For a new Bentley to merit the name “Mulsanne”, inspired by the legendary straight and corner at the Le Mans circuit, that vehicle must reflect the glory of the challenges that honed the marque’s reputation. As evocative an historical achievement as the victories themselves is the actual vehicle to inspire the new Mulsanne: W.O. Bentley’s masterpiece from 1930, the immortal 8-litre. The last “big Bentley” to be designed, engineered and built entirely by Bentley engineers, the 8-litre’s heart and soul define the Mulsanne: it, too, was conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England, and will be built there in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The Mulsanne is the pinnacle of Bentley motoring – like its ancestor, a true grand tourer.

As interpreted by Tibaldi, the TIBALDI FOR BENTLEY MULSANNE pens will marry two traditions, two aesthetics. Now an established family of writing instruments for connoisseurs, the pens fashioned by the Italian maker for England’s greatest automotive force employ the proportions and patented technologies of Tibaldi, with the forms and details prescribed by the cars they honour. Notes Tibaldi CEO, Giuseppe Aquila, “The greatest challenge when developing these extraordinary pens has been the production of the wood components, which were designed to match the interior of this outstanding new car.”

To capture the essence of the Bentley Mulsanne, Tibaldi has fashioned a series of writing instruments that communicate the feel of the Mulsanne in a piece of functional, hand-held sculpture. Fingers holding the Mulsanne will make contact with knurled bands, the surface matched on the pocket clip, echoing the design of Bentley switchgear. The pen is topped with a Bentley emblem reminiscent of the vehicle’s starter button. And every pen adheres to Tibaldi’s respect for the Divine Proportion, the ratio between the pen’s cap and the visible portion of the barrel when the pen is closed, equalling the ratio of 1.618.

Fashioned from precious metals, including versions in sterling silver and 18K rose gold, the TIBALDI FOR BENTLEY MULSANNE is unmistakably an adjunct to a car handcrafted from the finest materials. Addressing not only the construction but also the exclusivity of the actual vehicle, the TIBALDI FOR BENTLEY MULSANNE will be limited to 90 fountain pens and 90 roller balls per finish in the sterling silver version and 9 fountain pens and 9 roller balls per finish in the solid 18K rose gold version, to represent a significant anniversary for Bentley: 2009 marks 90 years since Walter Owen Bentley founded the company that bears his name and which has become synonymous with British luxury motoring. There are three finishes with their caps and barrels accented in one of the three woods found in the cars themselves: Dark Stained Vavona, Burr Oak and Burr Walnut.