Bentley first used the Mulsanne nameplate in 1980 on the SZ-series luxury saloon, named for the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. That original Mulsanne marked the beginning of Bentley’s modern Crewe-era strategy of pairing handcrafted luxury with strong performance. It was followed in 1982 by the Mulsanne Turbo, which helped reassert Bentley’s sporting identity and led into the later Turbo R family. The early Mulsanne run ended in the mid-1980s, after which the name disappeared from Bentley’s range for many years.
Bentley revived the Mulsanne name for a completely different flagship limousine introduced as a 2010 model year car and unveiled in 2009. This modern Mulsanne became Bentley’s top-range saloon for the next decade, positioned as the brand’s most formal and bespoke four-door model. It was built in Crewe and emphasized traditional Bentley craftsmanship, extensive personalization, and long-distance comfort. A 2014 update refined the car’s design and interior, and later the range expanded to include the Mulsanne Speed and the extended-wheelbase version, both aimed at different expressions of rear-seat luxury and grand-touring character.
Production of the modern Mulsanne ended in 2020, closing a ten-year run. Because Bentley has used the Mulsanne name in two separate eras, the nameplate should be treated as a revived model rather than a single uninterrupted production line. The Mulsanne remains an important Bentley name, associated both with the marque’s early post-1970s revival and with its final large flagship saloons before the company’s product range shifted to newer luxury GT and SUV models.