Bentley is exploring ways to develop its customisation division, Mulliner, to offer bespoke versions of the carmaker’s road vehicles.
A six-seater version of the Bentley Mulsanne is set to be revealed at the Geneva motor show, and will be called the Bentley Grand Limousine by Mulliner, with each car built to order. Mulliner has long customised car colours and specs to customer requirements, and when asked by our sister publication Autocar UK if the highly re-engineered car signalled a new direction for Mulliner, Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer said: "Yes, I think we can do more.
"Mulliner is an asset with a history nearly 500 years old, but it is not a well-known name and we must change that. It's an asset, both for customers and for us to develop one-off ideas and see where they lead. It is somewhere exceptional ideas can take shape, and small scale ideas can be developed to larger scale ones."
Asked how far Mulliner could go, and if it could revive the art of coachbuilt one-offs, Dürheimer added: "It's possible, yes. The only thing to say is that Stefan Sielaff is the design director, and what he says is the rule. If someone wants a Bentley that looks like a tank, then he will say no.
"But if a customer demands something unusual but tasteful, then why not? We'll explore all ideas - our capabilities do not end with the standard option list, but extend to Mulliner."
Dürheimer also added that customer safety must come first and that any change that could alter the aerodynamics, suspension or weight balance of the vehicles needs careful consideration.