys, but even keys are made to stand out. The Bentayga Key is made of sterling silver and features a large B‘ logo to inform everyone that you’re a Bentley. The key is also decorated with the years 1919 and 2019 to commemorate the company’s centennial.

The Mulsanne was redesigned and redeveloped by Bentley Mulliner to be the ultimate Grand Touring car. The rear seats are designed to give passengers unmatched comfort and privacy. They were inspired by the luxurious private aircraft. The bespoke heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system was created to provide each passenger with the perfect climate control setting.

The Mulsanne comes with twin turbocharged 6.75 litre W12 engine with 560bhp and Bentley Mulsanne Key 479lb-ft torque. This power is paired with a new suspension system that provides Bentley’s trademark quiet ride.

In celebration of its Centenary, Bentley introduced a unique specification called the Centenary Specification for cars manufactured in 2019. The cabin is equipped with cross-stitching and contrast stitching in Centenary Gold throughout. The Bentley Wings on the headrests and Bentley Mulsanne key seats are embroidered with Centenary Gold, adding to the feeling of celebration. The Centenary Specification also includes a customized Bentley keycase to complete the Bentley experience.

Function

The Bentley Mulsanne key has an opening button for the trunk, and another button which starts the car. It also has a button to activate the parking break. The knob can be used to fold or unfold the mirrors while parking in a tight space. This feature helps you get in and out of your vehicle.

The key is made from vegetable tanned leather and takes more than two days to create each one. It is hand cut to shape, sewn sealed and polished to provide a high-quality finish. It is robust small and compact, and it fits the Bentley key perfectly. Its design is similar with the Volkswagen Phaeton’s massive car key, but it feels heavier and more luxurious.

It also comes with Secure-A-Key that helps to prevent theft of keys with no key. This device is inserted into the remote control key fob and will shut it off after a few minutes of inactivity. This prevents thieves from transmitting the key’s frequency to other devices that are able to unlock and start the vehicle.

Bentley’s unique design is a reflection of the company’s values, which include fine craftsmanship engineering expertise, as well as cutting-edge technology. Over 4,000 employees are employed at the Crewe headquarters, which is responsible for the design, development and production of Bentley cars. They apply their expertise that have been handed through generations to modern automotive technology. This is a hallmark of British manufacturing at its best.

Personalisation

Bentley’s bespoke division, Mulliner, allows customers to essentially design their own vehicle. The „mood station“ allows customers to choose images that inspire them. These could range from scenic vistas and sporting events. Each time a selection is made, the pattern that emerges reveals the model colors, style and color preferences for the personalized Bentley.

The resulting configuration is stored on individual R.F.I.D.-enabled keys, which are presented to the guests in a custom-made key case. Keys can also be outfitted with Bentley Muliner Personalised Welcome Lamps that illuminate the door’s opening path with the owner’s name and/or emblem when they arrive at the vehicle.

Bentley estimates that it takes about 500 man-hours to construct and build a Mulsanne. The inability to adopt modern technology is the primary factor to this time-consuming task. The Crewe factory workers don’t utilize a machine for arranging perfectly-matched leather seats. Instead they do it by hand. Drivers must park their vehicles manually, not using the built-in sensors to guide them into perpendicular and parallel spaces.

In the course of the event, Bentley presented its Mulliner personalization capabilities using one of a kind – the Mulsanne W.O. Edition, which pays tribute to the founder William Osler Bentley. The 100 limited edition cars include a key that displays the 1930 8 Litre crankshaft.