Bentley Continental GT, archive image. The anniversary car is a green Continental GT Azure with a black roof. Photo source: Bentley
Bentley marks 80 years at Crewe with a Continental GT Azure inspired by the Mark VI
Bentley marked eight decades of production at Crewe with a one-off Continental GT Azure, configured by the Mulliner division after a Mark VI from the company’s historic collection. The modern car takes the green-and-black combination and several interior details from the model that inaugurated Bentley production in the British town in 1946.
The car was shown at the gathering organised on 29 August 2026 at the British Motor Museum by the international Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts’ club. It is not announced as a limited series available to order, but as an anniversary car produced by Mulliner.
From the Mark VI to the Continental GT Azure
The Mark VI was the first Bentley built at Crewe. Production ran from 1946 to 1951, during which 4,001 examples were made. Of these, 3,171 had the standard steel body, and 241 received the four-door, six-light saloon body built by H.J. Mulliner.
The car chosen as inspiration belongs to Bentley’s historic collection. It is a Mark VI bodied by H.J. Mulliner, finished in green and black. The example was delivered to its first owner in January 1950 and entered the manufacturer’s collection in 2021.
The link with the new coupé is also relevant through the Mulliner name. The workshop that built separate bodies for Bentley customers in the postwar period is today the brand’s personalisation department.
Barnato Green, a black roof and 22-inch wheels
The anniversary Continental GT Azure has a body painted in solid Barnato Green and a contrasting Mulliner Black roof. Choosing a solid paint reproduces the look of the historic car more faithfully than a modern metallic finish.
The exterior also features the chrome trim specific to the Azure level, the Styling Specification aerodynamic package in carbon fibre and 10-spoke 22-inch wheels, painted black and surface-machined. The calipers are black, and the “B” emblems in the wheel centres remain upright.
The combination does not try to turn the current Continental into a replica. The proportions and technology remain those of the modern generation, and the references to the Mark VI are concentrated in colours, materials and details.
Red interior, walnut and an anniversary message
The cabin uses Cricket Ball leather, in a dark red, together with black Beluga leather. The specification includes contrasting stitching and piping, embroidered Azure emblems, diamond quilting and perforated areas.
The dashboard combines dark walnut veneer with Grand Black surfaces, separated by a chrome line that continues onto the door cards. The Bentley Rotating Display can show the touchscreen, three analogue dials or a continuous veneer surface.
The inscribed sills show the outlines of the two cars and the text “Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of production in Crewe, 1946-2026”. Equipment includes front seats with comfort and wellness functions, an air ioniser and a Naim for Bentley audio system.
A 680 hp hybrid system
Technically, the one-off uses the current Continental GT Azure configuration. The plug-in hybrid system combines a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor and develops 680 hp and 930 Nm.
Bentley quotes 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h. The battery has 25.9 kWh, and WLTP electric range reaches 84 km. These figures belong to the series GT Azure; the manufacturer has not communicated mechanical changes for the anniversary example.
Why the Crewe factory matters
Bentley started production at Crewe after the Second World War, and the Mark VI was the model that made the shift towards complete cars built by the brand in larger volumes. Until then, many customers bought the chassis and ordered the body separately from a specialist workshop.
The anniversary Continental GT Azure places these two stages side by side: a Mark VI bodied by Mulliner and a modern coupé personalised by the division that bears its name. Bentley has not communicated a price or sales plans for the one-off car.
