List · October 29, 2026 · 2 min read
The largest car dealer groups in the US, and who to contact at each
Lithia, AutoNation, Penske, Group 1, Asbury, Sonic, Hendrick and more: 13 of the largest US dealer groups, where they are based, and who to contact.
Largest car dealer groups
A handful of dealer groups own hundreds of stores between them, and winning one can mean dozens of rooftops. Exact rankings by revenue or units sold shift every year; Automotive News publishes the standard annual Top 150 list. These are thirteen of the largest groups that vendors most often target, six public and seven private.
| Group | Headquarters | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Lithia & Driveway | Medford, Oregon | Public (NYSE: LAD) |
| AutoNation | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Public (NYSE: AN) |
| Penske Automotive Group | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | Public (NYSE: PAG) |
| Group 1 Automotive | Houston, Texas | Public (NYSE: GPI) |
| Asbury Automotive Group | Duluth, Georgia | Public (NYSE: ABG) |
| Sonic Automotive | Charlotte, North Carolina | Public (NYSE: SAH) |
| Hendrick Automotive Group | Charlotte, North Carolina | Private |
| Berkshire Hathaway Automotive | Irving, Texas | Private (Berkshire Hathaway) |
| Ken Garff Automotive Group | Salt Lake City, Utah | Private |
| Holman | Mount Laurel, New Jersey | Private |
| Morgan Auto Group | Tampa, Florida | Private |
| Ed Napleton Automotive Group | Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois | Private |
| Flow Automotive Companies | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Private |
Listed public first, then private; not a ranking.
Public dealer groups
Lithia & Driveway
NYSE: LAD
Based in Medford, Oregon. Runs franchise stores across the US and sells online under the Driveway brand.
AutoNation
NYSE: AN
Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Runs franchise stores and its own AutoNation USA used-vehicle stores.
Penske Automotive Group
NYSE: PAG
Based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Runs car dealerships in the US and abroad, plus a commercial truck dealership business.
Group 1 Automotive
NYSE: GPI
Based in Houston, Texas. Runs dealerships in the US and the UK.
Asbury Automotive Group
NYSE: ABG
Based in Duluth, Georgia. Grew sharply through acquisitions, including Larry H. Miller Dealerships.
Sonic Automotive
NYSE: SAH
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Runs franchise stores and EchoPark used-vehicle stores.
Private dealer groups
Hendrick Automotive Group
Private
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and one of the largest privately held groups in the country.
Berkshire Hathaway Automotive
Private
Based in Irving, Texas. Formerly the Van Tuyl Group, bought by Berkshire Hathaway in 2015.
Ken Garff Automotive Group
Private
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with stores in several states.
Holman
Private
Based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Runs dealerships alongside a large fleet services business.
Morgan Auto Group
Private
Based in Tampa, Florida, with most of its stores in Florida.
Ed Napleton Automotive Group
Private
Based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Family-owned, with stores in the Midwest and beyond.
Flow Automotive Companies
Private
Based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with stores in North Carolina and Virginia.
Who to contact at a dealer group
Group-wide systems such as the DMS, CRM, accounting and group marketing are usually decided by group leadership: the president or COO, the CIO or IT director, and group directors of fixed ops or marketing. Department tools are often still chosen store by store by each GM and department head. Investor relations at a public group is not a sales channel.
- Group level: president, COO, CIO, VP of fixed operations, marketing director, procurement
- Store level: general manager, then the department head who owns your problem
Win one store where a GM wants your result, then use it as proof with the group’s other stores. Managers inside a group talk to each other.
Mapping a group’s stores
DealerData links every store to its dealer group, so you can see each rooftop a group owns and the managers at each one, from the group office down. More on the motion in dealer groups vs single stores.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest car dealer group in the US?
Lithia & Driveway, AutoNation and Penske Automotive Group are consistently at the top by revenue and units; the exact order changes year to year. Automotive News publishes an annual Top 150 ranking.
Which car dealer groups are publicly traded?
Lithia & Driveway (LAD), AutoNation (AN), Penske Automotive Group (PAG), Group 1 Automotive (GPI), Asbury Automotive Group (ABG) and Sonic Automotive (SAH), all on the NYSE.
Who should I contact to sell to a dealer group?
Group leadership for group-wide systems, such as the COO or CIO; each store’s GM and department heads for department tools.
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