Bentley didn’t need much convincing to launch a limited-edition model in China, especially as the demand for luxurious automobiles in the People’s Republic is on the rise. Thus the Mulsanne First Edition came to be.

Hand crafted in Crewe and featuring a suite of elegantly executed revisions, the First Edition will be built in just 50 examples, available across the new three-model Mulsanne family. That means, the standard variant, the performance focused Mulsanne Speed and the luxurious Extended Wheelbase model can be commissioned as part of the “First Edition” series.

The model comes bearing a specially engraved Bentley “Flying B” bonnet ornament – as a  celebration of Bentley’s recently revamped flagship – as well as a bespoke Mulliner sterling silver vanity kit inlaid into the rear picnic table. As you’d expect, the Mulsanne is brimmed with First Edition motifs, positioned throughout the cabin.

The Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase First Edition displayed at the Beijing Motor Show features a ripple-patterned Fulbeck veneer sourced from a 350-year-old English walnut tree (which was fetched at an undisclosed record price at auction). Bentley says it was able to acquire enough to create veneer panels for a small number of cars – although the price would probably be astronomical.

Further enhancing the interior space are new airline-style reclining seats with extending footrests and a rear compartment sunroof, while an intimate atmosphere and relaxing environment is achieved thanks to the rear compartment curtains, which in the First Edition are specified in a new Ivory color to match the interior.

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