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King Charles' electric I-Pace goes to auction next month

Never mind the Bentley State Limousines, the Aston Martin DB6 Volante that Queen Elizabeth II bought him on his 21st birthday, or the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI valued at more than $600,000. The car of the moment, if we’re talking about the garage of King Charles III of England, is a far more ordinary — and all-electric — Jaguar I-Pace purchased in 2018 by His Majesty “for his personal use." The royal Jag is set to be auctioned off March 2 at the famed Ascot Racecourse; estimated selling price is as high as $88,000. If you miss out on the auction of a president's former ride, here's one from a king. The SUV, notable as the first all-electric vehicle to be embraced by the royal family, is the range-topping I-Pace EV400 HSE all-wheel-drive luxury five-seater that the king — prince of Wales at the time — bought in September 2018 for $75,000. According to the auction site, the Jag was "purchased with his own money." Charles had Jaguar install a fast charger at Clarence House, his residence. The vehicle was returned to a Jaguar dealership after two years — itÂ’s not clear if it had been leased — with only 3,000 miles on the clock. Subsequently, the SUV was sold to one Karen French of Oxfordshire. She said in a statement offered by Historics Auctioneers, “This I-Pace was exactly what I was looking for and pretty much on my doorstep. It was only when I agreed to buy it that I discovered its extraordinary history — I was absolutely thrilled. Having driven it over 30,000 miles,” she added, ”I decided in the New Year that it was time for a change.” Noted by the auctioneers in typical British understatement, the high-specification car was uniquely finished in Loire Blue and remains the only I-Pace “to be painted in this colour, whilst those inside the car enjoyed a sumptuous, contrasting leather interior in, fittingly, Light Oyster Windsor.” A revised Jaguar I-Pace is scheduled to arrive next year. Regarding the KingÂ’s affection for automobiles — British automobiles — he reportedly overseas a fleet worth more than $17 million. And while heÂ’s fond of driving conventional vehicles, he told the BBC some years ago that “my old Aston Martin, which I've had for 51 years, runs on — can you believe this — surplus English white wine, and whey from the cheese process.” Essentially the classic had been converted to run on E85 bio-ethanol. "The engineers at Aston said, 'Oh, it'll ruin the whole thing,'" Charles shared with The Telegraph in 2018.

Bentley to show Mulsanne Le Mans Limited Edition at Pebble Beach

We already knew Bentley was planning a new Le Mans Limited Edition for its flagship Mulsanne, but we finally have our first info and images for this new model that celebrates the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fortunately, since these two studio images surely don't do the Mulsanne proper justice, it will be unveiled this week at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and we'll be there to check it out.
As a refresher, the Bentley Mulsanne Le Mans Limited Edition stands out with diamond-quilted leather on the seats and door panels, sport-tuned steering and suspension, special quad exhaust finishers and two-piece alloy wheels with a dark accent and triple-spoke design. Along with this commemorative Mulsanne, Bentley will also have the Continental Le Mans Limited Edition and the Continental GT3 racecar on hand for the festivities in Monterey.
Scroll down for more info on the Mulsanne, as well as some information on a few of the ultra-rare Bentleys that will be auctioned off this weekend.

Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner is a six-passenger mouthful

Automakers that specialize in low-volume, hand-built cars really listen to their customers. That's why we're looking at this, a super-sized, customer-commissioned Bentley Mulsanne, called the Grand Limousine, that's been built by the company's in-house coachbuilder Mulliner. The most notable change, of course, is the size. Mulliner adds an extra three feet to the Mulsanne's overall length and three inches to its height for uncompromised interior space. As you can see by looking at the gallery, that change allowed Bentley to fit a second pair of rear-facing seats. The actual cabin itself is entirely bespoke, but there's more than some hand-picked hides and wood trim here. The windows are made from electrochromatic glass that can change from clear to opaque with a single button press, not unlike the Mercedes-Benz SL's Magic Sky Control. Backseat passengers will also have access to an updated HVAC system, fold-out wood tables, iPad docking/charging stations and a full array of drinks storage, including a bottle cooler with a frosted glass and champagne flutes. And if you'd rather pass on alcohol, there's a special soft drink cabinet so that you can take your Mountain Dew addiction on the road. Naturally, there's also an intercom so that the one-percenter in back can talk to the 99 percenter in front. Check out the Mulsanne Grand Limousine in the official gallery, and stay tuned for live images of this gorgeous luxury sedan from the floor of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. BENTLEY UNVEILS THE MULSANNE GRAND LIMOUSINE BY MULLINER – THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF BESPOKE, COACHBUILT LUXURY MAR 1, 2016 Privately-commissioned, bespoke Mulsanne is perfect showcase of Mulliner's skill and vision One metre of additional length and a new higher roof affords passengers luxury of space and comfort Luxurious private-aviation-inspired rear cabin with face-to-face seating 'Smart glass' assures privacy; in-car technology enhances experience Hand-crafted in Crewe by Mulliner, Bentley's coachbuilding division (Geneva, Switzerland. 1 March 2016) Bentley unveils the Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show today, showcasing the ultimate expression of bespoke automotive luxury, craftsmanship, individualisation and refinement. The Mulsanne Grand Limousine is one metre longer and 79 mm taller than Bentley's new Mulsanne and features a unique interior with private-aviation-style seating configuration in the rear cabin.