May 16, 2014
Bentley
British automaker Bentley Motors is honoring its roots with a limited-edition Mulsanne line available only in the United Kingdom.
The "Mulsanne 95" edition contains 15 vehicles inspired by the brand's 95th anniversary. The vehicles are embellished with various details that emphasize British heritage and each model was hand-built in the brand's Mulliner division in Crewe, England.
"The Mulsanne 95, like all other limited editions that the company has produced recently, the Shaheen edition for the Middle East, the Seasons-inspired Chinese edition and European Birkin Mulsanne, was developed by Bentley’s Mulliner division at the request of the responsible region," said Tom Housley, communications manager at Bentley Motors, Crewe, England.
"Exclusivity is one of the key attributes that attracts customers to the brand, and we have seen that an ‘even more exclusive’ limited edition model is extremely popular with local customers," he said.
"The car is a celebration of the Bentley’s strong 95 year history of making luxury performance cars in Britain."
Coming home
Every aspect of the Mulsanne 95 set speaks to the brand's heritage.
The name Mulsanne comes from the "Mulsanne Straight" stretch during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race where cars reach their highest speeds. Bentley won the race five times between 1924 and 1930 and the car is inspired by brand founder W.O. Bentley's 8-liter vehicle from the period.
Bentley first began producing the Mulsanne vehicle commercially in 1980 until 1992. After 17 years of hibernation, the Mulsanne was updated in 2009 as the brand's flagship model.
Mulsanne 95 in Brittania Blue
The Mulsanne 95 edition cars are available in three original colors, Britannia Blue, Empire Red and Oxford White, that reflect British heritage. The 95 theme appears stitched on the seats and spelled out in a bespoke script on the treadplates.
Interior of Mulsanne 95
Interestingly, the 95 cars feature a wood veneer that comes from a local walnut tree believed to be almost 400 years old that had fallen during a storm in 2007.
The trees rings can be seen throughout the entire interior. A blue-and-white leather interior paired with red stitching reassert the British nature.
Also, the 15 cars are available for order in Bentley's 22 locations throughout the United Kingdom.
Mulsanne 95 vehicles
Although mostly all luxury brands have global consumer bases, certain lines are often crafted with a single country in mind to show appreciation for past loyalty or as a beacon of future investment.
For instance, Rolls-Royce celebrated the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Horse in 2014 with a bespoke “Majestic Horse Collection” that features Ghost models and draws on traditional art.
Although the collection was available to consumers around the world, it is hard to imagine that the demand from other countries matched the demand from China. The collection is also emblematic of a 103 percent surge in bespoke commissions from the year-ago period in China and likely indicates that these numbers will continue to rise (see story).
Time for cheers
Other luxury automakers are celebrating anniversaries of their own.
For instance, Maserati is celebrating its Centennial with a series of event and digital content that will continue to emerge over the next several months. The brand introduced a microsite to house all the content (see story).
Similar to Maserati's debt to Italy, Bentley has a lofty debt to its home country as well.
"The details were created for those who value their country’s heritage," said Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Miami, FL. "Selling outside the U.K. would likely be folly.
"The takeaway is sell to those whose values match the product," he said. "Limiting to a single market enhances the value of the product.
"It’s a pillar of luxury."
Final Take
Joe McCarthy, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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