Car importer Porsche Romania reported average sales of 193 cars per dealer in 2013, down 70 percent from the peak recorded in 2007 when, with a similar number of dealers, the average was of 669 units.

“In the peak year, namely 2007, when we sold the highest volume of average sales of 669 cars per dealer, with a total number of 85 dealers. Due to lower volumes, today we stay around an average of only 193 cars per dealer,” said Brent Valmar, general manager Porsche Romania, quoted by local news agency Mediafax.

Porsche Romania’s distribution network shrank this year compared to 2012, from 93 to 86 dealers.

The company delivered over 13,500 cars in the first ten months, down 13.4 percent year-on-year. Between January and October 2013, Porsche Romania sold over 6,000 cars and some 1,000 Volkswagen commercial vehicles, 1,322 Audi cars, 4,395 Skoda units and 717 Seat cars.

“Based on public data, in the period between January-October compared to the previous year, the car market registered a further decline of 10 percent, only 53,745 units being delivered to clients by manufacturers and importers in Romania in the first ten months,” said Valmar, reports Mediafax.

For 2014, the company estimates a 6.4 percent increase in new car market, from 63,000 to 67,000 units, and an advance of 0.8 percent in deliveries of commercial vehicles.

Porsche group’s number of employees in Romania, including Porsche Romania, Porsche Finance and Porsche Inter Auto, dropped this year to 738.

Porsche is owned by Volkswagen group, one of the largest European carmakers.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com