The Gentleman Magazine Issue 10 | August 2018 | Page 15

The Mulsanne is finished with Fireglow lambswool rugs, glass
tumblers, privacy curtains to the rear doors, and a rear seat
entertainment system.
The Mulsanne W.O. Edition further enhances its formidable
road presence with Onyx paintwork (although customers can
specify other colours from Bentley’s extensive pallet), chrome
bonnet strip and graceful Flying B Mascot atop the optional
chrome radiator shell and grille. A discreet W.O. Bentley
signature badge is displayed on the lower bumper, while special
centenary badging adorns the self-levelling wheel centres and
door treadplates.
The Mulsanne W.O. Edition can be specified on any of the
three-model Mulsanne range, based on customer preference.
Each model is already a true statement of Bentley’s innovation
and craftsmanship. Bentley’s flagship model is the world’s
finest handmade car, representing the ultimate combination of
luxury and performance.
The Bentley 8 Litre – The Last Car Designed By W.O.
The 8 Litre was described as W.O. Bentley’s finest grand
tourer. Launched in 1930, it was also the last car he personally
designed for Bentley Motors.
It was the largest and most luxurious Bentley of its time,
featuring the most powerful engine of any car available
in Britain – a 7,983cc straight six that offered remarkable
performance. W.O. said of the 8 Litre: “I have always wanted
to produce a dead silent 100-mph car, and now I think we have
done it.”
Originally registered GK 706, W.O.’s was the second 8 Litre
off the production line and became his personal transport. He
commissioned HJ Mulliner to build a saloon body on the 12-
foot, short-wheelbase chassis. W.O. was then forced to sell his
beloved car in 1931.
It was bought back by Bentley Motors in 2006, when the car then
underwent a sympathetic restoration, including replacing the
original crankshaft, slices of which are now being symbolically
installed in the new Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner.
W.O.’s 8 Litre has since become a symbolic ‘company car’
for each successive Bentley CEO, preserving a tradition that
dates back to the company founder. It is now a focal point in
the Bentley Motors Lineage Exhibition, situated at company
headquarters in Crewe, England.
Bentley’s Centenary – 100 Years of Extraordinary
In 1919 Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley created a company with
a simple objective: to build “a fast car, a good car, the best
in its class”. This guiding principle has driven Bentley ever
since, pushing the brand forward and making it the leader in
automotive luxury around the world today.
The 10th of July 2018 marked the start of Bentley’s 100th
year and the countdown to the brand’s centenary in 2019.
This extraordinary milestone – reached by only a special few
companies – will be a cause for celebration of the company’s
history and its global success today.
The Gentleman Magazine | 15