Auto Trader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
According to Bentley, it takes 125 hours to create the Mulsanne’s steel and aluminum body. The process is so time consuming because “the seamless sweep of the Mulsanne’s roof, rear wing and boot can only be achieved by crafting a hand-brazed seam midway down the D-pillar, a task still best performed with ‘hand and eye’ by Bentley’s award-winning craftsmen”.
As Bentley prepares to produce the very first customer cars later this year, the body assembly team are undertaking a range of tests on the first bodies being developed in pre-production.
This includes tearing apart completed bodies with specialist cutting gear to analyse the breaking point of a seam or weld as well as minutely measuring the accuracy of finished components and bodyshells – a remarkable 588 functions and relationships are measured to ensure complete precision.
In addition to cutting apart bodyshells, Bentley uses ultrasonic measuring equipment to analyse the strength and consistency of individual welds.
Gary Picken, Senior Production Manager, says: “During these early, pre-production stages we are exhaustively testing the build process to achieve the absolute precision and quality we are seeking for our customers.”
Prospective Mulsanne customers will be able to see their cars take shape, from individual panels to finished body, in a specially designed viewing gallery. It has been created to offer a perfect view of every stage of the build process and watch the 100-strong team at work.
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