On the next day, December 3rd, the British auction house H&H Classics will present a collection of cars from different eras that is sure to make the eyes of many car enthusiasts shine. Among others, one can find a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage, a 1980 BMW 323i Turbo Schnitzer, a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1 competition model, a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE California Roadster, and various Jaguar E-types.
Still, the “piece” that seems to be generating the most interest – and is also expected to be bid on for a higher value – is a more recent 2013 Bentley Mulsanne. Despite its many (and good) attributes, at first glance, it does not appear to be particularly remarkable, and would even be of relative interest to a good portion of potential buyers, as it has, as is customary in those parts, a right-hand drive.
However, the perspective can change substantially when one considers, on one hand, that it has only 35,000 miles on the odometer (a little less than 56,500 km, quite nice for a car that is a dozen years old). And that this may be a unique, if not rare, opportunity to acquire a vehicle that has already transported royalty, namely Charles III of England.
Although, in truth, the then Prince and Duke of Wales was never the owner of this Bentley Mulsanne. This is an example loaned to the British royal family by the Special Vehicles and Press Department of the Crewe brand, which served the current British monarch between 2013 and 2017, and was used by him in a series of official events until it ceased its “royal” functions. Since then, it has been maintained in the best condition by a “private” owner, and has all the documentation proving that it has always been serviced within the official Bentley network.
Powered by the renowned 6.75-liter V8 turbocharged engine, with 513 hp and 1020 Nm, which allows it to announce just 5.3 seconds from 0-100 km/h, and a top speed of 296 km/h, the Mulsanne in question is painted in Dark Sapphire blue; and the interior is upholstered in light brown leather, also featuring hand-polished walnut wood applications, carpets and rugs made of sheep wool, and numerous chrome elements. Also part of its equipment, among others, are the adaptive air suspension, satellite navigation, digital television and radio, four-zone climate control with electronic regulation, and the electric opening and closing of the trunk lid.
According to H&H Classics, only 700 units of the second-generation Bentley Mulsanne were produced in the specification intended for the United Kingdom – but none other will have had such a distinguished regular passenger. For all this, it is expected to be auctioned for a value between £80,000-100,000 (around €91,000-113,000).
