NSXER:

Excerpt from an article by Karl Ludvigsen from the "Automotive News" archives:

"A generation ago, Porsche tried to replace its U.S. dealerships with a new distribution network. To the company's surprise, the dealers' legal muscle prevailed.

Porsche's U.S. sales were rising and its profits were booming in the early 1980s. The company wanted more direct control of its place in the U.S. luxury market.

In January 1984, the 323 U.S. dealers who sold Porsche cars learned that the company would not renew its contract with Volkswagen of America Inc., which had imported Porsches since 1969. As of September, the dealers were told, they no longer would get Porsches from VW.

The other shoe dropped Feb. 15, when Porsche executives met in Reno, Nev., with the automaker's dealers. Porsche said it had set up a new company, Porsche Cars North America Inc. It would be headed by a former U.S. head of BMW, Jack Cook.

A subsidiary of the new company, Porsche Centers Inc., would set up 40 stores across the United States to sell vehicles at retail and also distribute them to dealers, said Porsche AG CEO Peter Schutz.

"Each will be from a cookie cutter," Schutz told the startled dealers, "with a standard building of about 22,000 square feet on around two acres of land. Each will be in an industrial park near a major airport." All of the centers were to be up and running by the beginning of 1985, he said.

Porsche would spend about $25 million to build the centers, Schutz said. In addition, Schutz and Cook hoped to attract investment in the centers by existing dealers and wealthy Porsche owners."

The strength of the U.S. automobile dealers is not something to reckon with as illustrated by my friend.  His dealer group is within the top 50th dealership group by size with dealerships in the Midwest and Florida.  He has several planes including a Dassault Falcon 7X in his fleet as he travels between his multiple homes.  He uses the Falcon, for example, as most people use their car.