Bentley Mulsanne 6.75 Edition production delayed due to coronavirus

Production of the ultra-exclusive Bentley Mulsanne 6.75 Edition, the final version of the long-running model, has been delayed due to the ongoing plant shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The limited-run 6.75 Edition has been created by Bentley's coachbuilding division, Mulliner, and will mark the end of the 11-year production run for the Mulsanne. The British firm's outgoing flagship model has been produced since 2009. It will also be the final machine to feature Bentley's 6.75-litre V8 engine, the longest-serving V8 in continuous production.

The 30 examples of the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition, described by the firm as a “fitting send-off for a masterpiece of British automotive engineering and craftsmanship”, were due to be produced this spring. But with Bentley's Crewe factory still closed, the firm says production is now due to be completed in the summer.

With no immediate plans to replace the model, sales and marketing boss Chris Craft has confirmed the company will be "redeploying all manufacturing colleagues who currently work on the Mulsanne to other areas of the business". The Flying Spur will become Bentley's flagship, with confirmation of a hybrid variant arriving by 2023.

The Mulsanne 6.75 Edition is based on the existing 537hp Mulsanne Speed, with a number of specific details inside and out referencing the engine. These include seat motifs, chrome badging for the exterior and engine bay, and a 6.75 Edition Logo projected by LED puddle lights.

Specific chromework and wheel finishes feature, too, while the engine number plaque – usually signed by the engineer who hand-built it – will be signed by Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark.

The 6.75-litre V8 was first used in the 1959 Bentley S2. Although it shares little actual componentry with that engine, today's iteration shares the same principles and dimensions, Bentley claims.

While the Mulsanne is set to bow out, Hallmark has hinted that the company is looking at filling the space left by its flagship limousine with a new SUV.