British auto icon Bentley Motors announced that China has become its biggest market globally due to significant sales growth in the first quarter of 2012.

The announcement said Bentley sold 578 of its ultra-luxury cars in China in the three months, an 84.9 percent increase over the same period last year, to surpass the United States, where 468 units were sold.

Globally it sold 1,759 cars in the period, a 46.6 percent increase over the same period last year.