Melissa Burden Reporter covering dealers and the business of auto retailing for Automotive News [email protected] 313-446-1637 See All Staff Page Recent Stories AutoNation buys naming rights to Miami soccer stadium AutoNation and Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF club have inked a three-year partnership that includes stadium naming rights, branding rights and more. O'Steen Automotive Group adds dealership in Georgia O'Steen Automotive Group purchased Martin Motors in Nashville, Ga. The Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership offers O'Steen customers more vehicle brand options, the group's president said. LMP CFO Bernstein resigns after 8 months LMP Automotive has launched a search for a replacement and CEO Samer Tawfik will fill in temporarily. Stoler Automotive adds 2 Lexus stores in N.Y. Stoler bought Atlantic Lexus of 110 in Farmingdale and Lexus of Rockville Centre, both on Long Island. Village Automotive buys standalone GMC store in Massachusetts Boston-area Village Automotive Group bought Moore GMC Truck in Danvers, Mass., from Bob Moore and Elaine Moore, who are retiring. LMP inks deal to buy stakes in 2 N.Y. Stellantis stores LMP Automotive Holdings Inc., with six franchised dealerships in West Virginia, Florida and Tennessee, has aspirations to grow by another 80 to 100 dealerships by the end of 2022. Lithia buys Phoenix-area Nissan store The nation's third-largest new-vehicle retailer purchased Avondale Nissan in Avondale, Ariz. The store is expected to generate $75 million in annual revenue. Transactions surge as buy-sell boom rolls on A fourth-quarter surge in the number of U.S. dealerships sold led to one adviser declaring 2020 a record year. Several experts expect the accelerated pace to continue in 2021. Mergers and acquisitions central to LMP growth The new franchised dealership owner wants to add another 80 to 100 dealerships by the end of next year. LMP aims to add 80 to 100 dealerships by end of 2022 LMP Automotive, which bought its first six franchised dealerships this month, reported a sharply wider fourth-quarter net loss of $2.56 million on significantly higher outlays for acquisition, consulting and legal expenses. LMP buys Tennessee dealership, expands into 3rd state LMP Automotive has closed on another dealership as it ramps up acquisitions. Terry Taylor buys Toyota store from Prime The West Roxbury, Mass., dealership is the third Toyota store and among five dealerships Prime is selling as part of a process that began last summer. Scrutiny of Sonic could fade with Smith case Criminal charges stemming from an October arrest for felony assault by strangulation were dropped. Will law firm probes of shareholder claims into company management or the board be dropped next? Store count, throughput down in '20 The number of U.S. dealerships and franchises both fell slightly last year, while average new-vehicle sales per franchise dropped 15 percent amid slumping volume during the coronavirus pandemic. Lincoln, Cadillac trim franchise totals in '20 Lincoln, Cadillac trim franchise totals in '20 The Ford luxury division's franchises dropped by 52 last year to 745 as of Jan. 1. It had more than 1,100 a decade ago. Load More
Melissa Burden Reporter covering dealers and the business of auto retailing for Automotive News [email protected] 313-446-1637 See All Staff Page