duPont REGISTRY Group Acquires Majority Stake in Elferspot, Expanding Global Footprint in the Porsche Enthusiast Market

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 18, 2026--

duPont REGISTRY Group (dRG) has acquired a majority stake in Elferspot, the leading marketplace for pre-owned and classic Porsche sports cars. Each year, more than 13,000 Porsche sports cars are listed on Elferspot, generating over $400 million in annual seller-reported sales value originating from buyer leads on the platform—a figure that continues to grow, with 35% share of activity driven by the United States market.

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Founded in Austria in 2017 by Porsche enthusiast Markus Klimesch, Elferspot has built a loyal global audience as a trusted destination for buying and selling quality Porsches. Built by a team of Porsche enthusiasts and focused entirely on the Porsche niche, the platform is known for curation, authenticity, and community. Alongside the marketplace, Elferspot operates a web shop offering apparel and accessories for sports car enthusiasts, including products from its "Key on the Left" collection.

The acquisition strengthens dRG's position within the marque-specific luxury segment, adding a specialized marketplace that complements its portfolio across media, events and digital commerce, including the world's largest Ferrari enthusiast communities FerrariChat and Cavallino.

The deal will enable Elferspot to accelerate international growth while preserving the authenticity and specialist voice that defines the brand. Elferspot will continue to operate from Austria with the same team and day-to-day setup. dRG will support Elferspot through enhanced marketing capabilities, expanded dealer relationships, cross-platform editorial visibility, and new commerce opportunities across Porsche lifestyle and collectibles. These include its automotive media and lifestyle brand Petrolicious —dedicated to celebrating the art, culture, and craftsmanship of driving—and exclusive events such as Retromobile New York.

“Elferspot has always been built by Porsche enthusiasts for Porsche enthusiasts — and I’m proud of what our team has created over the years, based in Austria,” said Markus Klimesch, Founder and CEO of Elferspot, who will remain a significant shareholder and continue to lead the company. “What many people don’t know is that the earliest Porsche 356 sports cars were built in Austria before Porsche returned to Stuttgart. The U.S. then played an important role early on in Porsche’s global success. In a way, Elferspot follows a similar path: we started in Austria, built a global enthusiast community, and now we’re joining forces with duPont REGISTRY Group in the U.S. to take the next step — while staying Porsche-focused, Austria-based, and run by the same team.”

"Over the years, we repeatedly received inbound interest from potential buyers and investors, but we decided to take this step only with duPont REGISTRY Group. We share a long-term vision and see strong strategic fit and real synergies. For all our customers and partners, our core promise remains unchanged: we stay Porsche-focused, Austria-based, and run by the same team, with more opportunities to grow together."

With Elferspot joining its portfolio, duPont REGISTRY Group continues to build one of the most comprehensive luxury automotive networks in the world—connecting collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts through trusted platforms that define each marque's culture. Elferspot's global community will also benefit from access to dRG's curated portfolio of car financing, leasing, insurance, and vehicle protection offerings tailored to the high-end automotive market.

"Elferspot represents exactly the type of focused, enthusiast-led platform we seek to bring into the duPont REGISTRY Group ecosystem," said Antoine Tessier, CEO of duPont REGISTRY Group. "Porsche enthusiasts and collectors are among the most passionate and discerning in the automotive world, and Elferspot's engaged community mirrors the sophistication, loyalty and scale of our existing Ferrari audience. This investment allows us to deepen our presence in one of the strongest segments of the global collector market."

About duPont REGISTRY Group:

duPont REGISTRY Group (DRG) is the world’s leading luxury automotive ecosystem, encapsulating the culture, community and commerce of the high-end automotive lifestyle. For more than 40 years, DRG has served as a trusted source for the vibrant global community of members looking to buy and sell luxury vehicles. Using data insights and advanced technology to build a seamless and scalable digital marketplace, duPont REGISTRY Group facilitates billions of dollars in transactions and redefines how enthusiasts and collectors engage within the luxury automotive world. Its portfolio includes duPont REGISTRY, Canossa Events, Cavallino, Supercar Owners Circle, Petrolicious, Retromobile USA, FerrariChat, and Sotheby's Motorsport. For more information, visit www.duPontREGISTRYGroup.com.

Elferspot founder, Markus Klimesch. duPont REGISTRY Group (dRG) has acquired a majority stake in Elferspot, the leading marketplace for pre-owned and classic Porsche sports cars.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s government was racing Saturday to contain the fallout after local Iran-backed militias were accused of attacking and shuttering a key Saudi pipeline. Iraq's government confirmed the attacks had originated from its territory, pledged to investigate and dismissed a military commander.

The country is under mounting pressure to prevent local militias from aiding other Iran proxy groups across the region. It's especially acute as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels make an advance across Yemen’s west coast in a major setback to the Saudi-backed coalition that risks escalating the war in the region.

The Iraqi government has set a Sept. 30 deadline for nonstate groups to disarm, but several of the most powerful militias have said they will not comply.

The Houthis on Friday seized an island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping lane through which around 12% of global trade passes.

Their virtual control of the strait could send global oil prices — already inflated by the six-month Iran-U.S. war — spiraling. The strait has become a vital commercial lane for Saudi oil ever since the Iran war disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraqi authorities determined that attacks targeting the east-west Saudi pipeline were launched from a site in the country’s Maysan province on the borders with Iran, the government said in a statement early Saturday.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the province’s operations command and dismissed its commander, the Saturday statement said.

Saudi Arabia shut down the major, cross-country oil pipeline on Friday, saying it was a “precautionary measure” after the pipeline came under drone attack.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry blamed the attacks on several drones that came from Iraq, but said the kingdom would not retaliate, to give the Iraqi government “an opportunity to take the necessary measures.”

Built in the 1980s, the East-West pipeline has played an important role in Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil following the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. By early June, Saudi Arabia had more than doubled oil exports from the Red Sea port at the pipeline’s end to more than 5 million barrels per day, according to the International Energy Agency.

Tehran-backed Iraqi militias have carried out strikes on U.S.-linked targets both inside and outside of Iraq since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and have coordinated with Yemen’s Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia.

In a move possibly linked to the investigation, Iraq closed two key border crossings with Iran, Iraq’s state-run news agency reported Saturday.

The report said that Iraqi officials were at the border, investigating previous “violations and infractions” at the crossings.

Valiollah Hayati, the deputy governor of Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province, named the closed crossings as Shalamcheh and Chazabeh. They are among the main official border crossings between Iran and Iraq.

Iranian state media said the measure would halt all passenger and commercial traffic through the two crossings until further notice.

Saudi Arabia and the United States bombed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq in July after blaming them for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that had been claimed by the Houthis. Regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis helped the Iraqi militias plan and execute the attacks.

The escalating fighting threatens to end a fragile truce that had largely halted Yemen’s civil war since 2022. At stake are 40 million people in the Arab world’s poorest country. The conflict killed 150,000 and brought many others to the brink of famine.

The surge in fighting in the past week has sent over 46,000 people fleeing, the U.N. migration agency said Friday.

The Houthis have been at war with Yemen’s government since 2014, when the rebels seized much of northern and central Yemen and the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia entered the war the following year on behalf of the government.

Yemen's Houthi rebels chat as they check their weapons during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)

Yemen's Houthi rebels march during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)