Key highlights:
- Bentley marks 80 years at Crewe with a one-off Continental GT Azure
- Barnato Green and Mulliner Black roof recreate the 1946 Mark VI
- Australian buyers can commission a similar look through Mulliner
Bentley has marked 80 years of production at its Crewe factory with a one-off Continental GT Azure inspired by the very first car built there, with Barnato Green paint.
The ultra-luxury tribute car recreates the colour scheme of the 1946 Bentley Mark VI and blends its historic styling cues with modern Continental GT hardware. Bentley will keep the car in its UK press and heritage fleet, so buyers cannot order this exact example, but they can commission a similar specification through Mulliner.
A tribute to Bentley’s first Crewe-built car
Bentley’s Crewe factory turns 80 this week, going strong since 1946, and Mulliner marked the occasion in style by creating a bespoke Continental GT Azure based on the 1946 Mark VI, the first Bentley built at the Crewe plant.
Bentley displayed the new car alongside the original Mark VI from its Heritage Collection at an event at the British Motor Museum last week.
The two cars share a striking two-tone colour scheme. The Continental GT uses solid Barnato Green with a Mulliner Black roof, closely recreating the colours of the original Mark VI.
Mulliner skipped Bentley’s roughly 100 modern paint and finish options for this build and instead selected colours from the brand’s heritage palette.
Old-school colours, modern hardware
Its Azure-branded brightwork and carbon-fibre Styling Specification bring the design into the current generation, while 22-inch black and bright-machined wheels with black brake callipers add another modern touch.
Bentley used a similar approach for its Continental GTC Crewe anniversary car revealed around the same milestone and combines historic references with current-generation technology and hardware.
Interior
The tribute Continental GT uses nostalgic Cricket Ball red leather with Beluga secondary leather for the cabin, while diamond quilting and embroidered badging add modern craftsmanship.
Burr walnut trim takes inspiration from the Mark VI dashboard and stretches across the fascia and sits above a Grand Black piano veneer panel, with a thin chrome pinstripe extending into the door waist rails.
The result deliberately connects the 1946 Bentley with its modern successor without attempting to reproduce the original cabin exactly.
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Anniversary details throughout
Mulliner added smaller anniversary references throughout the Continental GT. The treadplates feature outline graphics of the Mark VI and modern Continental GT, alongside the inscription: “Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of production in Crewe, 1946-2026.”
These details mark eight decades of Bentley production at the factory. Bentley describes the Continental GT Azure as a one-off, rather than a preview of a new production variant.
The Mark VI that started it all
The original Mark VI carried a 4,257cc B60 straight-six engine and became Bentley’s first model with a standard steel body.
J.P. Blatchley engineered the car, which also developed a reputation for running beyond 100,000 miles without a major rebuild. H.J. Mulliner, which operated as an independent coachbuilder at the time, built 241 four-door saloon bodies for Mark VI customers.
The dark-green Mark VI used for the anniversary display belongs to Bentley’s Heritage Collection and was delivered new in January 1950 to William Lount, a director of a paint company.
That history gives the modern tribute a direct link to both Bentley and Mulliner’s coachbuilding past.
Can Australian buyers build a similar Bentley?
This specific tribute car will not enter retail showrooms, but the 2026 Bentley Continental GT Azure Hybrid remains available to order or purchase through authorised Australian dealerships.
Bentley also offers extensive personalisation through Bentley Motors Personalisation, allowing Australian customers to work with Mulliner on bespoke specifications. A customer could commission a similar look by selecting: Solid Barnato Green paint from the extended heritage palette, Mulliner Black roof, and Cricket Ball red interior leather.
The actual one-off car remains part of Bentley’s UK press and heritage fleet, and the project sits closer to a bespoke commission such as the Bugatti FKP Hommage one-off than a conventional option package.
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