Bentley Motors is set to launch their new 2019 Mulsanne W.O. edition with an added surprise in the backseat armrest with a piece of history from the year 1930.
Walter Owen, the company’s founder, had designed and driven the 1930 Bentley 8 Litre Sedan. In 2006, Bentley Motors received the opportunity to get their hands back on the beloved 1930’s Sedan.
Once rebuilding was underway, they began with the 7,983 cc straight-six engine. They also replaced the 76-year-old crankshaft. With the crankshaft being so ancient, they put it in a wooden box and stuck it in storage. (I’m thinking as a keep-sake but several years later revealed a great plan to use it again.)
Now, in the present time of 2018, Bentley Motors has retrieved the crankshaft from storage and is putting it to great use. The designers of Bentley have decided to use the infamous 1930’s crankshaft as a key component in the special-edition version of the Mulsanne.
As they approach the company’s 100th anniversary in 2019, they will be releasing 100 special edition cars with a piece of the crankshaft embedded under glass in the backseat armrest of the Mulsanne.
“It is a slice of history in the truest sense and a very special way of incorporating a genuine part of Bentley’s heritage into this very special car,” says Mark Del Rosso, President and CEO of Bentley Motors Limited.
Manufactures delicately cut the very ancient crankshaft in order to put a slice in each of the 100 special edition cars to add a simple yet beautiful touch to the Mulsanne.
While 100 cars are being manufactured, only about twenty of these special edition cars will be transported to the U.S. for marketing. There are three Mulsanne versions available: Standard Wheelbase, Extended Wheelbase, or high-performance Speed. They are available in a range of color choices however, Bentley is predicting that most consumers will choose the same colors that reflect what Walter Owen chose to drive, which is the Onyx color with Beluga Black wheels.
Not only have they added the historic crankshaft they have also perfected the interior of the car. They have provided some of the best materials known, including materials from the Mulliner bespoke division’s collection. Fireglow Heritage is one material used that is displayed on the Burr Walnut dashboard and rear armrest, as well as on the seats. “The Mulsanne is finished with Fireglow lambswool rugs, glass tumblers, privacy curtains on the rear doors, and a rear seat entertainment system,” says Bentley.
The 2019 Bentley Mulsanne will make its first big debut in California at Monterey Car Week displaying its Walter Owen special edition with the historic crankshaft displayed beautifully in the backseat.
