Thought Experiment
 

Suppose that the new Cayenne is a failure. Porsche goes under, and is acquired by VW or some other large manufacturer.

How do you think this would affect the value of the classic 911s? Would the demise of Porsche as an independent maker make the "true" 911 a rarity, and hence more valuable? Or would the dilution of the marque make the 911 a sort of historical oddity, not worth serious ownership?

If they got into financial trouble someone would acquire Porsche and recognize that the name and brand are the most valuable part of the business. That is a great reason to keep it separate from everything else, i.e. who would buy a Ford/Porsche? What happened at Ferrari is probably a good example. I believe Ferrari is now owned by Fiat, but they do a good job of hiding that fact. The two most valuable brand names in the automotive business are Ferrari and Porsche. Porsche could get into financial trouble but they are in better financial condition now than in the early 1990's. But it is interesting to look at the monthly sales stats as published in the Wall Street Journal. They have had some monthly declines, the Boxster is no longer hot and I wonder if the new SUV was a good idea. They will come out with the new expensive specialty cars but the real money makers are the cars sold in quantity, i.e. Boxster. But I don't think you will see the company or name disappear. I would not worry about value, a Porsche is not a DeLorean.

Ferrari is now owned by Fiat and is about to be floated on the stock market. Fiat had been a major partner in Ferrari even before Enzo Ferrari's death. It certainly didn't do any harm to classic Ferrari values. If Porsche should go under, the name won't disappear, it will be picked up by VW Audi or another major manufacturer. If anything, I would expect the value of our cars to increase if this happened as the supply of real Porsches would have finished.

the key is the end result...product!
If VW or Audi makes the move and takes over...but the product is the exact same car it was the year before, then it's still a Porsche! I am sure that the love for the classic 911 and all it stands for will shine through and even the darkest moments in the automotive marketplace could not scar the Porsche name.

Re: Thought Experiment
 

Take a look at Bruce Anderson's price evaluations. The classic 911 is increasing in value every day. The would does not need a take over of Porsche to show an increased value in the 911 simply because Porsche is not even making the classic 911.