Bentley, a luxury retailer, had its highest ever year in 2020 when other manufacturers ran into trouble

Bentley Motors sold the highest number of its luxury sedans and SUVs last year as the rest of the automotive industry struggled to stem losses from the coronavirus pandemic, the 101-year-old carmaker said Tuesday.

The company that owned Volkswagen sold 11,206 vehicles in 2020 – despite the fact that their factory in England closed seven weeks 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 is “cautiously optimistic” about 2021 business “so much remains uncertain,” according to a press release. He said last year’s sales schedule was a “strong measure” of the company’s potential as it transforms into a fully electric car company by 2030.

Sales in America rose 4.2% and remained Bentley’s main market in 2020, but its growth came from a massive 48.5% sales jump in China. Both markets accounted for 53% of Bentley sales in 2020, according to the company. That offset sales in the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East in 2020.