Serial number SCBZS0T02ECX09275
The Bentley Revival
Luxury, power and pleasure
French collector title
The counterpart to the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, the
Bentley Mulsanne made its debut at the 1980 Paris
Motor Show. Named after the famous Mance curve at
the end of the Hunaudières straight - a nod to the many
victories of W.O. Bentley’s machines in the 1930s - this
3.06 metre wheelbase, 5.30 metre long limousine travels
at 195 km/h. Its historical significance is no less decisive
for Bentley, as it ushers in the brand’s spectacular revival
in the 1980s. The Bentley Mulsanne has modernised
styling. Compared to the T, the car appeared lower and
wider, and the glass area was increased. The major event
was the 1982 Geneva Motor Show. With the launch of
the Mulsanne Turbo, Bentley rediscovered the virtues
of supercharging half a century after the «Blower».
The explosive Turbo was to make a lot of noise and
transform the venerable firm. A synthesis of luxury and
sportiness, this high-performance limousine marked the
end of «badge engineering» at Crewe, which consisted
of marketing identical models under different brands.
Bentley had lost its identity and its customers. The
Bentley Mulsanne Turbo is 50% more powerful than
the naturally aspirated version. Its 350 hp (approximately,
as Crewe remains faithful to its habit of not revealing the
power of its engines) make it the most powerful model
ever to leave the Rolls-Royce factory. Despite its weight
(over 2.2 tonnes), the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h
in under 8 seconds. To support the turbocharger, the
6,750cc light-alloy V8 was modified (cylinder heads,
pistons and valves). The exhaust system is also new. The
Garrett turbo blows nicely at 0.5 bar pressure into a
Solex four-barrel carburettor, the system being fitted
with a relief valve. The GM Hydramatic three-speed
automatic transmission has been given a gear ratio to
suit the very high torque at low revs. Externally, the
Mulsanne Turbo is identifiable by its body-coloured
grille and dual exhaust. The car was sold only in Europe
(mainly the UK and Germany) and the Middle East.
It was a success there, and about 100 were produced
annually from Crewe until 1985, a third of Bentley’s total
production. In 18 years of production, the Mulsanne and
its derivatives transformed Bentley into Crewe’s most
dynamic brand. The model on display is the Mulsanne
Turbo. Both the interior and exterior are well preserved
and the green paintwork combined with the beige leather
interior is a perfect marriage of Britishness.
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