Bentley has built 12 Continental GTs that exist to make one point about paint. The Olympia Collection by Mulliner marks 100 years since the Bentley 6 ½ Litre was presented as a complete coachbuilt car at the 1926 Olympia Motor Show, the six-cylinder model whose engine later powered the Speed Six that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930.

Each of the 12 numbered cars starts from a Continental GT and runs through Mulliner's coachbuilding division. A single paint finish alone takes more than two full working days to apply. The collection relies heavily on patina, leather, and period-correct detailing rather than any change under the hood.

W.O. Bentley's first car, the 3 Litre, launched in 1921. His response to heavier coachwork on that chassis was the larger 6 ½ Litre, previewed as a bare chassis at Olympia in 1925 and presented as a complete car one year later. The Olympia Collection ties its name directly to that moment a century on.

The original 6 ½ Litre proved its worth at Brooklands before its engine was combined with a more performance-focused chassis for the separate Speed Six model. The Olympia Collection echoes that history in its detailing while keeping the changes centered on craftsmanship and paint.

"The uncompromising drive for excellence epitomised by W.O.'s Lyon to Dieppe spirited drive can still be found in Crewe's Dream Factory today," Bentley said in a statement accompanying the reveal.

Bentley has used this kind of historical callback before. Earlier Mulliner commissions have marked 80 years at Crewe and paid tribute with a one-off Barnato Green Continental GT , each built around a single color and a specific anniversary date.

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