Bentley Mulsanne Key Celebrates Its Centenary

Bentley's custom coachbuilding division, Mulliner, has designed a unique keycase to mark the centennial of the company. Made from Dark Stained Burr Walnut and Piano Black veneer, it includes a flying 'B' paperweight, a set of keys and a brochure featuring never-before-seen 1930 8 Litre images.

This is the perfect method to welcome a brand new car owner.

Aesthetics

Bentley is a firm that takes its aesthetics seriously. It's evident in the precise location of its quilting the choice of leather sourced from the by-products of cattle, wood from sustainably managed forests and the innovative patterns on its levers. A car like the Continental GT W12 beckons as you take it in and showcases its stunning sculptural design and power by carefully curated lighting.

The Continental GT is the most sophisticated open-top Bentley ever created. The rear tonneau on the Continental GT, for example it was the largest piece 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 automotive brand globally due to its distinctive design and quality. The company is constantly pushing the boundaries with the latest technologies and craftsmanship. This includes the introduction of an electronic tilt-opening rear sunroof as well as a hand-crafted Apple iPad docking station.

A century since its founding, Bentley - now under sole Volkswagen ownership after years of fighting with BMW was able to celebrate its centennial in the year 2019. The company planned a range of special events and launches to mark the historic occasion before pandemic planning became a priority.

Design

Bentley is a renowned brand for its lavish and extravagant automobiles and even keys are designed to stand out. The Bentayga key is made of sterling silver and has a large 'B' logo which lets everyone know that you're driving a Bentley. The key is also decorated with the years 1919 and 2019, to commemorate the company's centennial.

Bentley Mulliner reinvented and designed the Mulsanne to become the ultimate Grand Touring vehicle. The rear seats are designed to give passengers unmatched comfort and privacy. They were inspired by the luxury private aircraft. The bespoke heating and ventilation as well as air conditioning system was developed to provide each passenger with the ideal temperature control.

Alongside a range of stylishly executed styling changes, the Mulsanne is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre W12 engine that can produce 560bhp and 479lbft of torque. This incredible power is complemented with a new bentley key suspension system which provides Bentley's renowned quiet ride.

Bentley has launched a new specification for cars manufactured after the year 2019 in order 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 sense of celebration. A bespoke Bentley key case is also included in the Centenary Specification, making the bentley keys experience all-inclusive.

Function

The Bentley Mulsanne key has an open button on the trunk, and another button that starts the car. It also has a button to switch on the parking break. The knob can be used to fold or unfold the mirrors when parked in a tight spot. This feature can aid you in getting in and out of your vehicle more quickly.

The key is made from vegetable tanned leather. It takes about two days to craft each one. It is cut by hand and shaped, then sewn, sealed, and polished to produce an extremely high-end finish. It is sturdy small and compact, and it fits the Bentley key perfectly. Its design is similar to that of the Volkswagen Phaeton large car's key however, it feels heavier and has a more premium feel.

It also has Secure-A-Key which prevents theft of keys without keypads. The device is placed inside the remote-control key fob and disables it after a few minutes of inactivity, which prevents thieves from transmitting the key's frequency to other devices that could unlock and start the vehicle.

Bentley's distinctive design reflects company's values of fine craftsmanship engineering expertise, as well as cutting-edge technology. Over 4,000 employees work at its Crewe headquarters, and are responsible for the design, development, and production of Bentley automobiles. These workers utilize skills handed through generations and apply them to cutting-edge technology in the automotive industry. This is a characteristic of British manufacturing at its best.

Personalisation

Bentley's bespoke division, Mulliner, allows customers to essentially design their own vehicle. The customers sit at a set of images referred to as "mood stations" and select a series of photos ranging from scenic views to sporting events that can inspire them to design their own. When each selection is made, a pattern is created which shows the model and color preferences of the personalized Bentley.

The guests are given the keys in a case designed by hand, which contains the R.F.I.D. enabled key cards. The keys bentley can also be equipped with Bentley Muliner Personalised Welcome Lamps that light up the door's opening path with the owner's name and/or emblem as they arrive at the vehicle.

Bentley estimates it takes approximately 500 man-hours in order to create and put together the typical Mulsanne. A key to that time-consuming effort is a reluctance to embrace modern tech. The Crewe factory workers don't utilize a machine for arranging perfectly matched cross stitched leather seats. Instead, they do it by hand. Drivers must park their cars manually, instead of using sensors built into the vehicle to guide them into parallel and perpendicular spots.

In the course of the event, Bentley presented its Mulliner personalization options with an exclusive example that was the Mulsanne W.O. Edition, which pays tribute to founder William Osler Bentley. The limited edition cars include the key, which displays a piece of the 1930 8 Litre crankshaft.