Bentley's customization division, Mulliner, crafted a unique Continental GT Azure unit to commemorate the 80th anniversary of automobile manufacturing at the Crewe plant in England. This vehicle was displayed on August 29th at the British Motor Museum, alongside the Bentley Mark VI, which served as the inspiration for the project, during an event hosted by the RREC, an international club of Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts.
It is important to note that the celebration refers to automotive production, not the building itself. The factory located on Pyms Lane was erected in 1938 with the purpose of assembling Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engines, but it only began producing cars in 1946, when the Mark VI became the first Bentley produced in Crewe. This model, equipped with a 4.257 cm³ B60 six-cylinder engine, totaled 4,001 units up to 1951, of which 3,171 had the standard steel body.
The Mark VI used for comparison is not the factory's first car; it is one of the 241 four-door sedans built by the then independent H.J. Mulliner. This specific one was delivered in January 1950 to the British businessman William Lount and later integrated into the brand's historical collection, the Heritage Collection, in 2021.
Regarding the bodywork, the designers opted to abandon the current color palette, which offers nearly one hundred paint options, choosing solid Barnato Green, combined with a Mulliner Black roof, replicating the two-tone scheme of the honored car. The exterior blends the characteristic light pinstripes of the Azure line with a carbon fiber trim package, 22-inch ten-spoke black wheels with machined faces, black brake calipers, and central emblems with automatic leveling function.
In the interior, the coupe evokes the atmosphere of the old model through Cricket Ball red leather upholstery and secondary Beluga finishes, complemented by contrasting stitching, embroidered Azure emblems, and diamond quilted details. The dashboard features dark walnut veneer over a Grand Black piano black background, intersected by a chrome strip that extends across the doors. The sills display the contours of the Mark VI and the Continental GT, along with an inscription celebrating the factory's anniversary, mentioning the dates 1946 and 2026.
The rotary screen system allows the driver to switch between a touch-sensitive monitor, analog gauges, or an exclusively wood panel. The equipment set includes front seats with comfort and wellness features, an air ionizer, and a Naim sound system. Mechanically, the Continental GT Azure uses a line configuration, featuring a plug-in hybrid system that combines the 4.0 V8 biturbo engine with an electric motor, generating 680 hp and 94.8 kgfm combined. According to Bentley, the coupe can reach 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, achieve 270 km/h, and travel up to 85 km using only electric power.
The manufacturer confirmed that this unit will remain a one-off piece, created specifically for the occasion, with no plans to be added to the order catalog. Bentley, controlled by the Volkswagen Group since 1998, employs over 4,000 employees in Crewe and intends to market only electric models starting from 2035.
