Porsche Cars GB can look back on a successful 2021, which saw the sports car manufacturer return another strong performance across its local market business in a year of unprecedented challenges.
After a record-breaking December, the Stuttgart marque delivered a total of 14,017 cars over the full year in the UK and Ireland (UK only 13,702 – source: SMMT). The all-electric Taycan was a particular highlight, accounting for over 4,000 sales and equivalent to nearly a third of overall registrations. Porsche Cars GB is the manufacturer’s fourth-largest market globally and the second-largest for Taycan sales. The Taycan is the first purely battery electric Porsche and has sparked a revolution in how EV sports cars perform. The Macan compact SUV placed second in UK sales terms, and the iconic flat-six, rear-engined 911 was third overall.
Taking the sales of the Cayenne E-Hybrid and Panamera E-Hybrid models together with those of the all-electric Taycan, the combined proportion of Porsche sports cars sold in the UK in 2021 with an electrified drivetrain totalled nearly 40 per cent. The company has a corporate strategy to fulfil 50 per cent of global sales with cars powered by an electric motor by 2025, and Porsche Cars GB is clearly on track to support this sustainability objective.
“This sales performance is a credit to the teams at Porsche Cars GB, our network of UK Porsche Centres and of course our colleagues in Germany who worked incredibly hard to support our customers’ dreams in a year of unparalleled challenges,” commented Sarah Simpson, CEO Porsche Cars GB.
“The passion and commitment of all our teams ensured we not only delivered the Porsche experience expected by our customers and fans, but also continued to take that one extra step to ensure we exceeded our own high standards. This has led to some impressive results right across the board,” added Sarah Simpson. “Owning a Porsche is the fulfilment of a dream for many people, and we strive to deliver a complete ownership experience that lives up to that expectation. Exciting customers and enthusiasts with a unique product and brand experience is our aim.”
The past year witnessed the debut of the versatile, all-electric Taycan Cross Turismo and the motorsport-bred 911 GT3, each drawing high interest from customers and generous praise from media. They were joined by a new Macan that continues to assert itself as the class benchmark eight years after its launch, plus fresh Cayenne and Panamera models offering the choice of emotive petrol engines combined with high performance plug-in hybrid capability to broaden customer appeal still further. On top, the continuing allure of the GTS 4.0 in the mid-engined 718 Cayman and Boxster models helped underline the authentic Porsche credentials of a charismatic sports car featuring two doors, two seats and three pedals.
Each model’s specific Porsche product attributes ensures the overall strength of the range is stronger - and more relevant - than ever, and this was reflected not only in the 2021 sales result, but a strong bank of orders stretching into the new year.
This enduring appeal was reflected across the board, with sales of Porsche Approved pre-owned cars also driving significant growth in this market throughout our network of Centres.
The service and support delivered by the Porsche Centre network is fundamental to the UK sales performance in 2021, and continued investment underlines the commitment of our business partners to provide the best introduction to the Porsche brand and realisation of every customer’s dream.
In 2021 Porsche placed first in the annual Auto Express Driver Power survey for the best new car retail experience, coming top in the annual review of UK car owners’ opinions published by Auto Express magazine. This came hot on the heels of the marque also finishing first in the Driver Power manufacturer rankings. After a string of top placings in previous years, this was the first time that Porsche has topped the tables outright in the dealer survey and is testament to the Porsche Centre network.
The UK retail network spans 43 Porsche Centres, which in the past year has expanded to include new showrooms in Hull, Norwich and South Lakes near Kendal, and development projects have expanded existing representation in Bournemouth and Nottingham, with further exciting plans for the flagship Porsche Centre Reading set for 2022.
Meantime, the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone, which opened in 2008, continues to provide customers and fans with an unparalleled immersion in the Porsche brand from behind the wheel.