indiGO Auto Group, the country’s premier boutique automotive retailer, has been selected by Porsche North America to open Porsche San Francisco in 2023.
Porsche San Francisco will be positioned in the heart of San Francisco, surrounded by many of its most popular retail centers and cultural institutions. Construction on the 91,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed by May 2023.
And with news of the opening comes the announcement that Karla Curtsinger has been named General Manager of the new Porsche dealership.
This week, we have decided to delve a little deeper into Curtsinger’s background in the automotive industry and learn more about her firsthand.
Tell us a little bit about yourself in terms of your professional qualifications.
I joined indiGO Auto Group in December 2018 when we purchased Jaguar Riverside. I was brought on board to operate that store through a major construction project and the introduction of the Land Rover brand to that market. I served as General Manager through October 2022 when I left to open Porsche San Francisco.
I have been in the automotive industry since 1998. I started as a receptionist, working in the evenings while attending college during the day. My desire was to pursue a career in law as an attorney, but it didn’t take long for me to realize my passion for the automotive industry and change course. Over the last 24 years, I have held every position in Variable Operations, from receptionist all the way up to General Sales Manager and now General Manager. I love indiGO’s vision to provide a boutique luxury experience to all of our clients. We are not just a company; we are a family, and our customers are a big part of it.
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In your experience, what sets Porsche apart in the world of luxury automobiles and sports cars?
As I immerse myself in the Porsche brand, I’m learning more and more about how incredible this brand is. Porsche is not just a car manufacturer, and Porsches are not just nice luxury cars. Porsche is a culture that starts at the manufacturer and carries down to the dealerships and the client base. The brand has a strong following and strives for perfection. When you own a Porsche, you also own the experience of being a Porsche owner. I’m excited to be a part of this family and have the privilege of creating this exclusive experience for our new client base in San Francisco.
So Porsche is not only an aspirational brand, but it’s also inspirational. It inspires you to take the corner a little faster, inspires you to strive for more, and inspires a sense of community. Getting to interact with long-time Porsche owners and prospective Porsche owners is a pleasure. It shows us that the brand is about more than just the car, it’s a sense of belonging to a community of like-minded individuals. And the long racing history is also pretty exceptional!
This is the first indiGO Porsche dealership in the heart of San Francisco. What will this state-of-the-art facility bring to this bustling metropolis?
While there are other Porsche dealerships in the Bay Area, there has never been a Porsche store in the city of San Francisco until now. We are excited to introduce this impressive brand into such an eclectic city and to provide the Porsche and indiGO experience to a new client base. Porsche San Francisco will bring over 100 job opportunities to the city, as well as additional patronage to San Francisco proper. We operate with a corporate responsibility to engage in and support our home city and will do so by participating in and creating additional community events.
What are you most excited about in terms of this new position?
First and foremost, I am excited to join the Porsche family. indiGO Auto Group was founded with a Porsche dealership in North Houston and will have grown to seven Porsche dealerships across the country by the end of 2023. We have a great relationship with the manufacturer and a large and loyal client base. The new Porsche dealership has the potential to be one of the largest volume Porsche dealerships in the country, and having the opportunity to lead a team to that success is very exciting. I am also excited to be a resident of this great city and to explore all the diversity and culture it holds in its 49 square miles.
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What makes this space/architecture interesting in terms of selling Porsche automobiles and reaching customers?
Porsche San Francisco will be one of the new Destination Porsche Center stores. The architecture is designed to create communal sections within the building to encourage interaction and social engagement. Instead of sales desks and stuffy offices, clients can expect comfortable seating arrangements throughout the multi-level dealership for personal and professional interactions. We will have two barista bars offering high-end coffee and drink selections as well as pastries and a variety of snacks to enjoy when visiting. Service clients will have a full view of the shop and their car being serviced through the glass in the customer lounge. We will offer exclusive spaces for the configuration of new vehicle orders, as well as a dedicated private delivery area for new vehicle purchases. Clients will be able to shop for all of their favorite Porsche accessories in our beautifully stocked boutique and can expect the highest quality service from our highly trained team of Porsche professionals.
What are your biggest goals and challenges after Porsche San Francisco opens?
Porsche San Francisco is currently under construction and expected to open in May of 2023. Our biggest goal is to properly introduce the brand to a community that has never had a Porsche store before. This will also be our biggest challenge and will require strong marketing efforts from our in-house team. We will host a grand opening within 90 days of our opening date. This event will be open to the public and promises to bring a luxury experience to match the Porsche brand.
Tell me how it feels to be among the few female general managers in the luxury car industry and what you are looking forward to in this position?
A female GM in the auto industry is rare in a business that has been primarily male-dominated. I would love for my path to be looked at as an opportunity to empower women and encourage them to pursue a career in an industry they may have otherwise found unapproachable.
Just like clients, the Porsche brand brings in exceptional people and talent. Porsche San Francisco will do the same and redefine elements of the buying experience for the bay area. Porsche provides a genuine ownership experience from start to finish where the client and employee aligns – and that is paramount to sustaining success. This is where I find the magic is, in the building of genuine relationships. And we get to do this in a beautiful, brand new, state-of-the-art, Destination Porsche Center facility!
Want some exciting news? No need to wait for the grand opening of Porsche San Francisco to shop our luxury cars today. Check out our latest inventory below.
