Bentley has revealed the first model in its Mulliner Collections line-up as the Crewe company seeks to grow its Mulliner coachbuilding arm.

The Continental GT Convertible Equestrian Edition is a horse racing-themed special edition, commissioned by dealership Bentley Bristol. It was inspired by “the most exhilarating and prestigious event of the horse racing calendar,” the Cheltenham Festival, says Bentley.

The luxury car maker has identified three pillars of Mulliner: Classic, Coachbuilt and Collections. Mulliner Classic began last year with a 1939 Bentley Corniche recreation and news of a continuation series of the Birkin Blower, while Mulliner Coachbuilt includes the £1.5m Bacalar revealed this week. The new model falls under Mulliner Collections.

The Equestrian Edition is finished in a specially commissioned green paint called Spruce, while the usually chrome brightware, bezels, radiator grill and exhaust pipes of the Continental GT are coated in gloss black, in line with Bentley’s recently added Blackline Specification. It rides on black 22in Mulliner Driving Specification wheels.

Inside, the seats use a Saddle hide finish topped with horse and rider silhouettes plus a second green hide. The outlines also appear on the dashboard, alongside gold details. The dashboard material is walnut and box wood. The door inlays and rear quarter panels host diamond-patterned tweed.

The special edition is powered by Bentley’s 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine, propelling it from 0-60mph in 3.7sec.

Pricing hasn’t been disclosed, but it will be considerably higher than the regular Continental GT starting price of £151,800.

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