Porsche reported sales of 143,096 vehicles for 2012, up 22 percent than in the previous year, which is a new record for the sports car manufacturer. The model series with the highest growth was the 911, with sales up 49 percent to 26,203 vehicles.
However, Porsche’s legendary sports car was not its best-selling model last year, as the Cayenne SUV has filled this role for several years now. Porsche sold 77,822 Cayennes in 2012, representing an increase of 30 percent. It was the Cayenne’s best year ever, with the SUV making up more than half of Porsche’s total sales.
The second best-selling Porsche model was the Panamera, with 27,331 units, just ahead of the 911. The carmaker’s entry-level model, the Boxster, had sales of 10,126 units (+66 percent), although the new generation was introduced in March 2012. The Boxster’s coupe sibling, the Cayman, had sales of only 1,614 units, as customers waited for the latest-generation model introduced at the beginning of 2013.
North America remained the brand’s most important market, with sales rising 34 percent to 39,192 units. In China (including Hong Kong) Porsche sold 33,590 vehicles, up 32 percent. European sales (excluding Germany) reached 31,094 units (+8 percent), while in its home market Porsche sold 16,090 vehicles (+16 percent). In the rest of the world, sales rose 19 percent to 23,130 vehicles.
Porsche also announced a 19-percent increase in production in the 2012 financial year, at 151,999 vehicles. Turnover increased by 27 percent to €13.9 billion, while operating profit rose 19 percent to €2.44 billion. 2012 was also a peak year for the number of Porsche employees – 17,502.
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