Mulsanne makers: the master craftspeople behind ‘The Grand Bentley'

Peter Guest was the Head of Body & Trim for the Mulsanne project, and was responsible for the engineering of the entire body structure and all of the cabin. Since completing the Mulsanne, Peter became the Product Line Director for the Bentayga – taking that project from initial conception through to delivery, before moving across to do the same role for the Continental GT and more recently the Flying Spur.

“The Mulsanne was extremely ambitious in its engineering – with an all-new body structure, electrical architecture and interior and exterior designs, together with a heavily re-engineered chassis and engine. A huge amount was done in-house by a team of around 600 engineers, who worked together with the teams that would ultimately build the car in Crewe. The body, for example, has a massive hand-brazed seam across the D-pillar – it was the best way to create a “hewn from solid” appearance.

“The interior was all-new and extremely complex, featuring several hundred pieces of leather trim and a perfectly aligned “ring of wood” that encircled the cabin. Again, we had to work with the craftspeople in the factory to ensure what we engineered could be made in production. It was a massive challenge, but we delivered – and the car still looks phenomenal today.

“Every time I see a Mulsanne leave the factory, it gives me an enormous sense of pride. When we launched the car it was known as the Grand Bentley – a perfect name for our ultimate grand touring limousine. There’s now a passing of the torch from Mulsanne to our latest Grand Bentley – the new Flying Spur, and as someone who lived and breathed the development of both cars, I can tell you it’s a worthy successor.”

Rob is one of Bentley’s longest standing colleagues, and will soon retire after over four decades of valued service. As a Series Planning Manager in Bentley’s Paint Shop, guiding a team of over 40 colleagues, Rob has not failed in passing on the expertise.

“This is my 40th year at Bentley, and to have been part of the Mulsanne story from start to finish is of great personal pride. I have taken responsibility for every Mulsanne body that has passed through our Paint Shop since 2009.

“The Mulsanne for me is the perfect combination of our Bentley heritage and our transition into the modern volume age. Some of the bespoke colours we have crafted for Mulsanne have been truly spectacular, especially the bespoke satin finishes and a stunning metallic we created called Liquid Mercury.

“Mulsanne has been our flagship since launch and will be hard to replace, but the new Flying Spur is definitely an appropriate heir in all that it does.”

Tim has extensive experience of working on the Mulsanne’s iconic ‘L-Series’ 6.75-litre V8 engine – also utilised in the Bentley Arnage and Brooklands under his watch. Developing Cylinder Deactivation for the first product in Volkswagen Group, Tim helped pave the way for the standard set by the Mulsanne. Now managing Engine Calibration for all of Bentley’s V8 engines, Tim’s expertise will not be lost.

“I feel very proud to have had a big input in defining the Mulsanne we all know and love. The Mulsanne was the first all-new car I had a hand in developing for Bentley after joining the company in 2005. The Mulsanne defined the ultimate Bentley to me – a modern reinterpretation of all the attributes that made classic Bentleys so special. Our characterful engine is a huge part of that, and we delivered that iconic Bentley ‘wave of torque’ with a totally reengineered engine that met all modern emissions standards.

“So it’s especially poignant for me to say goodbye to the 6.75 V8. The engine is a true icon, with the ‘L-Series’ first put into production back in 1959. I’ve been part of a team that has developed and refined it over many years, and it will be truly missed. We put the heart and soul of Bentley into each of its eight cylinders – and we’ll continue to do the same with our new engines now and in the future.”

Hans joined the Bentley family in 2007 as a Marketing Product Manager for Mulsanne, and admits he hasn’t been able to stop looking at the Mulsanne since. As a voice of the customer, Hans ensured that as a whole business, Bentley designed, engineered and built a Mulsanne that customers truly desired. Hans now leads key Marketing projects for new Flying Spur and future products.

“Mulsanne has been the most fulfilling project of my working life. When you’re dealing with a car at the very pinnacle of the automotive world, it starts to transcend into the world of art. It’s no longer just a car. As a Product Manager you are able to introduce materials, crafts and features that other car makers couldn’t even dream of, such as solid stainless steel brightware that is hand-polished for ten hours, to name but one.

“I will always remember revealing the facelifted Mulsanne family, especially the Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase, at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show to a completely unsuspecting audience and seeing the tremendous response.

“Mulsanne is a snapshot, a moment in time that won’t ever come again. It’s the end of an era and the last of its kind. For me, it marks the culmination of our first 100 years work and everything we’ve learned during that time. Now we’re very much into a new chapter.”

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