Rolls-Royce generated a 25% increase in global new car sales to achieve the highest sales volume of its 116-year history with the help of its new Cullinan SUV.

The BMW Group-owned luxury carmaker said that its new Cullinan model, the brand’s first SUV, had made a major contribution to its sales growth but said that it had experienced “‘increased demand for all models”, with Phantom, Wraith, Dawn and Ghost all selling strongly.

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.

“While we celebrate these remarkable results we are conscious of our key promise to our customers, to keep our brand rare and exclusive.

“We are pleased and proud to have delivered growth of 25% in 2019. Worldwide demand last year for our Cullinan SUV has driven this success and is expected to stabilise in 2020.

“It is a ringing testament to the quality and integrity of our products, the faith and passion of our customers and, above all, the skill, dedication and determination of our exceptional team at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and around the world and our dedicated global dealer network.”

North America remained the luxury brand’s biggest global market – accounting for around a third of all sales – followed by China and Europe (including UK) during 2019.

In all, Rolls-Royce motor cars are now sold in more than 50 countries worldwide through a global network of 135 dealerships.

Development of HR Owen’s new Rolls-Royce Motor Cars flagship dealership in Berkeley Street, London, which is more than twice the size of the previous location, is currently underway and is due for launch later this year.

Early last year AM reported on the success of Sytner Group’s Rolls-Royce Manchester showroom, meanwhile, which claimed the luxury car manufacturer’s dealer of the year award for its first 12 months of trading.

While Rolls Royce did not break down its sales volumes in annual sales volumes statement issued today (January 7), the luxury carmaker said that its Cullinan SUV had “exceeded even the highest expectations” in its first full year of availability.

Aston Martin will be looking to emulate the model’s success with its own debut SUV, the DBX, after a profit warning issued today revealed its faltering fortunes.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost coupe, meanwhile, is due to be replaced by a successor in mid-2020.

Market availability for the new model is expected from the Q4, and the brand said that the new model would “elevate the Ghost name, and the company itself, to new heights of excellence and ambition in design, engineering, materials and driving dynamics”.

Among the franchised car retailers which are set to benefit from the strong performance of Rolls-Royce is JCT600.

The Bradford-based AM100 group filled the brand’s newest UK open point in 2019.