Bentley is turning 100 years old in 2019, and a year ahead of its centenary, the British automaker is getting the party started with the release of a new special edition Mulsanne that pays tribute to its founder, W.O. Bentley. Limited to just 100 units, the Mulsanne W.O. Edition gets plenty of exclusive features, all of which have been added by Bentley’s resident personalization savant, Mulliner.

What Makes the Mulssane W.I. Edition Special

It should be established by now that when Mulliner works on something, you expect it to be extra special. Bentley’s personalization arm has a number of exquisite creations to its name, so when it was time to create a special edition model that pays tribute to the founder of Bentley, you expect Mulliner to be extra motivated to turn in a creation worthy of W.O. Bentley’s name. To the surprise of absolutely no one, that’s exactly what it did.

As it always does, Mulliner’s work on the Bentley Mulsanne W.O. Edition starts off in the exterior. The showpiece car gets an Onyx paint finish, though Bentley is clear that if you’re buying one of the 100 models available, you can choose other paint colors to dress up your SE Mulsanne. A few more exclusive touches can also be found in this special edition Mulsanne. The chrome strip that runs the length of the hood, for example, is an exclusive touch that we haven’t seen on any of Mulliner’s recent works. The sedan also gets its share of exclusive badging, including one found on the bumper to signify the special edition Mulsanne’s status. The W.O. Edition also gets centenary badging that’s located on the door sill treadplates and the self-levelling wheel centers.

Move to the interior and this is where Mulliner’s influence can really be seen. Discussing the Mulsanne’s luxury offerings is low-lying fruit. But even with our expectations already set, Mulliner found a way to exceed it by dressing up the Mulsanne W.O. Edition’s cabin with tenets inspired by “luxury living in the 1930s” and that, specifically, of the 8 Litre, one of the most iconic Bentley models in history that was built in what a lot of people say as the “golden age” of the U.K.’s automotive history. The 8 Litre’s influence can be seen throughout the cabin, none more prominent than the hand-crafted, illuminated cocktail cabinet depicts the front matrix grille and headlight of the iconic ride. The cabinet also contains the crown jewel of this special edition Mulsanne. Peer through a small display window inside the cabinet and you’ll see a piece of the exact crankshaft that belonged W.O. Bentley’s very own 8 Litre. That artifact alone is probably worth more than “standard” Bentley Mulsanne models.

Move away from the car’s ties to history and you’ll also be treated to a cabin awash in the finest of fine materials. Mulliner spared no expense giving the SE Mulsanne a smorgasbord of luxury finishes, including the use of materials I’ve never even heard of. Does Fireglow Heritage and Fireglow hide sound luxurious enough? How about the complementary Beluga hide detailing and blind stitching and the Dark Stain Burr Walnut veneer that covers the minor gauge panel and steering wheel rim. Mulliner also sued four different wood types, all of which were used in designing the interior of the Mulsanne. Aluminum was also used in the cabin, and as a finishing touch, the W.O. Mulliner also comes with the signature of the man who founded Bentley in 1919.

While it’s true that there’s only so many luxury digs a car can have without it going overboard, it’s hard to use that rationale on the Mulsanne W.O. Edition, especially when you consider what it stands for and who it’s celebrating.

There are no engine upgrades to speak of, but if you’re interested in buying any one of the 100 units that will be made, you can get the special edition treatment on either the standard Mulsanne or the more performance-oriented Mulsanne Speed. The Mulsanne is powered by a 6.75-liter V-8 engine that produces 505 horsepower on the “standard” version and as much as 530 ponies on the Mulsanne Speed. Either way, they’re getting a car that personifies everything that Bentley stands for.

There is an option, too, of getting the longer Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase, though that’s going to come with the 505-horsepower engine. In any event, nobody’s going home a loser here. If you somehow find it within yourself to justify buying one, you’re a hero in my eyes. Only 100 units will be available so better get to it. Something tells me that supplies of this special-beyond-special edition model aren’t going to last long. Bentley hasn’t said how much it’s going to cost, but be sure to prepare your checkbooks regardless. The standard Mulsanne sells for around $300,000 while the Mulsanne Speed will set you back around $350,000. You can bet your life savings that the Mulsanne W.O. Edition is going to cost a heck of a lot more than both of these models.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Bentley Mulsanne.

Read more Bentley news.