Top 5 dealer groups keep spots but next 5 shuffle

The five biggest dealership groups in the U.S. maintained their spots on Automotive News' annual ranking of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S.

Topping the list for 2020 was AutoNation, followed by Penske Automotive Group, Lithia Motors, Group 1 Automotive and Hendrick Automotive Group. The groups were ranked using 2020 retail new-vehicle sales.

Then the changes began. Asbury Automotive Group, which acquired several Park Place Dealerships stores in Texas in 2020, moved up to No. 6. Sonic Automotive dropped to No. 7.

Larry H. Miller Dealerships stayed at the No. 8 spot, while Ken Garff Automotive Group moved up one spot to No. 9. David Wilson Automotive Group came in at No. 10, up two places from a year ago. Falling out of the top 10 was Staluppi Auto Group, which dropped three places to No. 12.

The top 10 retailers collectively sold 1,231,944 new vehicles, including fleet vehicles. That accounted for 36.4 percent of the top 150's total new-vehicle sales.

For the entire top 150, new-vehicle sales fell 10 percent last year to 3,383,809 vehicles as the pandemic disrupted the industry. U.S. new light-vehicle sales declined 14 percent to 14.6 million. New-vehicle sales fell for all six publicly held groups. AutoNation's new-vehicle sales dropped 12 percent to 250,824 in 2020, and Penske dropped 21 percent to 182,398.

Some large dealership groups that may have qualified for the top 150 declined to respond to Automotive News' survey. Those retailers included Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, which perennially placed among the top 10 under its former owner, Van Tuyl Group. Another retailing giant that did not participate is Automotive Management Services of West Palm Beach, Fla., which supports the group of stores owned by Terry Taylor. Ourisman Automotive Group of Marlow Heights, Md., which was No. 23 for 2019, also didn't respond.

Eighteen dealership groups rose on the list by 10 places or more. Krause Auto Group of Alpharetta, Ga., was the list's biggest gainer, vaulting 46 spots to No. 94. Meanwhile, 21 groups fell by 10 or more spots. Reedman-Toll Auto Group of Langhorne, Pa., dropped the most, sinking 47 spots to No. 139.