Porsche, the German company famous for its 911 sports car, recently wrapped up its best-ever first quarter of sales – thanks primarily to the Chinese market and the Macan SUV. Go figure.
The company’s global sales were up by 9.5 percent to 55,974 units for the first quarter of 2016. Although sales in Germany were (ironically) down by nearly 15 percent to 5,994 vehicles, they were up by more than seven percent here in the United States and by 17.5 percent in Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East. China showed the largest positive change, though. Customers there bought 16,409 P-cars in Q1 2016 – 23.5 percent more than they purchased in the first quarter of last year.
No matter who was buying Porsches, the majority of them picked up Macans. Worldwide, dealers sold 21,576 of them last quarter, marking an approximately 20-percent jump. Deliveries of the Macan’s big brother, the Cayenne, were up eight percent to 17,598. Figures for the Boxster and Cayman were up by double digits – 23 and 27 percent, respectively.
If only time would move as fast as Porsches seem to be moving off of dealer lots these days. We’ll have to wait to see if the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman models can help keep this momentum going.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
