Bentley has showcased its limited-run Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner at the 2019 Geneva motor show. The special edition model celebrates the brand’s 100th anniversary and sports design that echoes the 4 ½ Litre ‘Blower’ that raced at Le Mans in 1930.
Limited to a 100 models, the Bentley Continental GT Number 9 Edition will be offered in green or black, with a ‘No. 9’ front grille graphic based on the race car driven by Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin. It also features 21-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels, and a carbon bodykit.
The interior has two trim options, with special logos on the seat headrests and door panels similar to those on the Blower. The dashboard is finished in an ‘Engine Spin’ aluminium finish and features a British Jaeger clock, with a design based on the Blower Bentley’s dials on the centre console.
Each of the 100 units will also feature a wood insert taken from the seat of Birkin’s car, which was removed during a renovation, along with 18k gold-plated organ stops.
The Number 9 Edition is unchanged mechanically from the stranded Continental GT. It is powered by Bentley’s 635hp, 6.0-litre W12 engine.
The Bentley 4 ½ Litre was developed in 1927, when Walter Owen Bentley developed the engine by removing two cylinders from a 6 ½ litre model. Birkin then produced five versions fitted with an Amherst Villiers-produced supercharger to race at Le Mans, increasing output to 177hp.
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Geneva motor show 2019 image gallery