The Bentley Azure ‘Mulliner’ was the greatest expression of opulence and luxury produced during the company’s custodianship under Vickers, a product that had been a long time in the making after Bentley sales had slumped to just 5% of Rolls-Royce’s a couple of decades earlier. The Azure was designed by Pininfarina and based on the Continental R platform, an open-top version which could carry four passengers in great comfort at speed, making no sacrifices for appearance and presence. The Azure was powered by Bentley’s legendary 6.75 litre twin-turbo V8, with the Mulliner edition being fitted with a Continental T specification engine producing 420 bhp.

Due to exhaustive options lists, it is often believed that every Bentley of recent times is unique; the Mulliner edition took this to a new level by cosmetically bringing the Azure closer to its cousin, the Continental T. If the dominant appearance of the Azure was not enough, the Mulliner editions gained wide-body wheel arches, widened track, mesh vents in the front wings, Continental T bumpers with wire mesh inserts to match the radiator grill, ‘Le Mans’ quad tailpipes and blue badging throughout.

Delivered new to the United States with Silver Pearl paint over Cotswold hide, this example was highly optioned with extra walnut wood veneer and Bentley motifs throughout the interior, along with further Cotswold hide features, all resulting in a particularly tasteful specification. After three owners in the USA and with just over 22,000 miles on the odometer, this Mulliner was imported into the United Kingdom by the current owner. Since importation in 2014, this Mulliner has remained in secure storage for most of its time here with only a further 650 miles being driven.

Only 155 LHD Azure ‘Mulliner’ were built by Bentley, the most expensive production Bentley offered at the time, with only 14 Azure 'Mulliner' wide body examples constructed between 2002 and 2003. Few will have been specified so tastefully and have remained in such good cosmetic condition as this example. This Azure ‘Mulliner’ is emerging from storage so would benefit from a light recommissioning, but would make for a wonderful car to enjoy the open roads with during this summer.