A report in the Orlando Business Journal late yesterday (July 30) seems to confirm what we’ve been hearing the last couple of weeks about David Maus selling his stake in four dealerships back to his majority partners Van Tuyl. The price is rumored to be about $20 million. The Orlando-area stores include David Maus Chevrolet, David Maus Toyota… Continue Reading
OVERVIEW Through the first six months of 2014, 125 dealerships changed ownership, up from 89 through the same period in 2013 according to data compiled by The Banks Report. Eighty-three different buyers accounted for the 125 acquisitions. Note: The 125 does not include the 27 stores Lithia Motors will gain when it closes on its…
June 24, 2014 General Motors branded dealerships are proving to be the most popular on the acquisition front in 2014 with GMC leading with 11 franchises sold and Chevrolet and Buick in second with 10. Meanwhile, five Cadillac dealerships were sold. Honda also has seen several of its dealerships find new owners with eight buy-sells…
June 3, 2014 — Internet Brands, the parent company to CarsDirect.com and AutoData Solutions, was acquired today by the private equity group KKR for $1.1 billion. JMI Equity and Hellman & Friedman have owned Internet Brands since 2010 when they paid $640 million to take the company private. CEO Bob Brisco, who has run the… Continue Reading
Internet Brands, the parent company to CarsDirect.com and AutoData Solutions, was acquired today by the private equity group KKR for $1.1 billion. JMI Equity and Hellman & Friedman have owned Internet Brands since 2010 when they paid $640 million to take the company private. CEO Bob Brisco, who has run the company since the fall…
The story regarding DealerSocket and Vista Equity Partners’ investment in the CRM firm is a bit clearer today but still raises several questions. TBR first broke the story while at the Digital Dealer conference in Atlantic City on May 6th on Twitter reporting that Vista Equity had acquired a majority interest in DealerSocket. A private…
The story regarding DealerSocket and Vista Equity Partners’ investment in the CRM firm is a bit clearer today but still raises several questions. TBR first broke the story while at the Digital Dealer conference in Atlantic City on May 6th on Twitter reporting that Vista Equity had acquired a majority interest in DealerSocket. A private…
A couple of days ago, on April 30, Southern Motors Chevrolet filed a lawsuit against General Motors for blocking its purchase of Fuller Chevrolet, located in Rincon, GA. According to dealers and individuals who broker dealership acquisitions one of the more under-reported dynamics of the dealership buy-sell field is the growing willingness on the part…
April 20, 2014 — Six New Jersey dealerships owned by Bob Ciasulli last week filed lawsuits against Toyota Motor Sales USA and American Honda Motor Corp. claiming dealer incentive programs created by manufacturers are illegal according to New Jersey state franchise law. The implications of this case could be far reaching because there is little… Continue Reading
A few years ago – prior to the recession – I walked the floor of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit with AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson (was not chairman at the time). At the time, AutoNation was consolidating all of its stores onto ADP’s dealer management system. Jackson shared a vision with me… Continue Reading