With the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans coming up, Bentley is reminding potential buyers of its past victories at the storied endurance race with six new limited edition models, one for each win.
The Le Mans Limited Edition package will be available on the Mulsanne sedan and all of the models in Bentley’s Continental range. Only 48 copies of each model will be produced.
Like most automotive special editions, the packages will consist of cosmetic changes and special badging. The cars will be most readily identifiable by their unique exterior and interior color schemes, and custom wheels.
Other additions include a special Le Mans clock face for the Bentleys’ analog dashboard clocks, and badges on the headrests and tread plates. Each car will also get a badge with its 1-of-48 serial number.
It all seems like a fairly subdued way to celebrate some fairly remarkable achievements.
Bentley was at the first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923, placing fourth. It came back to win the race in 1924, and four consecutive times (1927-1930) before the end of the Roaring Twenties.
The exploits of the “Bentley Boys” and their supercharged machines during this period established Bentley’s reputation as a performance car. However, that reputation didn’t last.
Bentley became little more than a rebadged Rolls-Royce, before being bought by Volkswagen. In 2003, with the help of Audi’s Le Mans-winning factory team, Bentley once again took first place at Le Mans.
It doesn’t look like Bentley will be contesting the race again any time soon, so the Le Mans Limited Editions will serve to remind people of what the marque can do in the meantime. They’ll also give their owners an excuse to bore party guest with Le Mans trivia.
