With the introduction of the Bentley Mulliner Visualiser, it is now easier for customers to work with their retailer remotely to fulfil their personal commissioning requirements.
The Bentley Mulliner Visualiser is a digital application that allows customers to view images of bespoke hide, veneer and stitching options tailored by them – and ultimately to envision their own bespoke Bentley. Working with the retailer or Bentley’s own Mulliner designers, customers are able to configure up to three different colours to create their own interior design.
The digital application guides the customer, via their retailer, through the process and produces images of the final design in real time, providing feedback and confidence that their personalised design matches their vision and is part of the same on-screen experience.
The Mulliner Visualiser also allows customers to create or match a bespoke main hide colour and provides a reference code that can be sent directly to the craftspeople of Bentley Mulliner.
Bespoke choices do not finish on the inside of the car. Beyond the standard palette of Bentley paints, Mulliner has carefully curated their own exquisite range of paint colours; giving customers an additional 26 colours to choose from.
The additional palette contains a mixture of fifteen solid and metallic options, four satin finishes, and seven complex pearlescent three-layer paints. Hand spraying expertise, complemented by the latest robotic technology, delivers the best possible finish on each vehicle. Combining the art of colour with the science of paint, Bentley offers one of the largest ‘stock’ colour palettes of any luxury automotive manufacturer.
For the ultimate in exclusivity, the craftspeople at Bentley’s personal commissioning division can colour-match virtually any sample provided, using innovative colour recognition software to analyse the composition of the sample provided and reproducing it to perfection. The only limit is the customer’s imagination.
In addition, for those customers wanting to bring their exterior colour choice into the cabin of their grand tourer, Bentley now offers the luxury of choice through painted veneers – with the fascias and waistrails painted to the same piano-finish standard as the exterior, in any one of the scores of colours on offer.
Via the Bentley configurator, customers can visualise the new choices the extended palette offers. By selecting the different paints, the information panel will display the story and history behind the chosen colour.
Extending the Palette
The extended palette includes solid, metallic, satin and pearlescent paints. The Mulliner colours complement the previous palette of 62 and are evenly spread over the colour spectrum. The following are some examples of the colours now available:
First created in the 1960s, Oxford Blue is a stunning solid paint and one of the darkest blues in the Bentley palette. This mesmerising Mulliner paint recalls the power and elegance of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
Viridian is the latest metallic paint to be introduced and is a modern take on the traditional British racing green. This mysterious dark emerald is inspired by the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept car shown at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2015. The deep green with light green and blue undertones creates depth and a sporting dimension, while flecks of amber and gold embody the character of luxury.
Snow Quartz is a modern white three layer pearlescent paint, which creates a simple and fresh silhouette. The finely layered pearl effect creates a beautiful shimmering and lustrous whiteness, providing an infinite amount of opportunities to complement interior colour combinations.
The glimmering surface of Extreme Silver has been given a striking new finish to create Extreme Silver Satin. This distinctive Mulliner Paint alters the character of this warm silver almost beyond recognition, replacing the metallic gleam with a subtle satiny sheen that brings the sharp Bentley design lines to the fore.
Blending the Exterior to the Interior
Those customers wishing to add a splash of colour to their interior veneers are able to select Piano painted veneers by Bentley Mulliner, offering an ultra-modern look that perfectly complements the wide range of interior hide options available.
The same quality of veneer is carefully selected by Bentley’s master craftspeople, regardless if lacquered or painted veneer is chosen, to ensure the same flawless surface finish. The veneer is hand sanded before it is lacquered, then paint is then carefully applied by hand to ensure a perfect finish. After painting, the veneer receives a polish with lamb’s wool to achieve a mirror like finish.Bentley Mulliner can paint match to any of Bentley’s 86 different exterior shades, and also to any colour in Bentley’s range of leathers.
The Suite of Mulliner Paints
The complete list of Mulliner paints is as follows:
Pearlescent
- Ghost White – The unique, three-layer pearlescent finish, refracts light to create subtle glints of colour. Originally created as a one-off bespoke commission, it is now available to all Bentley customers.
- Radium – A Mischievous sporty and youthful colour, with a superfine metallic effect, invoking the feeling of confidence.
- Silver Frost – A colour created following a request from a long-standing Bentley customer who insisted that all his cars were painted the exact same shade of metallic silver.
- St. James Red (Pearlescent) – St James’ Red Pearlescent provide both colour and sparkle due to its rich, deep finish, which reveals both the bright, vibrant tones of the red pigment and the iridescent sheen of the pearlescent layer.
- Special Magnolia (Pearlescent) – Special Magnolia with a unique pearlescent finish developed as the result of a customer’s request. It consists of three pale white layers built up to create the lustre and sheen expected of a pearlescent finish.
- Julep – A diverse combination of colours has been blended together to create the warm green gold of Julep. The metallic gold tempered by subtle undertones of green adds a distinctive edge to this eye-catching Mulliner Paint
- Snow Quartz – This is a three stage pearlescent white with a fine Mica flake creating a crystalline sparkle and the ice effect of a snowflake.
Satins
- Anthracite Satin – Introduced in 2011 as a Satin version of an original Bentley Arnage colour. By adding the Satin finish, the light reflection is absorbed, giving the colour a more sporty stealth like appearance.
- Extreme Silver Satin – This Satin version of the original Extreme Silver was created for the launch of the Continental GT in 2010. The Satin finish accentuated the contrast of the golden pearlescent elements with the cool highlights of this warm Silver colour.
- Light Grey Satin – Created for the launch of GT Supersports at Geneva in 2010. It is one of the richest and warmest hues in this section of the colour palette thanks to its rich lustre effect with a distinctive finish.
- White Satin – introduced with the Continental Supersports Convertible at the Paris Motorshow 2010. A contemporary colour choice thanks to its distinctive matt finish and subtle metallic undertone. It offers strong contrast to darker grill and wheel finishes.
Solids and Metallics
- Arctica (Solid) – developed for the Arnage range in 1998. Its name stems from its distinctive blend of cool white and slightest hint of blue.
- Amber – Originally developed for the Arnage range in 1998, Amber is a select colour choice that was developed to match the tones of the leather hide Autumn.
- Breeze – A bespoke paint developed specifically for the Continental GTC. It is described as a flip-effect metallic that reveals a whisper of green, but retains an element of silver.
- Candy Red – A new sporting red with an incredible depth of colour. This hot red has a complex combination of ingredients that creates a molten almost liquid effect that looks like it has been poured over the body. A discerning twist on the traditional candy finish.
- Claret – Created specifically for use on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Bentley, Claret is a rich duo-tone colour. This unique shade was inspired by Royal Claret, the colour used on all Royal Bentleys since the 1940s.
- Khamun – A suave and striking gold, with undercurrents of green and red that merge together to add depths of complexity, beneath a gleaming metallic finish.
- Viridian – This mysterious dark emerald is inspired by the EXP. 10 Speed 6. Viridian is a dark shade of spring green situated between cyan and green on the colour wheel. With flecks of amber and gold this colour embodies a sense of luxury. The deep agate green with light green and blue undertones creates depth and a sporty dimension.
- Light Gazelle – developed as one of Bentley’s recommended duotone colours to work in harmony with Gazelle.
- Light Sapphire – developed to complement Pale Sapphire as a duo-tone. The Mulsanne revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show made its debut in Light Sapphire
- Light Windsor Blue – A new addition to the Bentley palette, Light Windsor has been developed as an alternative to the standard Windsor Blue.
- Old English White (Solid) – Old English White is a Bentley Heritage colour that dates back to the 1950s. A solid white finish, it lends a timeless air to any car.
- Oxford Blue – One of the darkest blues in the palette, Oxford Blue is a solid colour first created in the 1960s and then re-launched as part of the Diamond Series in 1998.
- White Sand Porcelain – White Sand was the launch colour for the Continental Flying Spur. A silky, creamy colour, it is created by blending two hues to a warm finish.
- Royal Ebony – Introduced in the 1990s, Royal Ebony is a modern interpretation of one of Bentley’s classic black paint finishes.
- Storm Grey – Storm Grey has appeared on several Bentley models since its introduction in the 1990s. It blends hints of blue into a strong grey base to create a powerful and eye-catching finish.
