Luxury automaker Bentley had record-breaking year in 2020 as other automakers struggled

Bentley Motors sold a record number of its luxury sedans and SUVs last year as the rest of the auto industry struggled to stem losses from the coronavirus pandemic, the 101-year-old automaker said on Tuesday .

The Volkswagen-owned company sold 11,206 vehicles in 2020 – despite a seven-week shutdown of its factory in England at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last spring. The company sold 11,006 cars in 2019.

Bentley sells some of the most expensive and rare cars in the world. Its entry-level SUV, the Bentayga, starts at around $ 180,000, while its most exclusive model, the Mulliner Bacalar, sells for around $ 2 million.

Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark said he was “cautiously optimistic” about business in 2021 “as much remains uncertain,” according to a press release. He said last year’s sales record was a “solid measure” of the company’s potential as it pivots into a fully electric car company by 2030.

Sales in the Americas grew 4.2% and remained Bentley’s number one market in 2020, but its growth came from a whopping 48.5% jump in sales in China. The two markets accounted for 53% of Bentley’s sales in 2020, according to the company. This made up for the drop in sales in the UK, Europe and the Middle East in 2020.