Bentley Mulsanne Key Celebrates Its Centenary

Bentley's bespoke coachbuilding division, Mulliner, has designed an exclusive key case to mark the centennial of the company. It is made from Dark stained Walnut with Piano Black Veneer and includes an eagle-like "B" paperweight keys, as well as a booklet featuring never-before-seen 1930s 8 Litre images.

This is a great way to greet a new vehicle owner.

Aesthetics

Bentley is a brand which takes its aesthetics seriously. It shows in the precision positioning of its quilting, the selection of leather from by-products of cattle, the wood from sustainably managed forests and the unique patterns on its levers. A car like the Continental GT W12 beckons as you walk up to it, displaying its sculptural beauty and power by carefully curated lighting.

The Continental GT is Bentley's most sophisticated open-top car. The rear tonneau of the Continental GT, for example included 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 car brand worldwide due to its distinctive design and workmanship. The company is constantly pushing the boundaries using the most advanced technologies and hand-crafted products. This includes the introduction of an electronic tilt-opening rear sunroof and a handcrafted Apple iPad docking station.

Bentley celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, 100 years after it was established. The marque, now owned by Volkswagen on its own after years of disputes with BMW and Volkswagen, has planned a range of special events and launches to commemorate this historic occasion. Before pandemic planning took the center stage, the company had a number of special events and launches planned to mark the occasion.

Design

Bentley is famous for its lavish and extravagant automobiles, but even keys are designed to stand out. The Bentayga key is crafted from sterling silver. It features an oversized 'B' logo which lets everyone know that you drive a Bentley. The key is also engraved with the dates 1919 and 2019, to mark the company’s centenary.

The Mulsanne was revamped and redesigned by Bentley Mulliner, to be the ultimate Grand Touring car. It features two opposing pairs of rear seats inspired by luxury private aviation and provides passengers with unbeatable comfort and security. A custom heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system was designed to give each passenger the ideal climate control setting.

In addition to a suite of stylishly executed styling changes The Mulsanne is powered by twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre W12 engine that is capable of producing 560bhp as well as 479lbft of torque. This powerhouse is enhanced by a new suspension architecture that delivers Bentley's signature hushed ride.

In celebration of its Centenary, Bentley introduced a bespoke specification known as the Centenary Specification for cars that were built in 2019. This includes cross-stitching and contrast stitching in Centenary Gold thread throughout the cabin. The Bentley Wings are embroidered with Centenary Gold on the headrests seats, the interior and other areas of the car. This enhances the celebration. The Centenary Specification also includes a custom Bentley keycase, completing the Bentley experience.

Function

The Bentley Mulsanne Key features two buttons that open the trunk, and the other which starts the vehicle. It also has a switch to switch on the parking break. There is a knob that can fold and unfold the mirrors while parked in tight areas. Using this feature can aid you in getting in and out of your car more easily.

The key is made from vegetable tanned leather. It takes two days to craft each one. It is hand cut, shaped, sewn, sealed and polished to provide a high-quality finish. It is lightweight and durable and will fit the Bentley key perfectly. Its design is similar to the Volkswagen Phaeton large car's key, but it feels much heavier and has a luxurious feel.

It is also equipped with Secure-A-Key which prevents theft of keys without keypads. The device is inserted into the remote-control fob, and disables it when the key isn't used for a short period of time. It prevents thieves from transmitting the key's frequency to other devices that can unlock and start the vehicle.

Bentley's unique design reflects the values of the company which include exquisite craftsmanship engineering expertise, as well as modern technology. More than 4,000 employees work at the Crewe headquarters, where they are responsible for the design, development and production of Bentley cars. They apply their expertise that have been handed through generations to modern automotive technologies. This is British manufacturing at its finest.

Personalisation

Bentley's Mulliner division allows customers to design their own vehicle. Customers sit at a set of pictures referred to as "mood stations" and pick a collection of photos - from scenic landscapes to sporting events that are inspiring to them. Each time a selection is made the pattern that emerges reveals the model colors, style and color preferences for the personalized bentley bentayga key.

The configuration that is created is stored on individual R.F.I.D.-enabled keys which are handed out to guests in a hand-crafted key case. The keys can be equipped with Bentley Muliner Personalised welcome lamps, which illuminate the path of the entrance door, and display the owner's name or logo as they approach the car.

Bentley estimates it takes approximately 500 man-hours to design and put together the typical Mulsanne. The inability to adopt new technology is the key to this laborious task. The Crewe factory workers don't utilize a machine for arranging perfectly matched leather seats. Instead they do it by hand. Drivers have to park their cars manually, instead of using sensors built into the vehicle to direct them to perpendicular and paralell spots.

During the event, Bentley displayed its Mulliner personalization capabilities with one particular example that was the Mulsanne W.O. The Mulsanne W.O. Edition pays tribute to founder William Osler Bentley. The limited-edition cars have 100 of them. the key with a special design that shows an image of the 1930 8 Liter's crankshaft.