Bespoke Bentley dazzles Detroit

Jan 13 2010 Maurice Glover

Bespoke Bentley dazzles Detroit

ONE of Britain's oldest car firms pulled off a double surprise by launching two milestone developments at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Bentley took the wraps off its all-new Mulsanne flagship model - then announced it is making the ultimate in bespoke packaging available across its Continental model range.

Designed and engineered at the famous Crewe factory, the new Mulsanne is claimed to offer refined performance with unparalleled levels of luxury and coach building expertise.

Available to UK buyers in summer before going on sale in the US at $285,000 (aoubt £180,000), the limousine will come with a choice of 114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides.

The V8-powered car will also be available with unique colours to match the exact requirements of customers.

Named after the year the firm's first official styling department was established, Series 51 is the name of the package available on Continental GT, GT Speed, GTC and GTC Speed models.

Exhibited on a GT coupe in Detroit, the package offers thousands of configurations from the Bentley colour and trim catalogue. In addition, Series 51 cars stand on 20-inch, 14-spoke polished wheels.