| Resumo: | This dissertation’s main objective was to analyze the Portuguese automotive industry, linking Porter’s (1980) generic strategies to the formation of strategic groups, considering the performance differences between the strategic groups and within the strategic groups, according to the brands positioning within the groups. Data regarding 2011 and 2012 was collected for a sample of 20 brands, which were selected according to their market share, their level of coverage and the availability of relevant information. The data collected enabled the creation of strategic and performance variables that reflect Porter’s generic strategies and their performance implications. All groups had strategic brands representing them, supporting Porter’s typology (1980) suitability for this research. The results obtained by means of statistical tests mirror clear market dominance by the brands that embraced a cost leadership strategy, as these seven brands held the largest average market share in volume and higher average turnover of the five strategic groups in 2012. These results indicate that this strategy is the one conveying more chances of attaining competitive advantages throughout this economic crisis. With regard to differences in strategic positioning within groups, the results of this research support McNamara et al. (2003) observations, since the secondary brands outperform the primary brands from its strategic group in the majority of the performance variables.
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