Bentley Mulsanne Key Celebrates Its Centenary

Bentley's bespoke coachbuilding division, Mulliner, has designed a unique keycase to celebrate the brand's centenary. Made from Dark Stained Burr Walnut and Piano Black veneer, it includes a flying 'B' paperweight, a set keys and a brochure that features never-before-seen 1930 8 Litre images.

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

Aesthetics

As a company that is primarily focused on design, Bentley takes its aesthetics extremely seriously. It's evident in the precise location of its quilting the choice of leather sourced from by-products of cattle production, the wood from sustainable forests and the unique patterns on its levers. A car like the Continental GT W12 beckons as you approach it and showcases its stunning sculptural design and power through carefully curated lighting.

The Continental GT is Bentley's most sophisticated open-top car. Its rear tonneau for example, showcased the biggest 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 automobile brand in the world because of its distinctive design and quality. The firm continues to push the boundaries by utilizing the most advanced technology and craft, including the introduction of an instrument cluster that is digital, an electric tilt-opening rear glass sunroof, an artisan-made docking station for Apple iPads, and electrochromic smart glass that can be changed from transparent to opaque by the button.

A century after its creation, Bentley - now under sole Volkswagen ownership after years of conflict with BMW - celebrated its centenary in 2019. Prior to pandemic planning taking the spotlight, the marque was hosting a variety of special events and launches planned to celebrate this significant occasion.

Design

Bentley is known as a luxury car manufacturer that produces lavish and extravagant cars. But even keys stand out. The Bentayga Key is made of sterling silver with a large B' logo to signal to everyone that you drive a Bentley. The key is also embossed with the dates 1919 and 2019 to mark the company’s centenary.

Bentley Mulliner reinvented and designed the Mulsanne to be the ultimate Grand Touring vehicle. It features two opposing pairs of rear seats that were inspired by the luxury of private aviation that provide passengers with unbeatable comfort and privacy. The custom heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system was created to provide each passenger with the ideal climate control settings.

Alongside a range of refined styling updates The Mulsanne is powered by twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre W12 engine capable of producing 560bhp and 479lbft of torque. This powerhouse is complemented by a brand new suspension architecture that delivers Bentley's trademark hushed ride.

Bentley has introduced a special specification for cars made after 2019 to commemorate its centenary. This is referred to as the Centenary Specification. The cabin is equipped with cross-stitching and contrast stitching in Centenary Gold throughout. The Bentley Wings are embroidered with Centenary Gold on the headrests, seats and other areas of the car. This makes it more fun to celebrate. A bespoke Bentley key case is also included in the Centenary Specification, making the Bentley experience all-inclusive.

Function

The Bentley Mulsanne Key features two buttons one of which opens the trunk, and the other that starts the vehicle. It also has a switch that can turn on the parking break. There is a knob to fold and unfold the mirrors when parking in tight spaces. This feature makes it easier to get in and out of your vehicle.

Each key takes about two days to make. The key is cut by hand, shaped by hand, stitched after which it is sealed and polished to create a high-end result. It is sturdy, compact, and fits the bentley car key key perfectly. Its design is similar to the Volkswagen Phaeton large car's key however, it feels heavier and has a more premium feel.

It also comes with Secure-A-Key, which helps prevent keyless entry theft. This device is put 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 can unlock and start the vehicle.

Bentley's unique design reflects the company's values that include high-quality craftsmanship engineering expertise, as well as cutting-edge technology. More than 4,000 employees work at the Crewe headquarters, responsible for the design, development, and production of Bentley automobiles. These workers use skills that have been handed over generations and then apply them to cutting-edge automotive technology. This is British manufacturing at its best.

Personalisation

Bentley's bespoke division, Mulliner, allows customers to essentially design their own vehicle. The "mood station" allows guests to select images that inspire them. These can be anything from picturesque vistas to sporting events. When each selection is made, a pattern is created that reveals the design and color preferences for the customized Bentley.

The guests receive an individual key case created by hand and containing the R.F.I.D. enabled key cards. Keys can be outfitted with Bentley Muliner Personalised welcome lamps that illuminate the pathway of the door's opening. They are adorned with the owner's logo or name as they approach the vehicle.

Bentley estimates that it takes 500 man-hours on average to construct and put together a Mulsanne. The reluctance to embrace modern technology is the main factor to this time-consuming effort. The Crewe factory workers don't employ a machine to place perfectly matched cross stitched leather seats. Instead, they do it by hand. Drivers have to park their cars manually, not using sensors built-in to guide them into perpendicular and parallel spaces.

The event also saw Bentley showcased its Mulliner personalization capabilities with one of a kind - the Mulsanne W.O. The Mulsanne W.O. Edition pays homage to the man who founded the company, William Osler Bentley. The limited edition cars include the key, which displays the 1930 8 Litre crankshaft.