Pending War and Porsche don't mix.

dd74 · 03-04-2003, 03:42 PM

I heard on the radio today that Porsche announced it would be cutting production of the 911 and Boxster series in lieu of less demand and bearish Euro market; both of which are blamed on the pending war.

By how much Porsche would cut production was not mentioned.

And I thought luxury goods were fairly resillient to the mass economy, even when war is involved.

kstar · 03-04-2003, 05:35 PM

When I saw this topic I thought it might be about the popularity of Porsche products in America if Germany continues its stance against the pending war with Iraq.

If yet another UN resolution against Iraq is put to vote next week and Germany vetos it, how will members of this board react regarding Porsche ownership?

Just curious as we have already began a comprehensive boycott of French products in our household.

IMHO, I think Germany will ultimately vote for or abstain from a potential new UN resolution next week. If they do veto such a resolution what will you do?

Best to all!

Regards,

Kurt

03-04-2003, 05:51 PM

I'm just curious as to what French products, if any, you could bring into your house. Cheese and wine are obvious, and you could also refuse to buy tickets from any major airline that flies Airbuses, which would be, um, all of them.

I don't know if a boycott against German products would get much support. The VW Beetle became much loved over here just a few short years after World War II, and that episode in history left much more bad blood between countries than one government disagreeing with another over how to handle a certain situation.

keithlambert7 · 03-04-2003, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kurtstarnes
When I saw this topic I thought it might be about the popularity of Porsche products in America if Germany continues its stance against the pending war with Iraq.

IMHO, I think Germany will ultimately vote for or abstain from a potential new UN resolution next week. If they do veto such a resolution what will you do?

Best to all!

Regards,

Kurt

Buy as many older 911's as we want, Germany already got their money!! Think about British cars for new wheels....

rs911t · 03-04-2003, 05:56 PM

I think the issue is as simple as people are beginning to slow their spending on houses and expensive sports cars. It wasn't likely to last forever. Greenspan said yesterday he expects to see housing appreciation slow this year.

Mike Feinstein · Mike Feinstein's Garage

That settles it.....no Pepperwagen for me!

Zeke · 03-04-2003, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by keithlambert7
Buy as many older 911's as we want, Germany already got their money!! Think about British cars for new wheels....

Jeez, you wouldn't want to buy anything American.

keithlambert7 · 03-04-2003, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rs911t
I think the issue is as simple as people are beginning to slow their spending on houses and expensive sports cars. It wasn't likely to last forever. Greenspan said yesterday he expects to see housing appreciation slow this year.

Oh GREAT! Greenspan'll now burst the housing market bubble just like he did the stock bubble a coupla years ago. Just what we need!

'I'm with the Government and I'm here to help...'

Keith

Doug E · 03-04-2003, 06:03 PM

Side bar to this topic could be the rising gas prices and the potential impact that will have on our decisions to drive just because we want to drive our car.

keithlambert7 · 03-04-2003, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Doug E
Side bar to this topic could be the rising gas prices and the potential impact that will have on our decisions to drive just because we want to drive our car.

I suppose that's true, I've certainly thought twice about taking the SUV on long trips lately. Hate to think there'll come a time when Sunday driving is un-fashionable, but I can see it coming.

Keith

kstar · 03-04-2003, 06:12 PM

Wow - I thought this thread was truly on-topic.

I guess influences on a Porsche buying decision didn't pass the litmus test in this instance.

Too bad.

Best,

Kurt

pwd72s · 03-04-2003, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike Feinstein
That settles it.....no Pepperwagen for me!

LOL here Mike! And think about it, by refusing to buy a Cayenne, you'd become "politically correct" in at least 2 ways...anti SUV, and anti Germany! Reminds me of a line from an old 1950's song..Kingston Trio, I believe...one lyric "Poles hate the Yugoslaves...South Africans hate the Dutch...AND I DON'T LIKE ANYBODY VERY MUCH!" The French should thank us because they don't speak German now...The Germans? Well, what can I say? Other than, we've been there, done that...and could do it again, if we had to.

dd74 · 03-04-2003, 06:43 PM

If purity and objectivity were truly the case, we'd boycott anything American associated with the Middle East. That, of course, means oil. And if we do that, sacrosanct to such an action is giving up our rights to drive -- anything. I don't think as a mobile nation, we could do that for any amount of time.

If one were against France's position, there is the case of the Danish (I think he was Danish) shopowner in the news last week, who refused to wait on anyone of either French or German nationality.

As far as boycotting France in the USA, well, it wouldn't be hard. We have a stigma against regular wine drinking (despite health benefits, interest groups still consider regular wine drinking en route to alcoholism); smoking (for all the reasons that too much of that will do to a person), eating dairy products (I am sure there is an "irritable bowel syndrome" special interest group out there) and lastly, driving Renaults, though of course, it's hard to pass up a tryst with an R5 Turbo or A6.

dd74 · 03-04-2003, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pwd72s
...The Germans? Well, what can I say? Other than, we've been there, done that...and could do it again, if we had to.

I'm not so sure we're going to do anything retaliatory against the French and Germans - other than maybe some economic/sanction pressure. The two countries are well-liked in Europe, and doing anything overt (like bombing), would make the U.S. look horrible. Plus, they stood up to the U.S., so they say, and people love the biblical David vs. Goliath story when it comes to weaker nations confronting obviously stronger ones.

Kissinger said this weekend sixty years of Euro-U.S. diplomacy is now on the fringe of being beyond repair. That's fairly serious.

It's the Turks who are in a bad spot. Jeez, it occurred to me today how the very system we uphold - Democracy - has turned around and is biting us back. The Turks, after all, voted to not have US military conduct war on Iraq from Turkish soil. But what can be said: Turkey isn't the richest country, and could stand to use $26 billion dollars. But then again, they're unified: 90 percent is against involvement in this fight.

Economic sanctions - well - that's another story. I could realistically see that happening with French and German imports to the U.S. Turkey, on the other hand, will be an economic dust bowl if the U.S. doesn't get its way.

As for Porsche (along with MB, Audi/VW and BMW): I bet they're already considering price hikes on new cars.

wckrause · wckrause's Garage

"If yet another UN resolution against Iraq is put to vote next week and Germany vetos"

Germany doesn't have veto power in the UN security council. Only US, France, Great Britain, China and Russia do.

Aurel · Aurel's Garage

Since this thread was already moved OT, I`ll jump in to make it a little more OT

I am French and I drive a German car (a 911 of course) in the US. I live here, benefit from the economy and all of the things I can get here. In return, this country benenfits from my brain and my taxes. I love most of it. But when it comes to war with Iraq, let me say that I am proud to be french and proud of the position of my president. We, the french, have always been allies and friends with the americans. And as friends, we are telling you that you are about to do something very wrong that will not solve any of your problems. If you have not understood yet that your Bush administration is the one that made 9/11 happen to push for its war policy, you should spend less time under the hoods of your 911`s, and try to learn more about 9/11 (no pun intended). There is a lot of propaganda in the media these times, and they are trying to scare everybody as much as they can. The truth is that for one terrorist killed, ten more are created, and really this is not the true reason why this administration wants a war anyway.
It is about seizing oil reserves and insuring geopolitical influence. Without cheap oil, this economy that is already in bad shape will not survive.
Sorry to be blunt, but that is the way it is.

Aurel
78 SC Targa

WOODPIE · 03-04-2003, 08:03 PM

I follow most of what you say, but when you got to the part about Bush making 9/11 happen, you sort of lost me. Can you expound on that statement?

Ed

Tyson Schmidt · 03-04-2003, 08:05 PM

I'm with Aurel. The whole thing stinks. Bush has a not-so-hidden agenda.

Aurel · Aurel's Garage

You probably know that Bin Laden was financed by the CIA for a very long time. You may also know that the Bin Laden and Bush families have very close financial ties, through the Carlyle group and the BCCI. All of this information is available through multiple internet sources. Do you really beleive that a couple of muslims, form a cave in Afghanistan, could organize such a sophisticated highjacking, attack the pentagon without being intercepted...Yes, Al quaeda probably executed the terrorist attacks, but they would never have been succesful without support from the CIA. Even the french intelligence told the CIA what was going to happen, and they ignored it !

Aurel

Neilk · 03-04-2003, 08:16 PM

I am not surprised that Porsche is reducing production. If the Bush's war doesn't go as well as he anticipates, just imagine what that will do to the US economy and stock market which will trickle down to the rest of the world economy.

As for boycotting France, that's ridiculous. It's amazing how little discussion there has been in Congress about the need for war and how anxious Bush is to start it. Coming from France and having lived in the US for the last 20 years, I have to agree to some extent with Aurel and say that I am glad that France took a stance against the war. Their motives might not be 100% genuine, but their actions seem a little more thought out than Bush's.

The Bush administration has done a *****ty job selling the world on the need for war. He needs to wake up and realise that the US is not the only country whose opinion means anything. That said, I love living in America and have no plans on moving out.