Asbury Automotive Group
A major United States automotive dealership group providing new and used vehicle sales, servicing, parts, finance, and related protection products.
Last updated September 23, 2026
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Overview
Asbury Automotive Group is a publicly traded American automotive retailer headquartered in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gibson, a former vice president of Subaru of America, the company developed through the acquisition and consolidation of franchised automobile dealerships in multiple United States markets. Its retail operations represent a broad selection of American, European, and Asian vehicle manufacturers, with stores selling new vehicles, used vehicles, certified pre-owned vehicles, replacement parts, and service and repair work. Dealerships also arrange vehicle financing and insurance-related products, while the company has expanded into vehicle protection products through its Total Care Auto business. The group began by partnering with Atlanta dealer Jim Nalley and subsequently acquiring Nalley's dealerships outright in 1997. It then expanded beyond Georgia through purchases and partnerships involving dealership groups such as Plaza Motors, David McDavid, Coggin Automotive, Courtesy Automotive, Crown Automotive, and Greenville Automotive Group. Some markets and stores were later divested as Asbury concentrated its portfolio around selected regional operating areas. The company’s growth model has generally combined manufacturer-franchised retailing with geographic scale, centralized capabilities, digital tools, and the cross-selling of financing, service, and protection products. During the late 2010s and early 2020s, Asbury accelerated its expansion under chief executive David Hult. It entered or strengthened its presence in Indiana through Hare Automotive, Terry Lee Honda, and Bill Estes Automotive Group, and it expanded its luxury and premium-brand presence through the acquisition of Park Place Dealerships in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The Park Place transaction was initially canceled during the early COVID-19 disruption in March 2020, then restructured and completed in August of that year. Digital retail became a strategic priority with the launch of Clicklane in December 2020. The platform was designed to support online purchasing of new and used vehicles, including digital appraisal, financing, trade-in, and transaction workflows, and was intended for use across Asbury’s dealership network and potentially in markets without company-owned stores. In 2021, Asbury announced the acquisition of Larry H. Miller Dealerships for approximately $3.2 billion. The transaction added a large western dealership network and the Total Care Auto vehicle protection-plan business; several Toyota and Lexus stores were divested to address manufacturer requirements. Asbury also acquired Stevinson Automotive Group in Colorado later that year. The company acquired the Jim Koons automotive dealership group in 2023 for approximately $1.2 billion, further increasing its scale and presence in the Mid-Atlantic region. At the same time, Asbury has continued to reshape its portfolio, including the sale of nine former Crown Automotive locations in North Carolina in 2022. The company is commonly described as one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States; the referenced Wikipedia material identifies it as operating 148 dealerships and 198 franchises representing 31 brands as of March 2022. Its business remains focused on franchised automotive retail, used-vehicle operations, service and parts, finance and insurance, digital commerce, and vehicle-protection products.
History
Asbury Automotive Group was formed in 1995 by Tom Gibson, who had previously served as a vice president of Subaru of America. Its initial development centered on the Atlanta market. The company formed a joint venture with dealer Jim Nalley and acquired Nalley's eleven dealerships outright in 1997. Nalley continued overseeing the stores until retiring in 2004. Asbury then pursued a regional and multi-market consolidation strategy. It added the St. Louis-based Plaza Motors operations and acquired dealerships associated with David McDavid in Texas. In 1998, it expanded into Florida through the acquisition of Jacksonville-based Coggin Automotive and Tampa-based Courtesy Automotive. A 1999 joint venture with North Carolina's Crown Automotive Group eventually resulted in Asbury taking full ownership of the relevant dealerships. The company later entered South Carolina through the 2010 purchase of Greenville Automotive Group and acquired stores in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oregon. Several of those outlying operations were subsequently divested as the company focused on core markets. Under CEO David Hult, Asbury expanded more aggressively during the second half of the 2010s. It entered the Indianapolis area through the 2017 acquisition of Hare Automotive and added Terry Lee Honda in Avon, Indiana, in 2018, renaming the operation Hare Honda. In 2019, it acquired Bill Estes Automotive Group and Kahlo Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Noblesville, Indiana. These transactions strengthened Asbury's presence in central Indiana and illustrated its preference for combining larger group acquisitions with individual dealership purchases. In December 2019, Asbury agreed to acquire Park Place Dealerships, a Dallas–Fort Worth luxury dealership group, for approximately $1 billion. The original agreement was canceled on March 24, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic created substantial operating and economic uncertainty. The parties reached a modified agreement in July, and the transaction closed on August 24, 2020. The deal added premium and luxury franchises in a major Texas market. Asbury introduced Clicklane in December 2020. The digital platform was intended to allow customers to complete more of the vehicle-buying journey online, including vehicle selection, appraisal, trade-in, financing, and transaction steps. The company planned to deploy Clicklane across its existing stores and explore expansion beyond its physical dealership footprint. On September 29, 2021, Asbury announced the acquisition of Larry H. Miller Dealerships for approximately $3.2 billion. The transaction also included Total Care Auto, a vehicle-protection-plan business. Seven Toyota and Lexus dealerships were divested because of manufacturer guidelines. Asbury stated that it intended to extend Total Care Auto products across its legacy dealerships and integrate Clicklane into the Larry H. Miller network. In December 2021, it acquired Stevinson Automotive Group in the Denver area. Asbury continued adjusting its geographic portfolio. In December 2022, it sold nine Crown Automotive locations in North Carolina to Hudson Automotive Group. The stores represented brands including BMW, Honda, Volvo, Nissan, Ford, and Chrysler. In September 2023, Asbury acquired Jim Koons automotive dealership group for approximately $1.2 billion, adding substantial operations in the Mid-Atlantic region. The resulting company is a large United States automotive retailer with franchised dealerships representing numerous manufacturers. Its activities extend beyond new-car sales to used vehicles, service and repair, parts, finance and insurance, digital retail, and vehicle protection. The referenced Wikipedia account identifies 148 dealerships and 198 franchises representing 31 American, European, and Asian brands as of March 2022, and places Asbury among the largest automotive retailers in the United States.
- 2023
Jim Koons group acquired
[1]Asbury acquired Jim Koons automotive dealership group for approximately $1.2 billion.
- 2022
North Carolina stores divested
[1]Nine Crown Automotive locations were sold to Hudson Automotive Group.
- 2021
Larry H. Miller Dealerships acquired
[1]The transaction added a major western dealership network and Total Care Auto.
- 2021
Stevinson Automotive Group acquired
[1]Asbury expanded its Denver-area dealership operations.
- 2020
Clicklane introduced
[1]Asbury launched its online vehicle-retailing platform for new and used vehicles.
- 2017
Hare Automotive acquired
[1]Asbury entered the Indianapolis market through the acquisition of Hare Automotive.
- 2010
Greenville Automotive Group acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded Asbury's presence into South Carolina.
- 1999
Crown Automotive partnership
[1]Asbury entered a joint venture with Crown Automotive Group, later taking full ownership of the associated dealerships.
- 1998
Expansion into Florida
[1]The company acquired Coggin Automotive in Jacksonville and Courtesy Automotive in Tampa.
- 1997
Nalley dealerships acquired
[1]Asbury acquired eleven Atlanta-area dealerships associated with Jim Nalley after an earlier joint venture.
Products and positioning
A large-scale, multi-brand automotive retail and dealership platform combining physical dealerships, digital vehicle commerce, after-sales service, financing, and vehicle-protection products.
Automotive dealership retail · 1995
New vehicle retail
Asbury operates franchised dealerships selling new vehicles from a wide range of American, European, and Asian manufacturers. Store-level activities include vehicle selection, trade-in appraisal, financing arrangement, delivery, and manufacturer-supported customer services. The exact brand mix varies by dealership and market.
Automotive dealership retail
Used and certified pre-owned vehicles
Used-vehicle operations complement Asbury's franchised new-vehicle business. Dealerships acquire vehicles through trade-ins and other inventory channels, recondition them, and sell them through physical stores and digital channels. Certified pre-owned inventory is offered where supported by the relevant manufacturers.
Automotive after-sales
Service, parts, and repair
The dealership network provides scheduled maintenance, mechanical repair, collision-related or other vehicle services where available, and replacement parts. Service operations create an important recurring relationship with vehicle owners after the initial sale and support manufacturer warranty and recall work.
Digital automotive retail · 2020
Clicklane
Clicklane is Asbury's digital vehicle-retailing platform. It was designed to move significant portions of the buying process online, including inventory browsing, vehicle valuation, trade-in, financing, and transaction completion. Asbury has used the platform as a digital layer across its dealership operations.
Vehicle protection
Total Care Auto
Total Care Auto is a vehicle-protection-plan business acquired with Larry H. Miller Dealerships. Asbury identified the business as a product that could be offered beyond the acquired stores, including through its legacy dealership network.
Brand decisions
2023
Acquisition of Jim Koons AutomotiveM&ABackground
Asbury continued expanding through the acquisition of established regional dealership groups.
Action taken
The company acquired Jim Koons automotive dealership group.
Aftermath
The transaction increased Asbury's scale and presence in the Mid-Atlantic United States.
Reported transaction value. Approximately $1.2 billion (Announced September 2023)
2022
Portfolio concentration through North Carolina divestitureStrategyBackground
Asbury continued to adjust its dealership portfolio and concentrate resources in selected markets.
Action taken
The company sold nine Crown Automotive locations in Greensboro, Durham, and Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Hudson Automotive Group.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced Asbury's presence in those North Carolina markets while transferring franchises including BMW, Honda, Volvo, Nissan, Ford, and Chrysler.
2021
Acquisition of Larry H. Miller DealershipsM&ABackground
Asbury pursued a large-scale expansion of its dealership footprint and automotive protection-product capabilities.
Action taken
The company agreed to acquire Larry H. Miller Dealerships and Total Care Auto, while divesting seven Toyota and Lexus stores to address manufacturer guidelines.
Aftermath
The acquisition significantly expanded Asbury's western operations and gave it a vehicle-protection business to distribute across the broader network.
Reported transaction value. Approximately $3.2 billion (Announced September 29, 2021)
2020
Launch of ClicklaneProduct launchBackground
Asbury sought to make vehicle retailing more convenient and digitally integrated while retaining its dealership infrastructure.
Action taken
The company introduced Clicklane for online new- and used-vehicle transactions and planned deployment across its dealership base.
Aftermath
Clicklane became a central digital-retailing initiative and was subsequently intended for integration into acquired dealership networks.
2020
Restructuring and completion of the Park Place acquisitionM&ABackground
The original Park Place agreement was disrupted by the economic uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Action taken
Asbury canceled the initial agreement in March, negotiated a modified transaction in July, and completed the revised acquisition in August.
Aftermath
Asbury added the Dallas–Fort Worth luxury dealership group after renegotiating the transaction.
Reported transaction value. Approximately $1 billion (2019 agreement; revised transaction completed in 2020)
Recent events
Asbury launches Clicklane online car-buying platform[3]
Reported:
Asbury Automotive Group announced the launch of Clicklane, an online car-buying and selling platform built with Gubagoo. Asbury said the platform had been implemented at several stores and that it planned to roll it out to all stores by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
Asbury prices additional senior notes[4]
Reported:
Asbury Automotive Group announced that it had priced a private offering of additional senior notes, consisting of $125 million of 2028 notes and $125 million of 2030 notes. The offering was expected to close on September 16, subject to customary closing conditions.
Asbury Automotive Group prices senior-note offering[5]
Reported:
Asbury Automotive Group priced a private offering of $525 million of 4.50% senior notes due 2028 and $600 million of 4.75% senior notes due 2030. The offering was expected to close on February 19, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.
Asbury agrees to acquire Park Place Dealerships[6]
Reported:
Asbury Automotive Group entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets of Park Place Dealerships for $1 billion in an all-cash transaction, excluding vehicle inventory. The transaction was expected to close in the first quarter of 2020.
Asbury Automotive Group reports third-quarter 2019 results[7]
Reported:
Asbury Automotive Group reported third-quarter 2019 net income of $45.0 million, or $2.33 per diluted share.
Asbury completes acquisition of Mike Shaw Subaru[8]
Reported:
Asbury Automotive Group acquired Mike Shaw Subaru in Thornton, Colorado. The purchase closed on September 30, 2019; the dealership retained its name and all employees were retained.
Sources10 sources
- 1Asbury Automotive Groupen.wikipedia.org
- 2Asbury Automotive Group official websiteasburyauto.com
- 3Asbury推出Clicklane在线购车平台prnewswire.com
- 4Asbury为追加发行的优先票据定价prnewswire.com
- 5Asbury Automotive Group为优先票据发行定价prnewswire.com
- 6Asbury达成收购Park Place Dealerships的协议prnewswire.com
- 7Asbury Automotive Group公布2019年第三季度业绩prnewswire.com
- 8Asbury完成对Mike Shaw Subaru的收购prnewswire.com
- 9Asbury Automotive Group Announces Acquisition Of Park Place Dealerships And Provides Update On Recent Performanceprnewswire.com
- 10Asbury Automotive Group Announces All Time Record Third Quarter 2020 Financial Resultsprnewswire.com
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