Friday 24th November 2023

Queen's Bentley Mulsanne heads home to Crewe

The final Mulsanne made has fulfilled its Royal duties; now it's time for the heritage fleet

---

A peek at the final Bentley Mulsanne ever made would be newsworthy in itself. That the last one handbuilt at Crewe also served as transport for Queen Elizabeth II makes it a very significant Bentley indeed. Now retired from Royal duties, it’s going to assume a place on Bentley’s increasingly significant 45-car heritage fleet. 

The late Queen was very fond of a Bentley; you might remember another of Her Majesty’s Mulsannes for sale on PH a couple of years back. This one essentially mirrors the colour combination of the old one, because why mess with a great spec? It’s solid Barnato Green with chrome brightwork, then Twine and Cumbrian Green inside plus Burr Walnut veneers. Extended Wheelbase, too - obvs. 

Predictably enough, this isn't your average dark green Mulsanne EWB, however lovely that is on its own. Modifications for its special duty included the removal of the front centre armrest to make way for a tray to carry the Queen’s handbag (!), rear privacy curtains and the UK’s coat of arms inlaid in the door waistrails. Quite some way to travel. Then there’s the more official stuff: lights, sirens and a bullhorn, with switches hidden ‘beneath a walnut-veneered door behind the gearlever’. But of course.

This final Mulsanne will occupy a spot in Bentley’s Heritage Collection alongside the second one ever built and a later Speed. (And yes, we will try to get a go as soon as possible.) Sadly there aren’t any Mulsannes currently for sale in an even vaguely similar spec, though there are definitely a few of interest around (more than 7,000 were made). It’s possible to buy a Speed for the price of an M2, or indeed an Extended Wheelbase for maximum opulence - that’ll cost rather more, however…

---

• Bentley Batur comes homes to roost | PH Footnote
• Bentley Flying Spur vs. Porsche Panamera Executive

 

[Blackpuddin]

'I got a fever, and the only prescription is more bullhorn!'

Edited by Blackpuddin on Friday 24th November 11:00

[McRors]

Now that's what I call legroom! It's great to that Her Majesty travelled in such comfort and style.

[Quhet]

What a lovely thing

[Horsebox Man]

All that luxury and they kit the added extras out with Ebay switches ! I was expecting nice chrome finishes !

I laughed when our purchasing manager wanted these on our builds !

[Leveret]

McRors said:

Now that's what I call legroom! It's great to that Her Majesty travelled in such comfort and style.

I suspect it might have been designed more for dogroom than HM's somewhat, ahem, modest appendages.

[Lester H]

Whatever you thought ( should it be ‘one thought’?) about the Queen, she had superb taste in cars. Not perhaps a Clio Williams type, but she could have contributed to Pistonheads. She was also a consummate diplomat. What a disappointment the rest of the dysfunctional family are.

[cirks]

Not only is the inside lovely, at least the outside looks like a proper classy vehicle that the inside matches.....Unlike Bentaygas etc

[TikTak]

Well that is superb.

Comfier than my house ... probably worth more too ...

[NomduJour]

No surprise the Bentayga they gave her never saw the light of day.

[Mr Alternator]

Pure class!

[oilit]

Lester H said:

Whatever you thought ( should it be ‘one thought’?) about the Queen, she had superb taste in cars. Not perhaps a Clio Williams type, but she could have contributed to Pistonheads. She was also a consummate diplomat. What a disappointment the rest of the dysfunctional family are.

TBH the adage you dont realise what you have until you lose it comes to mind for me.

Th Royal family, now HM has gone, is an expensive luxury / liability we could do well without.

The car on the other hand seems to have a huge amount of rear legroom, as another poster said, must have been for the dogs - or for her to stand in and stick head out of the sunroof for rear passengers lol

[Wonderman]

Blackpuddin said:

'I got a fever, and the only prescription is more bullhorn!'

Edited by Blackpuddin on Friday 24th November 11:00

I wonder if it's the same noise as The Last Leg one? When one was conversing with ones "Prime" Ministers, one smashed this button like ones staff smashes a rabid dog with a baton!

[Vertical Drive]

I've been looking for one of these to do the weekly grocery shopping at my local Aldi!

[KarlMac]

I want a yellow bullhorn button.

Never realised it until I saw this article but now I want one.

[myhandle]

Lester H said:

Whatever you thought ( should it be ‘one thought’?) about the Queen, she had superb taste in cars. Not perhaps a Clio Williams type, but she could have contributed to Pistonheads. She was also a consummate diplomat. What a disappointment the rest of the dysfunctional family are.

Well put. You know, she might well have been a Clio Williams there, there is a video of her somewhere driving a manual V8 Defender round Sandringham and not sparing the horses! Two of my favourite cars, I had a Williams for 7 years and there is a lateish Arnage with the new headlights and the 6.75 in the family in a similar colour scheme to HRH’s Mulsanne, both fun to drive in their respective ways. Great article, PH!

[silvermog]

If you're willing to drop back a few years, McGurk (https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15166263) has a glorious Arnage R LWB, just 18k miles, with a few unusual coachbuilt changes (rear screen vanity mod ala QE2 spec), which could be the predecessor to this car ;-)

In classy Dark Sapphire Blue Metallic over Cotswolds leather … a snap for tooling around in comfort and I'd wager significantly cheaper to purchase!

[asci.white]

Lester H said:

Whatever you thought ( should it be ‘one thought’?) about the Queen, she had superb taste in cars. Not perhaps a Clio Williams type, but she could have contributed to Pistonheads. She was also a consummate diplomat. What a disappointment the rest of the dysfunctional family are.

And quite a sense of humour too by all accounts.

She was one hell of a lady who loved cars and meeting people. Considering her involvement during the war in London was to do everything she could i was never shy of my admiration.

[S600BSB]

Couldn’t she have jumped on a bus.

[Lester H]

Vertical Drive said:

I've been looking for one of these to do the weekly grocery shopping at my local Aldi!

The search is over! No wonder you have to resort to Aldi instead of Booths or Waitrose! On second thoughts you new car would be so spacious you would need only to shop monthly to save petrol. You just can’t lose.

Edited by Lester H on Friday 24th November 16:44

[bluemason]

Lester H said:

The search is over! No wonder you have to resort to Aldi instead of Booths or Waitrose! On second thoughts you new car would be so spacious you would need only to shop monthly to save petrol. You just can’t lose.

Edited by Lester H on Friday 24th November 16:44

Boots is not posh!