2021 – Porsche sells 55,000 new four-door models vs. just 14,000 new sports car coupe models!
Back in 2019 when no mask was needed, Porsche set record sales numbers. 2020 was a year of turmoil and included a shutdown of production during the pandemic. Porsche’s sales in 2020 were still remarkable, but 2021 new car sales have exceeded the 2019 numbers by a record amount. And, order books for 2022 are full – apparently!
While American manufacturers are moaning about no semiconductors, VW ensured enough of the little rascal chips were available for Porsche to deliver their new cars. The strategy worked with more than 70,000 new cars sold in the USA in 2021. Porsche now makes more money per vehicle sold than any other manufacturer in the USA. Not bad considering the financial mess Porsche found itself in some years ago.
What Do the Numbers Say?
Essentially, the strategy and trends in the Porsche target markets are proving themselves out correctly. No one is surprised to see the Macan holding its place as the number one best seller. Porsche sold more than twice the number of Macan’s vs. 911 coupes. Along with the Macan and big sister Cayenne, Porsche sold more than 42,000 SUV style vehicles – that’s 3 times the volume of the coupe cars they are famous for!
| Full-Year Comparison |
|||
|
Chassis |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
| ALL 911 | 10,042 | 8,840 | 9,265 |
| ALL 718 | 4,292 | 3,447 | 3,880 |
| ALL TAYCAN | 9,419 | 4,414 | 130 |
| ALL PANAMERA | 4,257 | 3,870 | 6,625 |
| ALL CAYENNE | 17,299 | 18,092 | 19,001 |
| ALL MACAN | 24,716 | 18,631 | 22,667 |
| GRAND TOTALS | 70,025 | 57,294 | 61,568 |
Bubble Burst on the Cayenne?
Through all the celebrating and commentary, no one has highlighted that Cayenne sales declined for the third straight year. Porsche sold nearly 2000 less Cayenne vehicles in 2021 vs. 2019. That could be the start of a worrying trend or just the sign of a fresh style vehicle demand. An all-electric Cayenne is just around the corner, as is a full EV version of the Macan – it’ll be interesting to see if sales recover when these versions are launched. It should also be noted that a lot of new competition has entered the Cayenne market – Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce – who doesn’t have a high-end SUV these days!
EV Leads the Way
Like most European manufacturers, Porsche is committed to an all EV strategy. The Taycan being the first delivered version of that strategy a few years ago. Sales of the Taycan continue to gather pace and have doubled during 2021. The Taycan is just on the cusp of outselling the 911 and taking the third place in the sales chart. In the brief 2 years of availability, the Taycan has already sold double the volume of Panamera cars over the same period. Although Panamera sales picked up a little bit in 2021, overall volume is still down vs. 2019 and it comes in last place on the model sales chart.
The next few years will see the whole Porsche range become hybrid and eventually EV. Porsche purists were furious when the air cooled flat 6 gave way to a water-cooled engine! Can you imagine the uproar at an all-electric 911?
Sports Car Losing the Edge?
Surely the best way to judge what Porsche is today is via the sales numbers. Yes, Porsche has an outstanding historical reputation in the sports car industry. However, it doesn’t have a presence in Formula 1 like Mercedes, Aston Martin or McLaren. Is Porsche losing the sports car edge?
In 2021 Porsche sold 55,691 four-door vehicles and just 14,334 sports cars!
Service, Maintenance and Repair of your Porsche
If you are expecting to roll into your local Porsche dealer and be a big hit with your 10-year-old 911, you’re in for a surprise. The last 10 years have seen massive growth in Porsche sales of SUV, sedan and now EV vehicles. These days, the dealer workshop is remarkably busy with stuff that isn’t 911 or coupe based. Just looking at the sales numbers here, tells you that over the next 12 months, the dealer shop will be servicing nearly 4 times the number of SUV and sedan vehicles vs. your 911, Boxster or Cayman!
Hopefully, that should prompt you to quickly establish a relationship with a specialist independent shop where the ability to really get deep into the coupe vehicles is strongest. To find a specialist shop, see our guide to your local geography.