SINGAPORE - Despite weak global economic sentiment, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars delivered an all-time high of 5,152 cars globally last year, up 25 per cent from its previous record in 2018.

The record was fuelled largely by the new Cullinan sport utility vehicle (SUV), which contributed to some 40 per cent of sales, the 116-year-old BMW-owned British marque said Tuesday (Jan 7).

Commenting on the results, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös said: "This performance is of an altogether different magnitude to any previous year's sales success. We are pleased and proud to have delivered growth of 25 per cent in 2019."

While he said the Cullinan had driven sales, its deliveries are "expected to stabilise in 2020".

The company reported "significant sales growth" in every one of its key global markets, with North America retaining the top status (accounting for around a third of global sales), followed by China and Europe (including Britain).

Individual countries that achieved record sales results included Russia, Japan, Australia, Qatar and Korea. In Singapore, it delivered 30 cars last year, up from 21 in 2018.

For this year, the company said the new Ghost saloon - which is expected to arrive in Singapore by year-end - will drive sales.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen-owned Bentley Motor Cars' sales rose 5 per cent to 11,006 units last year - the seventh consecutive year which saw sales breach the 10,000-mark.

The company said the UK, Europe and the Americas showed a "particularly strong performance". The Continental GT was the marque's bestselling model in 2019, with sales up by 54 per cent compared to the previous year. Sales of the Bentayga SUV increased by 18 per cent.

Bentley said deliveries of the all-new Flying Spur will begin early this year.