Porsche Pulls Out of Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS)

Atlanta June 11, 2007; Porsche will not make its way to the North American International Auto Show, in order to focus on shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, Toronto, Dallas, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Washington – regions where it has more customers, reports Crain's Detroit Business.

"It was purely a business decision," said Tony Fouladpour, a spokesman for Porsche Cars North America Inc. "We want to target our marketing resources on more direct customer contact."

Porsche said it sold 290 cars in Michigan last year, compared with 8,827 in California, 4,177 in Florida and 2,172 in New York. "It is about allocating our marketing funds, which are somewhat more limited," Fouladpour told Automotive News. "With this reorientation in marketing, we want more customer contact."

Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, which puts on the show, said that if Porsche decides to return, it may end up — as Kia did — in the basement for several years.