Porsche's Bernhard Maier: China Could Become No. 1 in 2014

by TTAC Staff

Published: January 10th, 2014

porsche s bernhard maier china could become no 1 in 2014

In a sign that the 21st Century could belong to China after all, Porsche’s head of sales and marketing Bernhard Maier predicts that the United States will finish second on the podium to China as far as 911s and Macans are concerned by the end of 2014 at the earliest.

Though Maier’s ultimate goal is for Porsche to have “qualitative, sustainable and profitable growth” — defined as an ROI over 15 percent with a return on equity of over 21 percent, thus allowing Porsche to remain the most profitable automaker in the world while financing their investments through net cash flow — in opposition to volume, he believes that China could become the automaker’s No. 1 single market as soon as 2014, if not sometime in 2015, knocking the United States from the top.

In China, the Cayenne and Panamera are Porsche’s two best-sellers, with more growth potential in 2014 due to a product changeover with the second-generation Panamera creating a shortage in the market. Overall, their current balance of global sales is divided evenly between the Americas, Europe and Asia, with the Macan leading the way toward growth in mature and emerging markets.

Speaking of the Macan, Maier has high hopes for the compact SUV, which will debut in European showrooms in April, with the United States following soon after before China gets theirs in August. Serving as one of two entry points into Porsche’s paradise — the other being the Boxster — Maier expects 50,000 units to head out on the highway by the close of 2014, with overall sales fast approaching Porsche’s 2018 goal of 200,000 units/annually by next year.

Why so soon? Maier says that when Porsche outlined their strategy back in 2011, the automaker sought to go all in with both guns blazing the global marketplace. With market forces expecting an increase in the luxury segment by over 4.5 percent, and annual global sales demand climbing to 100 million, 200,000 yearly sales by 2015 appears to be possible.

#BernhardBaier #China #GlobalSales #Macan #Porsche #Single-marketSales #SustainableGrowth #UnitedStates

TTAC Staff

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6 of 9 comments

Lorenzo on Jan 10, 2014

So... another German car company staking it's future on selling lamps to China. What could go wrong?

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- 28-Cars-Later on Jan 10, 2014
  
  As a CEO, you ignore China at your peril but I sincerely believe this is not going to be the "Pacific Century" soothsayers believe it will be simply because Asia is too unstable. From the political area to the ring of fire, any number of major geopolitical events could knock Asia out of contention for the next super region. I predict South America, specifically Brazil, will do better in the same time frame. If I were an OEM and planning my company's business well in the future (25+ years) Brazil would be by focus.
  
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- Blowfish on Jan 11, 2014
  
  @28-Cars-Later How further from the truth it is? The little islands in dispute, visiting of Yasukuni by our man Abe, over growth, anti-corruption campaigns. Any of these issues can derail a lot of nice things going on. Then again Porsche got to do what they need to do. As long as the party and merry go round is still spinning why stop now?
  
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Wmba on Jan 10, 2014

This article appears to have been written by a robot a mere two weeks into an ESL course, it's that dreadful. The whole thing needs rewriting, but to highlight just two points: " the automaker sought to go all in ..". Really? In English, we say "all out". "With market forces expecting .." Market forces cannot expect anything. People expect - this is a classic error usually erased from the repertoire of a serious writer by the age of eleven. Just dreadful.

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- 3Deuce27 on Jan 10, 2014
  
  Really! Whose English(?), and consider context. Gamblers say 'all in'. 'All in' was appropriate. Market 'forces', was interpreted by me, too mean The OEM's. They are forces in the market
  
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- Tosh on Jan 11, 2014
  
  No, no, no! A robot would know how to spell 'Boxster.' Therefore, 'Human Decision Required.'
  
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