Bentley Mulsanne (1980–1992) History

The 1980 Mulsanne was the first Bentley in years to carry a name rather than a letter, taken from the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans where the marque made its name. Mechanically it was a Bentley-badged Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, sharing the 6.75-litre V8.

Its real significance was the 1982 Mulsanne Turbo, which added roughly 50% more power and reasserted a distinct, sporting Bentley identity for the first time in decades. The Mulsanne Turbo led directly to the handling-focused Turbo R and is widely credited with starting the revival that ultimately saved the company and split Bentley back out as its own brand. The saloon ran to 1992, the closely related Eight serving as the entry model.