Largest Car Dealership Groups by Store Count
The auto retail industry is dominated by a small number of publicly traded dealership groups that operate hundreds of locations across the United States. As of the most recent public filings and industry reports, AutoNation remains the largest dealership group in the country by number of stores, followed closely by Lithia Motors and Group 1 Automotive. These companies own franchises for nearly every major vehicle brand, from Toyota and Ford to luxury names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and they collectively manage thousands of franchise agreements nationwide AutoNation largest dealership group Forbes.
Rankings shift slightly each year based on acquisitions, store openings, and divestitures, but the top five groups consistently control a significant share of U.S. dealership locations. Penske Automotive Group and Park Place Dealerships also appear among the largest operators, with portfolios spanning new and used vehicle sales, service centers, and collision repair facilities. Together, these groups illustrate how dealership ownership has consolidated into a few large, publicly traded entities that dominate local and regional markets SEC AutoNation 10-K filing.
Key Players and Their Ownership Structures
AutoNation
AutoNation, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, operates more than 300 franchise locations under brands such as AutoNation Chevrolet, AutoNation Ford, and AutoNation Hyundai. The company was founded by Wayne Huizenga and has grown through decades of acquisitions, making it the publicly traded company with the most car dealerships in the United States AutoNation store count Forbes.
Lithia Motors and Group 1 Automotive
Lithia Motors, based in Medford, Oregon, operates over 250 stores across the U.S. and Canada, with a heavy focus on brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram alongside domestic and import nameplates. Group 1 Automotive, headquartered in Houston, Texas, runs more than 200 franchise locations and emphasizes a decentralized ownership model where individual store operators manage day-to-day operations under the Group 1 umbrella Lithia Motors dealership group Forbes.
How Dealership Ownership Works in the U.S.
Franchise Laws and Dealer Networks
In the United States, car manufacturers are generally prohibited from owning dealerships directly in most states due to franchise laws, which is why large groups like AutoNation and Lithia Motors operate as independent franchisees rather than as wholly owned subsidiaries of automakers. These laws require a separation between manufacturers and retailers, creating a landscape where publicly traded holding companies own and manage multiple franchise locations across different brands SEC dealership franchise law explanation.