New Boxster and Caymen swell Porsche's order book

The 2009 Porsche Cayman S - helping to boost Porsche sales

We’ve run stories on how well Porsche, and the whole VW/Audi group, is holding up through the current malaise in the car industry. Porsche’s last lot of profit figures were very impressive, but were mainly due to the huge amounts Porsche made on its trading in VW shares. We noted at that time that Porsche reckoned its sales were slow because people were waiting for the new versions of the Boxster and Cayman, and when that happened sales would increase.

To be honest, we thought that although there may be an element of truth in that, it was more about putting a bit of gloss on the reality. But it would seem Porsche were right all along.

Figures just rleased show that Porsche managed to increase its order book in Germany in the first 3 months of 2009 by an incredible 14.5% compared to the same period in 2008. Which, in the current climate is astonishing. No word on UK Car sales in the same period, but there is every reason to expect they will also have risen.

Porsche do play a good game. They are the hardest company to screw a discount out of, even on used cars in the current climate. Which in some ways has seemed odd to industry insiders. But Porsche has always believed that their cars will sell whatever the climate, and introducing massive price cuts would have a real negative long term effect on their business. And they seem to be right. Luxury car makers who have gone down the big discount route to shift cars are now seeing used values decimated and no takers for their new cars. So Porsche seem to have played it right.

But it doesn’t help much if you’re looking for a bargain basement Porsche!