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Crewe... The Bentley Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner is the kind of motor car any Bentley owner can create in collaboration with the Special Commissioning Team at Crewe, England.

The Team accepts a wide range of commissions, from restorations of older models to the manufacture of unique motor cars and special projects like the Continental T Personal Commission. Any extremes of style, power and performance that the customer desires to provide the ultimate personal driving experience can be discussed on a one to one basis with the Mulliner Team.

The Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner is a development of the 'standard' Continental T. The body has been carefully reworked; most notably the front end, which has had the front cut line raised to allow a completely integrated flush fitting bumper. The bumper's greater depth adds to the aggressive stance, while the larger air intakes suggest the presence of twin intercoolers. New sills, a new rear bumper and two twin tailpipes have also been incorporated to alter the exterior appearance.

In addition to these body modifications, front and rear tracks have been increased to strengthen the feeling of solidity, while the wider stance improves chassis dynamics. Its Silver Tempest colour is distinguished but not overstated - a perfect shade for this very different machine.

However, it is in the sumptuous interior that the most startling changes have taken place. Two luxurious leather sports seats have been fitted in the front compartment, while the rear benefits from some radical alterations, all finished in quilted Connolly hide with startling silver contrast stitching. The entire rear seat has been removed to make way for luggage, and in keeping with Bentley style, there is an engine turned aluminium style line around the compartment with tie-down straps and quilted bands to protect cases. A false floor allows for handy storage areas, and bright metal runners define the luggage floor. An exposed fire extinguisher is located on the rear toe board.

This sporting yet bespoke interior of the Continental T Personal Commission serves as a perfect encapsulation of the Bentley marque - a subtle mixture of thoroughbred sports car and grand tourer that owners and enthusiasts will instantly recognise as the best. It is a motor car that could be only a Bentley.

To concentrate solely on the interior and exterior styling would be to neglect the proud heritage of Bentley's sporting history. As you might expect, it is with an eye on these achievements that the Continental T Personal Commission's engineers developed yet another powerful incarnation of the Crewe-built 6.75 litre V8 engine yet built.

The Continental T Personal Commission's engine has been fully blueprinted, which, along with changes in the engine management system, the fitment of new fuel injectors and adjustments to the air intake and exhaust back pressure, play their part in delivering a package that matches the overall spirit of the Continental T Personal Commission. With around 440 bhp and over 875 Nm of torque at just 2,200rpm, the Crewe-built turbocharged 6.75 litre V8 provides the heart and soul of the most adrenalin-charged Bentley to date.

The Continental T Personal Commission may be seen by some as irrationally superior. Bentley instead sees the depth of its capability as a correct response to the expressed emotional desires of its most exacting customers. There are always a few who are satisfied only by the ultimate, and Bentley alone is able to satisfy that demand.

Bentley motor cars were born to be superior, and engaging in motor sport was a means of demonstrating that the standard Bentley chassis could be driven hard and fast for extended periods. That is, of course, why Bentleys were engaged in long-distance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the company's five victories in eight years - with honourable places in the years when it did not win outright - attest to the validity of their concept.

A return to the roots of the brand is the main reason for Bentley to present its Continental T Personal Commission during the European Drive to Le Mans 2000. This year more than 100 vintage Bentleys from the years when the marque participated at Le Mans will be on the track before the 24 hour race, completing full laps at full speed seventy years after the last Bentley victory in 1930. The Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner is in every way the legitimate successor to those magnificent machines that made - and earned - the reputation Bentley enjoys today.

There is little point in comparing a Bentley motor car with any other automobile. Yes, there are faster cars - the fastest Bentley is capable of a 'mere' 170 mph. Yes, there are quieter cars - a Bentley under full power makes a distinctive sound, which must not be totally silenced; not if owners are to enjoy the discreet murmur of available power. Yes, there are cars with more of the trappings too often assumed to convey luxury; but none of them have the combination of luxury and dynamism that is the Bentley.

Bentleys are not extreme vehicles. They are not designed specifically as luxury cars, touring cars or performance models; yet they are all of these things and more. From the first time a Bentley prototype was completed - eighty years ago - the cars have embodied a set of characteristics that express the powerful personality of their creator, Walter Owen Bentley.

W.O. Bentley knew exactly what he wanted from a motor car, and he worked hard to ensure that cars bearing his name would continue to provide the qualities that mattered to him. So powerful were his ideas that they have stayed at the heart of Bentley design through two changes of ownership, remaining as true today as they did sixty years ago when he left the company.

Legend tells us of multiple Bentley victories at the Le Mans 24 Hour motor race. All too often it is forgotten that in the Twenties and Thirties (when Bentley last competed at Le Mans) the race was for touring cars – full four-seater machines with the equipment private owners expected to find in a car they would use for high-speed travel from point to point. They were not the thinly-disguised Grand Prix cars that race there today.

Every Bentley built is, first of all, a means of transport for its owner. A superior means of transport to be sure: but Bentley never deviated into limited, single-purpose designs. A Bentley has always been conceived in such a way that it can serve its owner as his or her only car. Not many exceptional cars are capable of that performance - you either choose a high performance sports car or a luxury car: a Bentley can be both.

There is a natural aristocracy in objects made simply to be the best of their kind, and it is not surprising that aristocratic people – whether defined by birth, intellect or achievement - should gravitate toward the Bentley ethos. The idea of a motor car made to the highest standards, by the best craftsmen and women, following a long and highly respected tradition, appeals to such people. That the Bentley is far beyond the levels of most automobiles, yet at the same time restrained, discreet, understated, never an extrovert yet never to be mistaken for something ordinary, gives it a presence denied to lesser designs.

Tradition means something at Bentley Motor Cars, but perhaps not quite what you would expect. Part of the tradition is to be in the forefront of applied rational technology. Bentleys were among the first cars in the world to be sold only with automatic transmissions, and Bentley engines have been all-aluminium for decades. Bentley drivers have never been embarrassed by vulgar signs on the outside of their private conveyances announcing selected attributes. There is no need to proclaim AirConditioning', 'ABS' or 'Sport.' If something is worth having, a Bentley will have it, no advertisement needed.

No one has ever mistaken a Bentley for an ordinary car. The restrained appearance, the flawless paintwork, the perfect body, the so-apparent strength, solidity and longevity are not available with mass-production - that is clear at first glance. What one cannot see, but only experience, is the Bentley's way of going about its business with the poise of an Olympic athlete in a Saville Row suit, tailored so carefully that one does not notice muscularity, only grace of movement.

In summary, the Bentley name and badge stand for just one thing: the finest all-round motor car it is possible to buy. There is no way to upgrade from a Bentley. Power, safety, speed, smoothness, suppleness, elegance... a hundred other words apply, but none are really needed. The name Bentley says all that needs to be said.

To a certain degree, all Bentleys are 'Continentals,' in so much as W.O. Bentley and his successors have always taken cars to the European Continent to test them on the long, straight roads that do not exist in the United Kingdom. But strictly speaking Bentleys carrying the Continental name are - and have been - specially designed two-door models intended to have more performance than the standard saloon cars. They retain all the qualities of luxury and craftsmanship for which the marque is known, coupled with a distinctive sporting look.

The first officially-named Continental was announced in 1951, and it soon impressed the world. It was then the fastest four-seat car available; a smooth and graceful machine with an assertive Bentley radiator and gently tapering lines toward the rear that spoke of good aerodynamics and even better aesthetics. It was immediately recognised as a classic design, and the few that were made rarely change hands, as owners appreciate them for their driving qualities as well as for their beauty.

H.J. Mulliner and Co. of London - now fully incorporated into Bentley Motor Cars - built 193 magnificent lightweight aerodynamic Continental R bodies mounted on the 208 R-type chassis constructed from 1952-55, so the firm had a long and distinguished relationship with the winged B marque. Even in such matters as tailoring a motor car tradition matters at Bentley, hence the discrete designation 'Mulliner' for the specially commissioned motor cars built today.

The six-cylinder Continental R gave way to the larger V8 Bentleys as other makers sought to take Bentley's crown with more powerful models. None has ever really measured up to a Bentley Continental however. In the late Fifties two-door Bentleys were available in both notchback coupé and convertible styling under the Corniche name. If not quite so markedly different from their contemporary saloon stablemates as the Continental Rs, they were definitely distinctive.

In July, 1984, the name Continental returned to the Bentley stable, with the Park Ward-Mulliner two-door coachwork retained from the Corniche models. At the Geneva motor show in 1991 more powerful Continentals using the Turbo R engine appeared, and in 1994 the more powerful still Continental S was introduced in coupé form. The convertible Continental S followed again at Geneva in 1995, with the following year seeing the introduction of the 2960 mm wheelbase Continental T with more than 400 bhp. Open top Bentleys are now called Azures, not Continentals, and the Continental coupés are offered in T or R guises.

All Bentleys have a glorious sporting heritage, but it is particularly strong in the various two-door models built over the years. The one-off 'Embiricos' Bentley, privately prepared for the last Le Mans 24 hour race in the Thirties - a standard chassis with refined aerodynamic coachwork - has impressed lovers of fine motor cars at Concours d'Elégance for over sixty years, and can be thought of as the ancestor of all Continentals. The Continental R coupé built in the Fifties is still one of the most sought-after collector's cars, although examples rarely change hands because their owners enjoy using them so much.

Today Bentley offers three distinct models available as two-door coupés, each of them attuned to the differing requirements of their owners.

If, however, a prospective Bentley owner has specific ideas not addressed by the 'standard' models, Bentley stands ready to execute a wide variety of personal modifications to body, interior, engine and chassis to ensure that the customer receives precisely the motor car of his or her dreams. Naturally all modifications must be tested and approved to ensure the bespoke Bentley meets all relevant statutory requirements.

A key element in the desirability of Bentleys has been their effortless performance, achieved through the availability of high levels of torque at relatively low engine speeds. Large displacement engines assure this characteristic, but in recent years Bentley engineers have refined the use of exhaust-driven turbocharging to effectively raise the perceived displacement of the Crewe-built 6.75 litre unit.

The fitment of a turbocharger allows the engine to retain its basic geometrical configuration, but at the same time act like an even bigger engine, one in which the flow of power is linear, unlike some 'all-or-nothing' turbocharged engines. Indeed, today's 420 bhp Bentley V8, as fitted to the Continental T, produces more torque than any series production road car engine: some 875 Nm at only 2,200 rpm, while the augmented Continental T Personal Commission unit gives around 440 horsepower with no diminution of torque.

One of the great strengths of Bentley styling is its consistency over time, the artful blending of tradition, function and elegance. It is not easy to design a Bentley. H. I. F. Evernden, responsible for shaping the Fifties Continental R with its sleek Mulliner body, put it this way soon after the car was introduced:

"Aerodynamically, a front end shape like that of the Bentley is bad, as it acts as a bluff front ploughing its way through the air. A drooping front would have reduced the aerodynamic drag. However this car had to be recognized as a Bentley, so the most I was allowed to do was reduce the radiator height by one and a half inches."

That car and its current successor do look like Bentleys, and still display the radiator shell that has stood proudly at the front of every Bentley motor car. Bentley customers would have it no other way, nor would the men and women who so lovingly craft these motor cars. So today, the design of a Bentley is always predicated on the presentation of a recognisable front end - one with the proud radiator shell and four round headlamps. The body surfaces must be dignified as well as sleek; complex, tortured surfaces would be totally out of place on a Bentley.

Look at any of the two-door Bentleys and you see a subtle curvature in three dimensions: long, soft curves from front to back and hard-edged curves outward over the wheels to emphasize them. The Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner is no exception. It is a straightforward development of the 'standard' Continental T coupé, with subtle changes that could well hint at future Bentley products.

Today's Bentley stylists have developed a special design language for the Grand Tourer lineage of the marque. Its key values are timeless Bentley aesthetics: getting the stance right, using warm materials, and artistically combining luxury and sportiness.

For the Continental T Personal Commission, the body has been carefully reworked, most notably the front end, which has had the front cut line raised to allow a completely integrated flush fitting bumper. The bumper's greater depth adds to the aggressive stance, while the larger air intakes suggest the presence of twin intercoolers. New sills and a new rear bumper have also been incorporated to alter the exterior appearance. Front and rear track have been increased to strengthen the image of solidity and the wider stance improves chassis dynamics. Its Silver Tempest colour is distinguished, not loud - a perfect shade for the Personal Commission's discreetly powerful stance.

Bigger wheels and tyres enhance the overtly sporting look, as well as fulfilling their role of transmitting the Continental T Personal Commission's increased power to the ground and holding the car on line in fast turns. The massive front bumper also reduces aerodynamic drag to an appreciable degree. Side sills are reshaped for a cleaner look.

New front indicator lamps are mounted in the reshaped bumper and side repeater lamps have white lenses. The central third stop light is slim and mounted at the top of the backlight, while four flattened oval exhaust tips provide a visual counterpoint. Door mirror fairings are finished in chrome, badges are in black and chrome, and enamelled Union Jack badges are placed on the front wings.

But it is in the sumptuous interior that the most startling changes have taken place. The entire rear seat has been removed and the spacious area left vacant has been upholstered in quilted leather. Only two luxury leather sports seats remain, configured to hold driver and passenger in place in extreme manoeuvres - of which there is no doubt the car is capable - but without the 'leanness' of typical bucket seats. The Continental T Personal Commission is, after all, a Bentley grand tourer: a motor car made for covering long distances without causing driver fatigue.

A link with the sporting past of the marque is seen in the engine-turned aluminium instrument panel, the four-spoke steering wheel, drilled alloy pedals and the separate starter button on the fascia. One particularly noteworthy feature is the unique Chopard clock - specially designed for the Continental T Personal Commission - and complemented by an equally bespoke wrist watch, its face design developed from the famous Chopard 'Mille Miglia' watch: a motor enthusiast's icon. Even such details as the contrasting silver stitching on the hide sections (a crossed pattern related to the technical stitching on fabric-covered aeroplanes) are of note on this special motor car.

The absence of seats in the rear compartment does not mean that this area has not been treated with special care. Indeed, much thought and attention to detail have been given to this part of the Continental T Personal Commission, making an area for the stowage of bags, distinguished by an engine- turned aluminium style line and padded leather trim. For the safe carriage of luggage, tie-down straps are fitted with quilted bands to protect the cases. A false floor allows for further handy storage areas, and bright metal runners define the luggage floor. An exposed fire extinguisher is located on the rear toe board.

To summarise the interior of the Continental T Personal Commission is to encapsulate the Bentley marque - a subtle mixture of pure bred sports car, grand tourer and opulent motor car that owners and enthusiasts will instantly recognise as the best. As such it is an appropriate partner to the sporty yet refined exterior design, engine and chassis dynamics. The Continental T Personal Commission has been crafted carefully to preserve brand values and achievement. Prestige, distinction, and heritage dwell beneath and within the shape of the metal skin.

The Bentley Continental T Personal Commission is the packaging of a legend and you revel in it.

Anyone seeing the Bentley Continental T Personal Commission naturally wonders what it would be like to drive. The answer to that question is simple: it is sublime. For all its adrenalin-charged distinctive aspect, the car is after all a Bentley, which means that it is infinitely more refined than any vainglorious multi-cylinder car that screams for attention. The sheer presence of this coupé is enough to make observers realise that it is something out of the ordinary.

Once the driver takes his or her place behind the wheel in the individually-tailored, purposeful luxury sports seats, he or she sees an astonishing, uniquely Bentley combination of modern and traditional design cues, with the turned aluminium instrument panel contrasting with the perfectly-fitted leather.

Turning the key and pushing the big starter button results in a subdued but totally convincing throb of power. Bentley engineers prefer not to shout too loudly, but around 440 bhp is available to the driver of the Continental T Personal Commission. Press the throttle and the V8 erupts with a glorious, distinctive deep-chested rumble and the big car leaps forward with a nimble step that belies its imposing size.

The two-seater Continental T Personal Commission is lighter and more powerful than other Continentals, so its quicker acceleration comes as no great surprise. If it is perhaps a bit more sonorous inside the cockpit than other Bentleys, that is thanks to the modified engine tone. It is not noisy, of course. That would never do for a Bentley. Rather, the ambience is that of a resolutely sporting luxury car, one in which the balance between luxury and performance has been tipped slightly toward the latter.

Think of a superbly well-rounded athlete clad in a Saville Row lounge suit and you have an appropriate mental image. Except that the sportsman would no doubt have to change to less-restrictive dress to exercise his physical skills to their utmost, while the Bentley, imperturbable in all conditions, can unleash its full potential without the slightest alteration of its aspect.

For such a powerful and weighty object, the Continental T Personal Commission moves lightly and gracefully. Its responsiveness is obliging and completely unthreatening.

Some say that Bentleys surpass natural limits, but that is of course impossible. Bentley engineers simply approach these limits more closely than others. The steering of Continental T Personal Commission feels just a bit more natural, neither too sharp nor too severely damped. Its brakes require only a light touch to change the car's velocity in huge increments. Its acceleration is quick - no doubt about that - but it is also smoother and more constant, more harmonious than lighter, more abrupt performance cars.

A great driver has no problems in going smoothly in any car. A merely very good driver may occasionally inadvertently act in a way that would quickly expose any inadequacies in a car's dynamic make-up. Bentley engineers have taken it upon themselves to assure that there are no inadequacies, thereby making great drivers of anyone fortunate enough to command this extraordinary motor car. In no other model is that unobtrusive comprehensive engineering ability made manifest more clearly than in the Continental T Personal Commission.

The Continental T Personal Commission may be seen by some as irrationally superior. Bentley instead sees the depth of its capability simply as a correct response to the expressed emotional desires of its most exacting customers. There are always a few who are satisfied only by the ultimate, and only Bentley is able to satisfy that demand.

Bentley motor cars were born to be superior - to engage in motor sport - but only as a means of demonstrating that the Bentley chassis could be driven hard and fast for extended periods. That is, of course, why Bentleys were engaged in long-distance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the company's five victories in eight years, with honourable places in the years when it did not win outright, attest to the validity of their conception.

Motor racing, even endurance racing, has moved on to highly-specialised machinery with no real relevance to road driving, while Bentley has stood steadfast as a beacon of rational motor car design. There is, however, every reason for Bentley to present its extraordinary Continental T Personal Commission at Le Mans this year. More than 100 vintage Bentleys from the years when the marque participated at Le Mans will be on the track before this year's 24 hour race, completing full laps at full speed, seventy years after the last Bentley victory in 1930. The Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner is in every way the legitimate successor to those magnificent machines that made - and earned - the reputation Bentley enjoys today.

Bentley Special Commissioning by Mulliner

The Bentley Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner is the kind of motor car any Bentley owner can create in collaboration with the factory's specialist stylists, engineers and craftsmen: one that embodies variations on the 'standard' models and their established themes.

When a Bentley chassis and body were commissioned separately, every Bentley could be a one-off; although most owners chose to enjoy the thoughtful work of Bentley designers who proposed optimal solutions. Unit construction made body variations more difficult to achieve, but Bentley is not one to shy away from complexities. Special Commissioning by Mulliner allows the customer to create his or her own modifications, tailored interior appointments as well as individual engine and suspension tuning..

To facilitate the customer's individual specification process - to make a dream a reality - Bentley provides visual stimuli in the form of products, concepts and ideas to help him or her develop a highly personalised vehicle that meets all their individual requirements, always complying with the technical legislation relevant to the buyer's home market. Every Bentley motor car must meet or exceed all statutory requirements with respect to environmental pollution and safety for drivers, passengers and pedestrians, and is validated in exhaustive testing by the firm's demanding engineers.

Bentley Special Commissioning accepts a wide range of commissions, from the restoration of cherished older models to the manufacture of unique motor cars and special projects. Any extremes of style, power and performance that the customer desires to provide the ultimate personal driving experience can be discussed on a one- to-one basis with the Mulliner team.

After this initial consultation, Bentley craftsmen are available to realise the specific owner requirements. There is no better way to give a car authority without arrogance than to make it absolutely unique in an unobtrusive manner. Special commissions align with and add depth to the Bentley attributes of passion, daring and distinction. With Special Commissioning, Bentley is an authentic icon in the fashionable world.

What remains at the heart of any great performance car? The answer is simple: its engine. At Bentley Motor Cars, the classic 6.75 litre V8 built at the factory in Crewe is the heart of our company name - the signature and pulse of the brand.

'Genetic engineering' has brought the renowned Bentley V8 to a level of perfection, which has in turn led to an unsurpassed level of torque and performance. This performance relies on two major technical characteristics that match what Bentley engines have been about for the last twenty years: turbocharging coupled with a large capacity V8 power unit.

Around the world V8s have always been associated with high levels of torque at low rpm. The 6.75 litre V8 fitted to a Bentley has what is considered as a best in class feature: an all-aluminium block and aluminium cylinder heads. Its high quality and specially designed aluminium alloy offers lightness and quietness. Both virtues that match exactly the 'genetic engineering' philosophy of continuous improvement.

The potential of the engine lies in its simple and efficient design: central camshaft and two valves per cylinder. Combine this with perfect bore and stroke characteristics: 4.10 in x 3.90 in (104.1mm x 99.1mm), and you have the key to exceptional low-end torque. Put simply, the longer the stroke, the greater the width of the torque band.

Turbocharging also plays a role in obtaining beefy low-end torque. The large Garrett T04E (as used on the Arnage Red Label), has been specially designed and tuned to match the Bentley philosophy: that of discreet power and acceleration that is immediately available but does not shout its name. With Bentley, the use of a turbocharger offers a constant push, rather than a kick in the back!

The refined way the turbocharged V8 delivers its torque gives the impression of an endless and irresistible force. Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Director of Engineering, summarises the virtue of torque thus: "The driver has to feel it - the torque has to be there when the accelerator is pressed - but the car has also to be driveable at low revs. A Bentley has to offer more power than necessary."

The very latest version of the 6.75 litre V8 available in the Arnage Red Label benefits from the new Zytek EMS5 engine management system. The unit, which has been specially designed for Bentley, uses processor technology derived from Zytek's Formula 1 engine control unit. Mixing the best of Formula 1 technology with the established behaviour of a Bentley engine offers nothing but the best in sports and refinement.

From the Arnage Red Label we turn to the Continental T Personal Commission, which benefits from yet another technically advanced incarnation of the 6.75 litre V8 to date. The Continental T Personal Commission's engine has been fully blueprinted by the engineers at Crewe, which, along with other subtle modifications, offers the great power figures produced by Bentley motor cars.

Changes in the engine management system, new fuel injectors and revised air intake/exhaust back pressure adjustments all play their part in delivering a package that matches the overall spirit of the Continental T Personal Commission. The Crewe-built turbocharged 6.75 litre V8 provides the heart and soul of this adrenalin-charged Bentley.

*1946 - Car production began at Crewe. The factory had been built in 1939 to manufacture the Merlin aero engine.

In this post-war period, Bentley engines were straight sixes built to power the Bentley Mark VI. However, the six cylinder engine was fitted to the Bentley R-series and S-series until 1959. By 1950 however, Harry Grylls, then Technical Director, decided that the 4.2 litre straight six - which dated back to 1938 - was reaching the end of its potential and that a new modern unit was called for.

A 5.7 litre straight eight already existed, but its weight and dimensions were not really appropriate. A V12 was also considered, but its size and complexity coupled with the growing popularity of large capacity V8s in the USA, convinced Grylls and his team to go ahead with producing a V8.

Jack Phillips, a member of the development team, maintained that it was a completely new design using ideas and cues from the best American V8s of the period. Work began on the 5.2 and 5.4 litre engines in the early Fifties, but once the first prototype engines had been tested in 1953, it became obvious that if the new engine were to have significant power and torque increases over the previous generation, then its capacity would need to be increased to 6.23 litres.

* 1959 - V8 engine introduced and fitted to the Bentley S2 models. Despite its additional two cylinders and 27.5 per cent increase in swept volume over the straight six, the new 6.23 litre was 30 lbs lighter thanks to its cast alloy block and cylinder heads. The oversquare - 104.1mm bore x 91.4mm stroke - engine featured a conventional five bearing crankshaft and a gear driven single camshaft in the centre of the vee. The overhead valves were operated by self-adjusting hydraulic tappets.

The 6.23 litre V8 stayed in production for the new Bentley S3, which was introduced in 1963. However, the compression ratio was raised to 9.0:1 and two 2.0 inch SU HD8 carburettors replaced the smaller originals. Other modifications included a nitride-hardened crankshaft with larger diameter gudgeon pins to cope with a seven per cent power increase. In 1965, the launch of the Bentley T series saw the V8 receive its first major revision: new cylinder head castings with a different shape combustion chamber to give yet more power and torque.

*1970 -cubic capacity of the V8 increased to 6.75 litres – the size we know today. The additional 520ccs were obtained by installing a new, long throw crank coupled with larger con-rods and pistons, increasing the stroke from the original 91.4mm to 99.1mm. By this time the new Director of Engineering was John Hollings, and the Senior Engine Development Engineer was J.Ashbury.

Fuel injection made an appearance on the Bentley V8 in 1980, when a Bosch

K-Jetronic system was fitted to cars sold in the Californian market, while turbocharging was introduced two years later with the launch of the Mulsanne Turbo. In 1983, Mike Dunn took over as Director of Engineering, and the engine continued to evolve.

* 1986 - Bentley ends production of carburetted engines. The fuel injected 6.75 litre V8 features many improvements, including a new firing sequence to improve refinement and a reprofiled cylinder head to ease gas flow. At the same time, the crankcase was stiffened by thickening the sump flange and adding another rib, while further development resulted in a stronger block with cross-bolting on the centre and two immediate bearings. A two-tier manifold was developed to inject fuel at the valve to ensure precise fuel distribution.

* 1994 - new engine management system fitted.

* 1995 - 406 bhp available for the Turbo S and Continental S models.

* 1996 - All Bentley Turbos equipped with the 386 bhp Zytek engine management system.

* 1997 - 300 bhp LPT version introduced for the Brooklands and Spur models, while 400 bhp was available for the flagship Continental T.

* 1998 - 325 bhp introduced for the Brooklands R Mulliner model, while the 420 bhp derivative was available for the Continental T and Turbo R Mulliner models.

* 1999 - The 420 bhp engine available for the Mulliner two-door range.

* 2000 – around 440 bhp developed for the Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner.

Bentley and Champagne. Two exceptional products that - although different in nature - have a great deal in common. Both are special experiences that differ from lesser products in similar ways.

What makes any product really special? Above all, the attention and care given to achieving the highest level of quality. Without the painstaking care devoted to its production, Champagne would be just another sparkling white wine. Without attention paid to every detail of its conception, styling, design and construction, a Bentley might be just another car.

For both, tradition is important; far more so than for most other wines or cars. Both have an innate nobility that must be respected – the people that make them constantly strive for perfection through attention to detail.

The term 'Champagne' is tightly controlled under French law. Grapes in vineyards of the Champagne region may not be harvested by machine; only by hand. And a Bentley is necessarily the product of craftsmanship, its lavish interior lovingly worked by skilled hands and eyes to achieve a result impossible with machines alone.

Since Champagne is made principally from red grapes, it is vital that the harvest is carried out in a special way: the harvesters using shallow panniers rather than deep baskets to hold hand-cut bunches of grapes, so that the weight of grapes above does not crush those below. Even the final pressing is done in the vineyards, so the grapes need not travel before being lightly pressed for their juice.

Bentley motor cars, too, are made by special methods in a dedicated environment. Even the Continental T's superlative engine is made, tested and fitted on site. The engine is the heart of the car, extraordinary in all respects. To have the perfect visual representation of the 6.75-litre engine's cubic capacity, simply line up nine 75cl bottles of the finest Veuve Cliquot Champagne and you see how the turbocharged Continental T Personal Commission comes to have more torque than any series-produced motor car.

Veuve Cliquot Champagne is not - indeed it cannot be - made quickly. Must squeezed from hand-picked grapes is fermented soon after the initial pressing. It is then bottled as a still white wine with a carefully considered blend of yeasts, sugars and reserved wines added to assure a second malolactic fermentation, during which yeast transforms sugar into alcohol and carbonated gas.

After months or even years of fermentation in the bottle (each one is turned every day), the gas is perfectly dissolved in the wine, ready to release the aroma of the Champagne with its small, perfect bubbles. A Bentley, too, requires time to be built - time and exceptionally skilled craftsmanship. Not for Bentley the mass-production idea that a car should be assembled in a few hours of intense, repetitive labour. Each Bentley motor car is unique, built to special order.

With complete control over all aspects of its preparation, Champagne is also unique. It derives its magic from the blending of grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) as well as from blending wines from different villages and even from different years in the case of non-vintage Champagnes. The cellar master can even add red wine to white to make rosé, a technique perfected by the house Veuve Cliquot as far back as 1777, but forbidden to all other wines.

Bentley engineers too can blend disparate elements to achieve their desired result, because they are the inheritors and guardians of one of the finest and most respected engineering traditions of the Twentieth Century, established by Walter Owen Bentley in 1919. He was an absolute master of mechanical engineering, beginning with railway rolling stock passing through aircraft engine design and ending with his magnificent motor cars. Today's Bentley engineers continue his work, just as master winemakers in Champagne continue the tradition of Dom Perignon, who improved the Champagne-making process 300 years ago.

Champagne is best uncorked slowly and gently, despite the clichéd image of popping corks. So, too, the prodigious power of the Continental T engine can express itself gently with great dignity, or it can erupt with vitality like the shaken champagne Grand Prix drivers shower over crowds after victory.

How Champagne is made and served is interesting, but the true purpose of the drink is to be consumed, usually on very special occasions. Like a Bentley, though, it can be used and appreciated every day. With the first sip of Champagne, one is immediately aware of the care that has gone into making this extraordinary drink. As tiny bubbles burst in the mouth, the experience is intensified. Subtle flavours are revealed, the pleasure of the person drinking the Champagne increases, and the enormous effort that led to this moment is seen to be worthwhile. In a similar way, driving a Bentley offers increasing pleasure as the moments pass. From the moment you step into the quintessentially British interior, feel the power of the engine, slip the selector into drive and move away, the senses are stimulated and satisfied.

Just as Veuve Cliquot is an exceptional Champagne, the Continental T Personal Commission is an exceptional Bentley - dedicated, like the wine, to supreme sensual pleasure.

Pirelli PZero tyres are fitted as exclusive original equipment for the Bentley Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner. This exceptional motor car is now being presented to the world's media as part of a 'Lap of Europe' which is due to end on 17 June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For many years Pirelli has been the chosen tyre supplier for the world's top motor car manufacturers. Pirelli and its high performance PZero tyre revolutionised the ultra-high performance sector with a product that offers not only outstanding driving qualities, but also considerable comfort – a quality fundamental to this class of tyre.

It is this overall blend of performance and comfort that has led prestige car manufacturers like Bentley to adopt the Pirelli PZero for their top-of-the-range models, continuing the long tradition of success that this tyre has enjoyed among the leading motor manufacturers of the world.

It is not by chance that Bentley has decided to equip its innovative Continental T Personal Commission with the PZero. The PZero was the only Pirelli tyre able to meet the Crewe manufacturer's stringent demands for quietness, comfort, handling and design. All this for a car weighing approximately 2.5 tons, powered by a 6.75 litre V8 engine developing around 440 bhp and a maximum torque figure of 875 Nm at just 2,200 rpm.

The supply of the PZero for the Continental T Personal Commission is the result of a close working relationship between the two companies' engineers, which has resulted in the PZero being fitted as original equipment on the sporting Continental T and the Arnage Red Label. For the Continental T Personal Commission Pirelli have manufactured Pzeros in a size specially designed for the car: 285/45 ZR 18, fitted front and rear.

Bentley's selection of Pirelli tyres for the Continental T Personal Commission is further evidence of the PZero's exceptionally high standards of technology, performance and quality - factors that are synonymous with Pirelli's entire range.

As befits an extraordinary motor car, the Continental T Personal Commission by Mulliner has an exceptionally fine mechanical dashboard clock; one made especially for the car by Chopard & Cie, S.A. of Genève, Switzerland.

Known for its long-time sponsorship of the Mille Miglia Storica - a rally for motor vehicles made prior to 1957, the last year of the historic open-road race around Italy - Chopard offers a limited number of commemorative Mille Miglia watches each year. The clock in the Continental T Personal Commission echoes the design of those watches, and any individual who might commission a motor car similar to the Continental T Personal Commission will be presented with a wristwatch that carries the same unique design.

Connoisseurs of fine machinery - automobiles, watches or sporting arms - know that the unifying link between these very different objects is the commitment to, and perfection of, precision metalwork by those who have created them. Each and every piece must be carefully crafted in a way that removes it totally from the ideas and practices of mass production.

Timekeeping is now easily done with electronics. Watches with plastic cases and no moving parts can tell the time with great accuracy; just as an inexpensive small car can carry people from place to place with minimum fuss. But just knowing the time is not the only reason people wear fine watches, which are of course as much jewellery as they are timekeeping tools. A Chopard watch, like a Bentley motor car, performs its primary function with ease; but it is the perfection of form and finish that distinguishes them from lesser machines. The very essence of making fine watches is seeking perfection in tiny pieces of refined metal.

There is a long tradition of care and craft in watch making; a tradition maintained and upheld by Chopard: "the most complete company in the watch making business," according to the respected Chronos magazine.

Les Vingt-quatre Heures du Mans is the most famous sports car race in the world, but for those whose awareness of the event extends no further than the Sixties, you could be forgiven for thinking that it is a competition for highly specialised factory-backed racers - cars that could never be driven on public roads, whatever the rules might say. Such cars might be very beautiful and unquestionably fast, but they are hardly practical for use on the road.

The event has not always been thus. In the beginning in 1923, the race was only open to genuine touring cars; the purpose of the event to show the world that the automobile had become a serious transportation tool. The cars entered were meant to be rigorously and demonstrably practical. The race was at its most difficult in these early years: much of the circuit was unpaved, all spares used during the race had to be carried aboard the car, ballast was carried to represent the weight of passengers and only designated drivers could make repairs.

Under these extraordinary conditions, Bentley won Le Mans five times, first in 1924 in only the second running of Les 24 Heures, then four times in succession from 1927 through 1930. For a small company that made only 3061 chassis between 1922 and 1931 to have achieved such results was impressive, creating the solid reputation for speed and strength that continues to this day. That Walter Owen Bentley offered his clients a five year warranty in during this period speaks for itself.

W. O. Bentley was present for the first Le Mans race in 1923, with a single three-litre belonging to sales agent John F. Duff, who had previously established a British 'Double Twelve Hour' record at Brooklands driving alone for two twelve-hour daylight stretches with the same car. Bentley thought it very risky to try a 24-hour race, but was persuaded to prepare Duff's car and even loaned Bentley Motors employee Frank Clement to serve as co-driver. That early car had no front brakes, a severe handicap, but it was still good enough for Clement to set the lap record at 107.3 kph and finish fourth overall.

'W. O.' came away entranced with Le Mans, and was back every year the Bentley factory remained in competition, winning five times out of eight starts. His personal enthusiasm for the event can be seen in the 1935 victory of the four-and-a-half litre Lagonda he developed as technical director once he had left the Rolls-Royce-owned Bentley company in 1935.

The famous 'Le Mans Start' had drivers run across the road to their waiting cars, jump in, start their engines and pull away. The first twenty laps had to be run with the car's folding top in place, a requirement that put an end to some entrants' attempts - including a Bentley in 1925 - because the increased fuel consumption from the drag of the roof left them with dry tanks before the first allowed fuel stop.

Those first Bentleys had overhead camshaft four-cylinder engines of just three litres capacity - enough for wins at Le Mans in 1924 and 1927 – but with competition increasing, it quickly became clear that more displacement was needed to achieve Bentley's goals, so the basic four-cylinder engine was enlarged to 4.5 litres in 1928.

At the request of Bentley Boy Tim Birkin, who had modified a 4.5 litre with an Amhert Villiers Rootes-type supercharger, the company built fifty 4.5 litre cars with superchargers as a kind of homologation special. Curiously, these 'Blower Bentleys' are perhaps the best-known of all the vintage models, but they never really accomplished much in racing, rather validating W. O.'s point of view concerning over taxing an engine. Then, as now, Bentleys were about relaxed performance; something that could not be attained with too-small or over-tuned powerplants. To obtain greater power, W. O. Bentley went on to build six-cylinder engines, some as big as eight litres.

Bentleys always were, and still are, exemplary in their well-roundedness, and if massive power outputs have been impressive, they never diverted the attention of Bentley engineers away from making cars of well-judged harmony of all performance attributes. There is nothing one-dimensional about a Bentley.

An amusing incident took place in France in 1924 that put Bentley and Rolls-Royce together for the first time, and greatly influenced future Bentley development and racing results. Driving the 4 1/4 litre prototype of his new six cylinder design on a dusty unpaved road during an extended test, W. O. could see the dust cloud of another car approaching a 'Y' intersection at high speed. Neither driver would give way, so the two cars met at the Y and continued side-by-side, still at high speed. Bentley recognized that the other car was the prototype of the Rolls-Royce Phantom I, and for mile after mile on the deserted road the two cars stayed together, until the Rolls-Royce driver's hat blew off and he stopped to pick it up.

Bentley continued, relieved not to have to continue to press on, because the cars were much too evenly matched and his tyres - his last set – were almost used up. That fortuitous encounter with a Rolls-Royce just as fast as his prototype led W. O. to increase the bore of his six-cylinder engine from 80mm to 100mm, taking the displacement up to 6 1/2 litres. That car became the basis for a series of chassis suitable for carrying luxurious closed coachwork and for open racing cars that would be virtually unbeatable.

The 'Six-and-a-half' took Woolf Barnato to Le Mans wins in 1929 and 1930 (the first with Tim Birkin as co-driver, the second with Glen Kidston) giving Barnato three Le Mans victories in a row. The first win was in 1928 in an unsupercharged 'Four-and-a-half' co-driven by Bernard Rubin.

It is difficult to know just how fast those wonderful vintage racing Bentleys were. As team manager, W. O. Bentley always kept his cars down to a speed just adequate to beat the competition. He might let the drivers of his Speed Sixes run hard long enough to force a supercharged seven-litre Mercedes to break its engine trying to catch up, but then he would slow them down to a smart touring pace, just fast enough to stay ahead of all other marques, and no faster.

This is another tradition kept by today's Bentleys. On a long trip, the relaxed Bentley will bring its equally relaxed driver home ahead of other cars, without ever being fully extended. Noblesse oblige.

In the brief time that Bentley was involved in motor racing - from 1922 to 1930; a mere eight years that determined the character of the marque forever - just a few fortunate drivers enjoyed the favour of W.O. Bentley, who was himself deeply involved in the firm's racing activities. Those few who could be considered 'works' drivers, even if they had purchased their race cars, benefitted from having W. O. Bentley himself as team manager. They were known, and are revered, as 'The Bentley Boys.'

These 'Boys' were serious and competent men, usually quite wealthy and always well-connected socially. Sometimes they raced together on the Bentley team, sometimes they raced against each other, driving other makes or privately-owned Bentleys. Woolf Barnato (whom W.O. Bentley described as his best driver) was South African, while Jean Chassagne was an accomplished French racing driver. But most of the 'Boys' were British.

The Earl Howe, the Baron d'Erlanger and Sir Henry R. S. 'Tim' Birkin were part of British aristocracy. S. C. H. 'Sammy' Davis was a journalist with The Autocar,

Frank C. 'Jack' Clement an employee of Bentley Motors, and the brothers Clive and Jack Dunfee were mechanics who had to stretch their resources to the limit to afford Bentley racing cars. Doctor J. D. 'Benjy' Benjafield was a respected and fashionable Harley Street physician, John H. Duff - the first to take Bentley to Le Mans, and thus perhaps the first Bentley Boy - was a motor trader, while Glen Kidston, Bernard Rubin, H. Kensington Moir, Clive Gallop and other favoured Bentley drivers were what was then commonly called 'sportsmen.'

To grasp how much the legend of the Bentley Boys still remains amongst enthusiasts a full seventy years after the last Bentley victory at Le Mans, you only have to note that a signed menu for a driver's dinner on 29 June 1927 - a few days after the firm's second Le Mans win - was sold at the Brooks auction in February 2000 for £1600.00. That's a fair sum for a simple menu card listing such items as 'salade Maison Blanche' and 'melon à la Le Mans.' But the signatures are those of true heroes.

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest, organiser of the Le Mans endurance race from its beginning in 1923, has invited 100 members of the Bentley Drivers Club to spend five days on the Sarthe this year, including full parade laps of the current circuit. More than a hundred requests to participate have been received, and it is safe to say that every one of those owners of pre-1931 Bentleys will be thinking of 'The Boys' as they tour the hallowed roads on which so much of the Bentley reputation was created and, it must be said, earned. After all, up to 1930 Bentley participated in every Le Mans race from the first (where one of the Boys, Frank Clement, set the fastest lap time, despite having no brakes on the front axle of his three-litre), winning the event five times from eight starts.

Only eight of the Bentley Boys participated in Le Mans victories: Duff and Clement in 1924 (this time with front brakes on their three-litre), Benjafield and Davis in 1927, Barnato and Rubin in 1928 with the prototype four-and-a-half litre car, Barnato and Birkin in 1929 and Barnato and Kidston in 1930, both times with the six-and-a-half.

To show the measure of the Bentley Boys as drivers it is worth noting this fact:

Frank Clement set fastest lap time in both 1923 and 1927 and Tim Birkin was fastest in 1928, 1929 and 1930. Also worthy of note is that in 1931, the first year that the Bentley factory did not participate, Bentley Boys Lord Howe and Tim Birkin won the event in an Alfa Romeo.

Add to this numerous wins on the Brooklands track in England and many other road courses all over Europe, and it is easy to see why the Bentley Boys were so well-known and so well-respected. Each one of them drove Bentley motor cars that could be, and were, driven to the track and back home again after the race. With such an illustrious history it is not difficult to see why the Bentley legend is so strong seventy years after the marque's last official participation in motor sport.

* Blueprinted 6.75 litre turbocharged V8 engine with liquid-cooled charge cooler.

* Produces around 440 bhp.

* 98 RON fuel

* Increased stiffness valve springs

* Low loss air intake system

* New charge cooler ducts

* Twin intercoolers

* Lightweight low back pressure twin exhaust system

* Four speed automatic GM gearbox

* Final drive - LSD version of Continental T rear axle.

* Traction control

* New front bumper shape with large cooling intakes

* Front indicator mounted in front bumper

* Black 'label' radiator, boot and wheel badging.

* White/clear indicator lenses and special bulbs

* White side repeaters

* New sports sill section

* New rear bumper

* Quad exhaust tailpipes - either side location

* Increased front and rear track

* Lowered front suspension/raised rear suspension

* Increased roll stiffness

* Revised damper settings and mount rubbers

* Mulliner front and rear road springs

* Improved front and rear lift coefficients

* Improved drag coefficient

* Chrome 18" x 9.5 wheels

* Pirelli PZero 285/45 R18 tyres

* Two front seat configuration

* Chopard clock - specially commissioned

* Push button starter mounted on fascia

* Gear lever with hemispherical chrome ball top

* Drilled alloy brake and accelerator pedals

* Bolstered sport seats with quilted black hide

* 'Baseball' stitching

* Sports style four spoke steering wheel

* New interior trim

* Restyled rear compartment

* Paint colour Silver Tempest

* Main hide Black

* Stitching Silver

* Top roll Black

* Dash, waist rails and rear compartment Engine-turned aluminium

* Overall length 5241 mm

* Wheelbase 2959 mm

* Width (across mirrors) 2058 mm

* Height 1447 mm

* Kerb weight TBA

* Boot volume 347 litres