ericlewis91
Sep 3, 2010, 11:43 PM
Porsche steers into London
London has landed one of two new Porsche dealerships in Canada The German luxury automaker is expanding and chose to locate here, citing the Forest City as a growing market for luxury cars, said Chris Leavens, a partner in the new dealership.
"I think there is a real pent-up demand here for the brand," said Leavens, who will continue to operate Leavens Volkswagen on First St., as well another VW dealership in Orillia. For the new dealership, he is partnering with Chris Pfaff of Pfaff Porsche in Woodbridge.
Porsche's new Panamera sports sedan and Cayenne sport utility vehicle have been selling well in Canada, fuelling the drive for more dealers.
The only other city in Canada to get a new dealership is Saskatoon.
"Porsche opened this up and dealers competed for it. It was a long process and they chose the places they thought were most likely to succeed," said Leavens.
London impressed Porsche with its strength as a luxury vehicle sales market.
Nationally, luxury car sales rose 23% over a 12-month period ending in July. But in London that number nearly tripled to 64%, said Leavens.
"There is a good market here. We are big in business and medicine and at the university," he said. "The car industry is still coming out of the recession and we think next year there will be even more of a recovery. There's even more opportunity here."
Those luxury car sales figures do not surprise Gerry Macartney, general manager of the London Chamber of Commerce. "When I see the number of Mercedes and Lexus vehicles driving around town, it seems like there is a high number. I think the research is accurate.
"When you think we were one of two cities to get one, this is feather in our cap. It is a headline-maker and means we have a certain wage-earner here and I am not surprised by that."
The dealership will open Sept. 7 in the former Cadillac and Hummer dealership at 600 Oxford St. W., but renovations will go on with a grand opening for the spring.
Leavens hopes to position his new dealership to cater to a market from Waterloo to Windsor
taken from skyscrapercity
London has landed one of two new Porsche dealerships in Canada The German luxury automaker is expanding and chose to locate here, citing the Forest City as a growing market for luxury cars, said Chris Leavens, a partner in the new dealership.
"I think there is a real pent-up demand here for the brand," said Leavens, who will continue to operate Leavens Volkswagen on First St., as well another VW dealership in Orillia. For the new dealership, he is partnering with Chris Pfaff of Pfaff Porsche in Woodbridge.
Porsche's new Panamera sports sedan and Cayenne sport utility vehicle have been selling well in Canada, fuelling the drive for more dealers.
The only other city in Canada to get a new dealership is Saskatoon.
"Porsche opened this up and dealers competed for it. It was a long process and they chose the places they thought were most likely to succeed," said Leavens.
London impressed Porsche with its strength as a luxury vehicle sales market.
Nationally, luxury car sales rose 23% over a 12-month period ending in July. But in London that number nearly tripled to 64%, said Leavens.
"There is a good market here. We are big in business and medicine and at the university," he said. "The car industry is still coming out of the recession and we think next year there will be even more of a recovery. There's even more opportunity here."
Those luxury car sales figures do not surprise Gerry Macartney, general manager of the London Chamber of Commerce. "When I see the number of Mercedes and Lexus vehicles driving around town, it seems like there is a high number. I think the research is accurate.
"When you think we were one of two cities to get one, this is feather in our cap. It is a headline-maker and means we have a certain wage-earner here and I am not surprised by that."
The dealership will open Sept. 7 in the former Cadillac and Hummer dealership at 600 Oxford St. W., but renovations will go on with a grand opening for the spring.
Leavens hopes to position his new dealership to cater to a market from Waterloo to Windsor
taken from skyscrapercity