Bentley Mulsanne was killed due to slow sales & SUVs

Bentley Mulsanne was killed due to slow sales & SUVs

Two months ago, Bentley released the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner as a final nod to the brand’s most luxurious sedan. It’s been phased out, and even the company’s CEO Adrian Hallmark was mournful – he told Top Gear that “the loss of the Mulsanne was a big call. We do it sombrely.”

It shows a clear trend, too. Hallmark explains: “It’s a real symbol of changes in the industry. The big sedan segment has been the foundation of Bentley for more than 100 years, but the volume has regressed – even though we sell more than the [Rolls-Royce] Phantom.”

“In the days of the Arnage we sold 1,200 a year. Since then the number of high-net-worth individuals in the world has tripled.” But the number of Mulsannes sold last year was now only 500-ish.”

Bentley Mulsanne was killed due to slow sales & SUVs

“It’s polarised too,” he continues. “About 90% of the sales are in the US and China. It’s older buyers in the US and Europe versus younger buyers in China. But they would mostly rather have SUVs.” Currently, nearly half Bentley’s total sales are the Bentayga.

The sendoff was final, and Bentley will not be looking to replace the Mulsanne. Hallmark said “the [big sedan] segment is in critical decline. If we replace it we still have to think about all the legislation for cyber-security, safety and emissions. It means we just wouldn’t get payback. It’s as brutal as that.”

Even the current Flying Spur isn’t a true successor to the Mulsanne. “It doesn’t 100% replace the Mulsanne,” Hallmark said, but it comes pretty close. “It outsells the Mulsanne six to one. And although the Flying Spur with the black pack is very dynamic, with the four-seat layout and all the chrome options it’s more refined than anything we have ever built.” According to Bentley, each Mulsanne takes around 400 hours to craft.

Bentley Mulsanne was killed due to slow sales & SUVs

Just to recap, the Mulsanne is powered by the automaker’s legendary 6.75 litre V8 engine, commonly referred to as the 6¾ litre engine. The pushrod V8 has been refined by Bentley for over 60 years, and in peak tune it makes 530 hp at 4,000 rpm and 1,100 Nm of torque, good for a 0-100 km/h sprint of 4.9 seconds. Top speed is 305 km/h.

The pictures you see here showcase the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner, of which only 30 units will be made. Bentley’s board member for sales, marketing and aftersales, Chris Craft said: “The Mulsanne has played a pivotal role in maintaining Bentley’s position as a global leader of the luxury limousine segment. The flagship of our model range, its longevity is a testament to our ongoing commitment to hand-building the finest motor cars in the world. The new Mulsanne 6.75 Edition is the culmination of that achievement.”

“While production of the Mulsanne will end in Spring 2020, this decision has been taken at a time when we are experiencing significant customer demand across our other existing model lines. As such, we will be redeploying all of our manufacturing colleagues who currently work on the Mulsanne to other areas of the business,” he added.

GALLERY: 2020 Bentley Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • Bentley sold more Mulliners than the RR Phantom but at a smaller profit. It’s even rumoured Bentley is not making money from the Mulliner, just want to compete with RR and Maybach at the ultra luxury segment.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • kereta_lembu on Mar 10, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    So sad that it had to end this way. Maybe one day it will return, probably in an electrified version for the future.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • vivizurianti on Mar 11, 2020 at 10:04 am

    Ini semua salah COVID19

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
 

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