LUXURY car maker Bentley sold 2,978 cars worldwide in the first half of 2011 – up 20 per cent on the same period last year.

No sales values have been released, but Bentley says the increase represents its best start to a year since 2008.

The surge in sales has been led by demand for Bentley's newly-launched Continental GT and the popularity of the brand in China, where sales have increased by 57 per cent on last year's figures to 680 cars – a new record for Bentley's fastest-growing market.

The world-famous brand, which employs almost 4,000 people at its Pym's Lane facility, said its Europe and Americas operations had also performed strongly. The company said European sales grew by 25 per cent to 494 cars, while 907 were sold in North and South America – a 23 per cent rise.

Bentley said weak consumer confidence restricted growth in the UK to six per cent, or 533 cars, although its market share increased.

Sales in the Asia Pacific were down slightly' largely because of the Japanese tsunami, while Middle East figures fell because of political uncertainty.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley chief executive, said: "We foresee this growth continuing."