Driving the news: Canadian dealership group Go Auto just grabbed five west-coast U.S. stores in under a week, three in Washington and two in California, bringing its total to 76 dealerships across North America.
For context: On December 8, Go Auto bought three Seattle-area stores from Car Pros Automotive Group: Car Pros Kia Tacoma, Car Pros Kia Renton, and Car Pros Hyundai Renton.
Then, three days later, on December 11, Go Auto closed on two more stores, Sunrise Ford Fontana and Sunrise Ford North Hollywood, which were bought from Knight Auto Group.
What they’re saying: “We're full speed ahead on growing across North America, and we're actively looking for new dealerships and top talent who want to grow their careers with us," stated Phil Abram, president of Go Auto.
Zooming out: Go Auto first entered the U.S. market in February 2023 with a Bellingham, Washington dealership purchase, and the buying spree shows no signs of slowing down.
Kerrigan Advisors is the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, the firm has led the industry with the sale of over 450 franchises generating more than $11 billion in client proceeds, including three of the largest transactions in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group, Leith Automotive to Holman, and Hennessy Automotive Companies to Group 1 Automotive (planned and expected to close in Q4 2026). The firm advises the industry’s leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, Kerrigan Advisors is the only firm in auto retail exclusively dedicated to sell-side advisory, providing its clients with the assurance of a conflict-free approach.
Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report®, which includes Kerrigan Advisors’ signature blue sky charts, multiples and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here. The firm also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index™ composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To read the 2025 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2026 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors is also the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership. Additionally, Kerrigan Advisors publishes a podcast, Beyond Blue Sky – A Kerrigan Conversation, where Kerrigan Advisors’ clients and industry leaders share the mindset, strategy and personal stories behind a once-in-a-generation transaction.
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