Hannig identifies three pillars of Mulliner: Mulliner Classic, Mulliner Collections and Mulliner Coachbuilt.
Mulliner Classic was kick-started last year with a 1939 Bentley Corniche recreation and news of a continuation series of the Birkin Blower. Mulliner Collections includes models such as the recently revealed Continental GT Mulliner Convertible. And Mulliner Coachbuilt includes the Bacalar, with more to come.
Hannig said: “We have started to do coachbuilt models. Traditionally, Mulliner was always that. The Bacalar and the Blower are a pilot for us. There’s a real appetite [for these cars]. People say: ‘Why didn’t you do something like this earlier?’”
Of future coachbuilt models, Hannig said: “We will make sure we can maintain or increase the workforce. The Bacalar is about the sensation of driving. We might, at some point, do something which is about ultimate comfort. We didn’t want to be vulgar, and it’s not about being the fastest car out there.”
Sielaff added: “You can see the Bacalar on the road much quicker than a big production project. This will be the first of more to come. A modern coachbuild could happen frequently, but it will change depending on the number we build. If a customer wants one or two cars, the price would be higher, but we can do it. But 10 or 12 cars is the limit in terms of being able to do everything by hand, like with the Bacalar.”
Q&A: Stefan Sielaff, design director, Bentley
Why did you decide on this bodystyle for your first modern coachbuilt Mulliner?
“We could do anything: a shooting brake, a coupé… We wanted it to relate to the Blower as a typical British sports car. Have you ever seen a Blower with a roof? There’s something classically British about it: people drive here in summer and winter without a roof.”
What would you like to carry over to series production?
“The strong reduction [of lines] on the body and not having too many details on the exterior. Also, the treatment of material: making it more sustainable. And craftsmanship; that makes Bentley so special.”
Do your younger customers want something different from more traditional buyers?
“Younger customers have a completely different mindset. The attitude of status symbol isn’t so focused on bling bling. It’s a more modest way, in saying ‘we know what we have and we don’t need to show what we have’.”