Bentley Mulsanne Key Celebrates Its Centenary
Bentley's bespoke coachbuilding division, Mulliner, has designed an exclusive key case to commemorate the brand's centennial. It's made of Dark Stained Burr Walnut with Piano Black Veneer and includes a flying "B" paperweight keys, as well as a booklet featuring never-before-seen 1930s 8 Litre images.
It's the perfect present to introduce a new owner to their opulent vehicle.
Aesthetics
As a design-driven company, Bentley takes its aesthetics seriously. This is evident in the precise placement of its quilting as well as the use of leather from products of cattle and sustainable-managed forests, and the ingenuous patterns of its levers. As you approach a vehicle like the Continental GT W12, its stunning design is accentuated by carefully selected lighting.
The Continental GT is Bentley's most sophisticated open-top vehicle. Its rear tonneau for instance, featured the largest piece of book-matched, dark-stained 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.
Bentley is the most sought-after car brand in the world due to its distinctive design and quality. The company continues to push boundaries with the latest technology and hand-crafted products. This includes the introduction of an electronic tilt-opening rear window sunroof and a handcrafted Apple iPad docking station.
A century after its founding, Bentley - now under sole Volkswagen ownership following years of wrangling with BMW - celebrated its centenary in 2019. The marque planned a number special events and launches to mark the occasion prior to when pandemic planning became a priority.
Design
Bentley is known for its lavish and extravagant cars, but even the keys are designed to stand out. The Bentayga key is crafted from sterling silver. It has the large 'B' symbol that let everyone know that you're driving a Bentley. It's also engraved with the years 1919 and 2019 to mark the company's centenary.
The Mulsanne was redesigned and developed by Bentley Mulliner, to be the ultimate Grand Touring car. The rear seats are designed to give passengers unparalleled comfort and privacy. They were inspired by the luxury private aircraft. The customized heating and ventilation system as well as the air conditioning system was developed to give each passenger the ideal temperature control.
In addition to a suite of stylishly executed styling changes and a host of elegantly executed styling changes, the Mulsanne is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre W12 engine capable of producing 560bhp and 479lb-ft of torque. This incredible power is complemented by a new suspension design that offers Bentley's hushed, quiet ride.
Bentley has released a special specification for cars built after 2019 to celebrate its centennial. It is known as the Centenary Specification. The cabin has cross-stitching, and contrast stitching in Centenary Gold throughout. The Bentley Wings on the headrests and seats are embossed in Centenary Gold, adding to the feeling of celebration. The Centenary Specification also includes a custom Bentley keycase to complete the Bentley experience.
Function
The Bentley Mulsanne key features an opening button for the trunk and a second button that can start 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 space. This feature helps you get into and out of your vehicle.
The key is constructed from vegetable tanned leather and takes about two days to craft each one. The key is cut by hand, shaped by hand, stitched after which it is sealed and polished to achieve a high-quality result. It is sturdy and compact, and will fit the Bentley key perfectly. Its design is reminiscent of the Volkswagen Phaeton's large car key, however it feels more heavy and premium.
Secure-A-Key is also available to help stop keyless entry theft. This device is inserted into the remote-control fob, and is disabled when the key has not been used for more than a few minutes. It blocks thieves from transmitting the key's frequency to other devices which can be used to open and start the car.
Bentley's unique design reflects the company's values that include high-quality craftsmanship engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology. The headquarters in Crewe house more than 4000 employees responsible for the design, development and production of Bentley vehicles. These workers use techniques passed down for generations and apply them to cutting-edge automotive technology. This is the hallmark of British manufacturing at its best.
Personalisation
Bentley's Mulliner division lets customers design their car. Guests sit at a series of pictures referred to as "mood stations" and choose a selection of photos ranging from picturesque vistas to sporting events - that will inspire them. Each time a selection is made, the pattern that emerges shows the model colors, style and color preferences for the personalized Bentley.
The guests receive keys made by hand, which contains the R.F.I.D. enabled key cards. Keys can be adorned with Bentley Muliner Personalised welcome lamps that illuminate the path of the door opening with the owner's name or logo as they approach the vehicle.
Bentley says it takes roughly 500 man hours to design and put together the typical Mulsanne. The key to this time-consuming effort is a reluctance to adopt the latest technology. Instead of employing a machine for spacers to the perfectly matched cross-stitched leather seats workers at the Crewe factory do it by hand. Instead of letting the car's built-in sensors guide it to perpendicular and parallel parking spots drivers must perform the task by hand.
Bentley displayed its Mulliner personalization capabilities with the release of a special Mulsanne W.O. Edition, which pays homage to William Osler, the founder of Bentley. bentley bentayga key fob .O. Edition pays homage to founder William Osler Bentley. The 100 limited edition cars include the key, which displays a piece of the 1930 8 Litre crankshaft.