Group

Car dealership group with ABQ locations sold for $3.2B

By Betty C. Morrow 4 weeks ago
One of the local Larry H. Miller dealerships (COURTESY IMAGE)

One of Albuquerque’s largest automotive dealerships, Larry H. Miller Dealerships, was sold Wednesday as part of a $3.2 billion transaction, including about $740 million in real estate, to Atlanta-based Asbury Auto Group, according to a news release issued today, Wednesday.

Based out of Utah, Larry H. Miller has been aggressive in Albuquerque with seven dealerships in the metro area among the 54 total dealerships the auto group owned.

It recently expanded its holdings in Albuquerque with the 2020 purchase of Casa Chevrolet and Casa Chrysler Jeep.

The company has 581 employees in New Mexico. Its local brands included Toyota, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Genesis.

According to company spokeswoman, Amanda Covington, “We’re unable to give any interviews (Wednesday).”

Publicly traded Asbury is a Fortune 500 company that came into the deal with 91 dealerships, but a relatively small footprint

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LaFontaine Automotive Group acquires Superior Buick GMC in Dearborn

By Betty C. Morrow 1 month ago

LaFontaine Automotive Group, a Michigan-based car dealership group, said Friday that it has acquired Superior Buick GMC in Dearborn, the latest expansion for LaFontaine amid a broader dealership consolidation trend.

LaFontaine said this deal — financial terms of which were not disclosed — brings its count of Buick GMC dealerships to four. It most recently follows LaFontaine’s acquisition of Signature Lincoln.

And in what the company characterized as “an aggressive acquisition path,” it said it has added 15 retail locations in Michigan in the last five years. In all, the group now includes 48 retail franchises, 10 collision centers and 28 Michigan retail locations. It represents the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Fiat, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, KIA, Mazda, RAM, Polestar, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo and Volkswagen.

In a statement, LaFontaine CEO Ryan LaFontaine said there is a “tremendous opportunity in the Dearborn community and surrounding cities to

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Pamplin Media Group – ‘She-canics’ Women in the automotive repair industry

By Betty C. Morrow 2 months ago
This article brought to you by Lance Griffin – Lance’s Superior Auto Service – AUTO SERVICE INSIDER –

From Grease Monkey to Grease Mama, women are no longer sidelined in the automotive repair industry. They are making their mark in a once male-dominated industry and while still relatively uncommon, currently, there are more women mechanics than ever before.

Why? For a few reasons. The trend has been increasing as the evolution of modern cars change. Women are more interested in cars, the utility of cars, speed and style. Women make up 25% of the tech field and nearly 10% of the automotive repair industry and these numbers are expected to grow. Comparatively, in 1999, women were just 1% of the automotive repair workforce.

Today, dads are taking an active interest in sharing their car interests with their daughters and it’s paying off. Women are less likely to rely on men

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Winners and Losers from IndyCar Series’ Bommarito Automotive Group 500

By Betty C. Morrow 2 months ago
  • Josef Newgarden earned his second victory of the season by winning the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on Saturday night.
  • Pato O’Ward didn’t enter Victory Lane, but he also was a big winner of the night by taking the championship lead by 10 points over Alex Palou.
  • Nine of the 24 cars that started the race didn’t finish.

    The race IndyCar drivers feared and fans hoped for happened in Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

    Major attrition – nine of the 24 cars that started the race didn’t finish it – also led to a major shakeup in the NTT IndyCar Series standings as the series now has three races remaining before the 2021 season champion is crowned.

    indy

    Josef Newgarden was the biggest beneficiary of the attrition, holding off Pato O’Ward to take his second win of the season and third career triumph in six starts

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