BENTLEY MARKS 80 YEARS OF CREWE PRODUCTION WITH A MULLINER CONTINENTAL GT AZURE

On 29 August 2026, the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club (RREC) will gather at the British Motor Museum to celebrate an important chapter in Bentley’s history: 80 years of production at Crewe. Among the cars assembled for the occasion will be a 1946–1950s-era Bentley Mark VI and a newly commissioned Continental GT Azure, bringing two very different interpretations of Bentley grand touring together in one setting.

The modern car has been curated by Mulliner, Bentley’s in-house bespoke division, with its specification deliberately referencing a two-tone green and black Mark VI from the marque’s Heritage Collection. The anniversary commission is therefore less a recreation than a conversation between two eras, using colour, materials and craftsmanship to connect Bentley’s first Crewe-built model with its present-day Continental GT.

The choice of the Mark VI is significant. Following the Second World War, Bentley resumed automobile production at its Crewe facility in 1946, and the Mark VI became the first Bentley produced there. Bentley’s own historical archive describes it as the company’s first post-war luxury car and the first Bentley to be offered with a standardised factory-built saloon body, although coachbuilt versions were also produced.

The Pyms Lane site had originally been established for aero-engine production, including the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, before being adapted for automobile manufacturing after the war. Crewe subsequently became central to Bentley’s identity and remains the company’s headquarters and principal production location today.

Mulliner’s anniversary Continental GT Azure takes its most immediate visual cue from a particularly distinctive Heritage Collection Mark VI. Its exterior is finished in solid Barnato Green, contrasted with a Mulliner Black roof. Azure exterior brightware is combined with the carbon-fibre Styling Specification, while black-painted and bright-machined 22-inch ten-spoke wheels carry self-levelling Bentley ‘B’ badges and black brake callipers.

The colour combination is deliberately restrained. Rather than attempting to reproduce every detail of the historic car, the modern specification extracts one of its strongest visual characteristics and translates it into a contemporary Continental GT. The result preserves the contrast between deep green and black while allowing the newer car’s proportions and surfaces to remain unmistakably its own.

Inside, the connection with the Mark VI becomes more tactile. The Continental GT Azure uses Cricket Ball main hide with Beluga secondary hide, creating a rich red-and-black palette. Contrast stitching and piping, diamond quilting, perforated upholstery and embroidered Azure emblems add layers of detail that would have been impossible to execute in quite the same way in the post-war period.

The dashboard provides another direct reference to Bentley’s earlier craftsmanship. Dark-stained burr walnut is placed over Grand Black piano veneer, separated by a chrome pinstripe that continues across the fascia and into the waist rails. It recalls the walnut interiors associated with the Mark VI while incorporating the contemporary Continental GT’s technology.

One of the most distinctive modern elements is Bentley’s Rotating Display. At the driver’s command, the dashboard can present a high-definition touchscreen, traditional analogue instruments or a plain veneer surface. For an anniversary car centred on Bentley’s production heritage, the ability to move between digital technology, analogue detailing and natural wood creates a particularly apt visual dialogue.

The specification also includes front-seat Comfort and Wellness features, an air ioniser and a Naim for Bentley audio system. Bespoke treadplates carry graphic outlines of the Mark VI and Continental GT alongside the inscription “Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of production in Crewe, 1946–2026”, making the historical reference part of the car itself rather than a detail confined to the surrounding presentation.

The original Mark VI represented an important shift for Bentley. Its 4,257cc six-cylinder engine was developed for post-war use, while the car combined performance with a level of comfort and equipment suited to long-distance touring. The model could be ordered with the standard steel body or supplied as a rolling chassis for independent coachbuilders, preserving the custom-bodied tradition that had long been part of Bentley’s history.

The particular Mark VI that inspired the anniversary Continental GT is one of 241 coachbuilt four-door, six-light saloons created by H.J. Mulliner. It was delivered in January 1950 to its first owner, William Lount of Alabastine Co Ltd, and became part of Bentley’s Heritage Collection in 2021. Its two-tone green-and-black appearance provides the direct inspiration for the new Mulliner commission.

The Mark VI proved highly successful for its period. Bentley produced 4,001 examples, with the model remaining in production into the early 1950s. Its popularity helped establish the direction of Bentley’s post-war range, before the R Type succeeded it in 1952. Bentley’s historical records describe the Mark VI as a particularly important step in the transition towards cars assembled entirely at Crewe.

Mulliner’s role in the anniversary project also reflects a much longer Bentley tradition. The company was founded by W.O. Bentley in London in 1919, initially establishing its reputation through engineering and competition before developing into one of Britain’s most recognised luxury-car marques. Bentley’s racing history, particularly its early successes at Le Mans, became an important part of the company’s identity, while coachbuilding remained central to its cars for decades.

Mulliner itself has an especially close relationship with that history. The historic Mark VI that inspired this commission was built by H.J. Mulliner when the coachbuilder operated independently, while today’s Mulliner operates within Bentley Motors as the marque’s bespoke division. The anniversary Continental GT therefore links two generations of customisation separated by more than seven decades.

The celebration also demonstrates how Bentley’s heritage is being preserved alongside contemporary production. The company continues to maintain a Heritage Collection and offers heritage support for owners of older cars, while its Crewe visitor experience includes the Historic Lineage Exhibition.

For customers wishing to explore the current Bentley range, the marque’s official dealer locator provides the latest authorised retailer information and regional availability. Bentley’s official network includes retailers across its global markets, with the locator serving as the appropriate source for current dealership details rather than relying on historical location lists.

The meeting of the Mark VI and Continental GT Azure ultimately makes the anniversary more tangible. One represents the beginning of Bentley’s post-war life at Crewe; the other demonstrates how far the same ideas of performance, comfort, craftsmanship and personal expression have travelled.

Eighty years after the first Bentley emerged from the Crewe production line, the most fitting tribute may not be replication. It is continuity — allowing an old colour combination, a familiar material and a tradition of bespoke construction to acquire a new form while leaving the original firmly visible in the background.