Porsche Cars North America: Forty Years & Not Looking A Day Over Yesterday

1984 Porsche 928 S. Image Credit: Richmonds Classic and Prestige Cars

Porsche Cars North America: Forty Years & Not Looking A Day Over Yesterday

Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, PCNA was responsible for just three model lines in 1984 – the 944, 928 and the 911. It proved to be an exciting year for the brand. At Le Mans, Porsche cars occupied eight of the top nine finishing positions – including winning the race outright with the mighty 956B. Meanwhile, away from the track (and mostly away from roads) a Porsche car won the grueling Paris-Dakar rally in a G series 911.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of becoming a sales organization in North America.

“This anniversary is a great chance to revisit PCNA’s presence in the America in the mid-eighties – making us realize just how far we’ve come in the intervening four decades,” said Timo Resch, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. “In North America, it started in 1950 with importer Max Hoffman placing the first order for Porsches in the U.S., but the long-term plans that led us to where we are today were set in place with the creation of Porsche Cars North America. This was a special moment and is one worth celebrating.”

Porsche Cars North America celebrates its 40th anniversary - Atlanta, GA. Image Credit: PCNA

In 1998, as the brand expanded, PCNA’s headquarters relocated to Hammond Drive, Atlanta, Georgia. It wasn’t long before plans for a truly bespoke home for PCNA were being drawn up.

In 2015, One Porsche Drive opened in Atlanta – PCNA’s home to this day. The state-of-the-art facility serves as a hub for Porsche enthusiasts and U.S. employees, offering a unique and immersive experience. The campus includes the Porsche Experience Center Atlanta, featuring two driver development tracks and the U.S. headquarters of Porsche Classic. A second Porsche Experience Center opened in Los Angeles in 2016 – between them hosting close to a million visitors to date.

PCNA’s promotion of the Porsche brand across America has expanded considerably since 1984 – as has the model lineup, with the original three in 1984 growing to six today; the 718, 911, Taycan, Panamera, Macan and Cayenne. Currently, there are over 200 independently owned and operated Porsche Centers in the U.S., along with three studios and seven satellite stores contributing to sales of over 75,000 cars in 2023.

Just like in 1984, Porsche-brand cars continue to thrive in motorsport – with national series such as the Porsche Carrera Cup North America growing year after year while international endurance racing and Formula E are led by the 963 and 99X electric respectively. On the road, the 911 Dakar harks back to the pioneering win in the rally of the same name in 1984.

Four decades of growth and innovation in North America.

Highlights from PCNA’s 40-year history can be found HERE >>>

... notes from The EDJE