With oil prices seemingly on an endless slide and, on the flipside, an increasingly visible commitment from automakers to moving away from the black stuff, it is indeed a good time for motoring. Volkswagen’s unfortunate dishonesty aside, the news from carmakers worldwide has been uplifting and encouraging recently. Bentley, a Volkswagen-owned firm, has been having a particularly bright moment, what the delivery of the first Bentayga and now this announcement that it has racked up no less than 18 awards this year, in markets as diverse as USA, Russia and China, as well as its home market of the UK.

Four different models, spanning the full range of Bentley’s family, received plaudits across three continents in 2015. The most celebrated model? The Flying Spur of course, which claimed six prizes.

In the UK, for example, readers of the Daily Telegraph voted it the ‘Best Luxury Car’. Judges praised the Flying Spur for being “as enjoyable to drive as it is to be chauffeured in,” which is serious praise indeed; typically the fun factor of cars built for backseat lounging tends to drop dramatically once you get behind the wheel.

The world’s fastest road-going luxury sedan was also well received in Russia this year, with awards including Auto Goda’s ‘Car of the Year’ and Klaxon magazine’s  Golden Klaxon both emphasizing the Flying Spur’s unparalleled luxury and refinement.

Bentley’s pinnacle flagship Mulsanne Speed, meanwhile, was crowned ‘Best of the Best – Luxury Sedan’ by Robb Report. The world’s “fastest, ultra-luxury driving experience” was praised for its “superior performance and limitless customization possibilities”.

Below is the full list of awards the Crewe-based firm has racked up in 2015.