Friday Drool – Very Special Bentley Mulsanne 95 – Only 15 Made

In 2007, parts of Britain were bombarded by what became known as The Great Storm, one of the worst such storms to hit the country for as long as records have been kept. There was a great deal of damage done to property across the country, with the eastern counties being particularly badly hit.

One notable, and much-reported, casualty was a magnificent walnut tree – known as the Fulbeck Walnut after the country house in Lincolnshire, in the grounds of which it stood – which was sadly brought down in the very strong winds. An historic walnut with many local folklore tales attached, the Fulbeck Walnut was known to be at least 350 years old, and was believe to be the third-largest tree in the UK.

Why are we telling you about a tree that fell in the storm? Bentley Motors – a motorcar company with a rich vein of history, and celebrating their centenary in 2019 – purchased the magnificent root ball of the fallen tree, and took it back to the factory in Crewe.

There, it made its way into one of the most exclusive Bentleys ever made, the Bentley Mulsanne 95, of which 15 models were made in 2014 to celebrate 95 years of Bentleys. In each of the 15 examples, the veneer is crafted from the wood of the Fulbeck Walnut, and we think their no better place to pay homage to an historic tree of this stature than in the cabin of one of the world’s most luxurious and exclusive vehicles.

Very Special Trim by Mulliner

As with all special Bentleys, the celebrated coachbuilding division Mulliner was tasked with making the Mulsanne 95 very special indeed. The glorious veneer from the celebrated tree is a major talking point, being absolutely unique to these 15 cars, and the interior trim – not to mention the exterior finish – is simply exquisite, and typically Bentley.

Very rarely do any of the 15 Bentley Mulsanne 95’s come up for sale, but one recently did, a glorious Moroccan Blue model with stunning white hand-stitched and made leather upholstery, which was recently sold by Lawton Brook, in Yorkshire. In amazing, original condition – and featuring the legendary 6.75litre V8 engine that is synonymous with Bentley luxury and performance; propelling this big car from 0-62mph in 5.3seconds must utilise all of the 505bhp, and top speed was a claimed 184mph.

The example for sale came with all the trimmings – including the special ‘95’ emblem on the treadplate that reminds the driver just how special this Mulsanne is – and options including full entertainment system in the rear, all-round vision camera, electric sets throughout, and beautiful 20” graphite alloys that add a sporting touch that is very Bentley indeed.

The new owner must be very proud to own one of the rarest of all modern Bentleys, and on that has been given the Mulliner treatment with nothing left to chance. We hope that, every time they step into this quite amazing car, they remember the history imbued within the beautiful wood of the Fulbeck Walnut, which is the very signature of this exclusive model.