Porsche (Porsche Automobil Holding SE) is a very well-known German car manufacturer. The company assembles sporty luxury cars and has been very successful in various branches of motorsport. Porsche has also developed into one of the most versatile technology suppliers in the world. Since the founding of Porsche, the company has worked according to the so-called ‘Porsche principle’. The listed company Porsche also offers investment opportunities.
General history of the car manufacturer Porsche
The Porsche brand was founded in 1931 by the German Ferdinand Porsche and is based in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. In addition, Porsche has its own museum, also located in Stuttgart. This museum gives its visitors a look at a rare collection of classic cars from the Porsche family. Porsche was commissioned in 1934 by the then Zündapp and NSU to create a car for the people. to design, under the Volkswagen brand name. Since 1934, Porsche has always remained closely associated with Volkswagen, so the first Porsche cars consisted of many Volkswagen parts.
Porsche’s success started with the Porsche 356, which was designed by Ferdinand and his son Ferry in 1947. This Porsche is considered the first real Porsche, as it was the first model to be sold to the people by the Porsche brand. It was not until the 1950s that Ferry, Ferdinand’s son, realized that the brand had more potential than it had shown so far. He designed a new sports car, the Porsche 911, based on the basic principles of the Porsche 356 designed in 1947. Porsche later developed a number of popular models, such as: the Porsche 550 Spyder (1953), the Volkswagen Porsche ?? VoPo ?? 914 (1969) and Porsche 924 (1975).
In addition to producing cars for the public road, Porsche has grown mainly by designing cars for motorsport. Porsche got the image it carries in 2016 through its many successes in motorsport, with more than 28,000 victories. The motorsport cars are based on the principle of ‘maximum output with minimum input’. This is a derivative of Porsche’s underlying idea and strategy.
The underlying idea and strategy
Porsche has been working according to the Porsche principle since its inception, this principle has been described by Ferry Porsche as follows: In the beginning, I looked around and could not find the car I’d been dreaming of: a small, lightweight sports car that uses energy efficiently. So I decided to build it myself ??. In short, Porsche strives for the perfect combination of power, weight and energy consumption. Porsche itself is of the opinion that the ultimate (sports) car does not yet exist, but that the company is getting closer to the perfect design every day. With all concepts and models that are created, the aim is to achieve the best performance in terms of speed and success from day one. Keep in mind that it is not just about the speed, but more about the number of ideas behind the speed. Based on this underlying idea, Porsche has drawn up seven pillars that every model must meet, namely:
Innovation
Porsche always strives for innovation. This innovative strength is constantly leading new developments within the automotive industry. These developments support Porsche in designing the perfect car.
Design
Of course, design should not be forgotten when developing a car. Porsche always develops designs in which functions are followed by design and absolutely not the other way around! Porsche now has a number of features that make the cars immediately recognizable, such as: powerful shoulders (an expression of strength) and the roofline (an expression of sportiness). These features are reflected in every model and have been used for more than 60 years.
Functionality
As was noted in the design part, every shape needs a function, these are therefore extensively tested for functionality by using means such as: wind tunnels, test benches and of course the circuits.
Performance
Performance is of paramount importance at Porsche, this has to do with the core value of Porsche (the Porsche principle), where a perfect combination of power and energy consumption is sought.
Suitable for every day
The link between performance, functionality and design must be such that these cars are suitable for every day. The sporty character of these cars is therefore suitable for both the circuit and the public road.
Exclusivity
In addition to the functionality of these cars, the brand has an exclusive appearance. This ensures that the Porsche brand is seen as a luxury brand and sometimes even a real dream.
Part of the PON family
After developing a car for the people under the Volkswagen brand, Porsche has maintained close ties with Volkswagen. The Porsche SE holding company is owned by the Porsche and Piëch families, which own all Porsche SE shares and 51% of Volkswagen AG shares. Until 2008, there was a battle between Porsche and Volkswagen over Porsche employee participation rights. Eventually it came to a takeover on 1 August 2012, making Porsche SE part of Volkswagen AG from 2012. Porsche does keep a reasonably autonomous company within the holding. Volkswagen is part of the PON Group, a holding company with well-known car brands (including Seat, Volkswagen, Porsche and Lamborghini)
Porsche also has various branches in the Netherlands, including a ?? luxury car ?? point of sale in Leusden. At the time of writing (August 2016), Porsche sells the following models:
- Porsche 718
- Porsche 911
- Porsche 918 Spyder
- Porsche Panamera
- Porsche Macan
- Porsche Cayenne
All these models are available in various types.
Investing in Porsche
Given the company’s history, it is important to keep an eye on the financial performance of both Porsche and Volkswagen. Both companies are listed and can be found on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and several other stock exchanges. At the end of 2013, Porsche’s figures were published, showing that Porsche had achieved a turnover of 14.3 billion euros. At the bottom of the line, a profit of 1.9 billion euros remained. Volkswagen’s results were also positive at the end of 2013, with Volkswagen achieving a turnover of $ 244.9 billion and a profit of $ 13.4 billion.
Based on these positive results, it is possible to invest. This can be done through various online brokers. Incidentally, negative results can also be a reason to invest, for example with CFD (Contract For Differences) investing it is also possible to expect a price drop. In 2015, Volkswagen realized a turnover of ?? 213.3 billion, making ?? 1361 million loss. So this could be an excellent example for speculating on a price drop. Please note that online brokers charge a small fee as a transaction fee.