AutoNation was the largest Toyota dealer in the country last year.
It just got bigger.
The retailer said Tuesday it has acquired Toyota of Newnan from Tameron Automotive Group, its 21st Toyota store in the U.S. and third in Georgia.
AutoNation now has 19 dealerships in Georgia.
Its latest addition in the Peach State, which has been renamed AutoNation Toyota Newnan, represents about $200 million in annual revenue and 4,900 new- and used-car retail sales.
“I am delighted to be adding another Toyota Franchise to our portfolio, and welcoming our new colleagues to AutoNation,” AutoNation CEO Mike Manley said in a news release. “This acquisition reflects our approach to growth through the addition of great assets in great markets, building density which yields additional group synergies and drives value creation for our shareholders.”
Danny Braden co-owns Tameron Automotive Group with Rob Gallik. The store also has Honda and Hyundai stores in Alabama.
“After building Toyota of Newnan into the market’s leading dealership, the time was right for our group to focus our attention and resources on Birmingham, Alabama, our home market,” Braden said in a news release from Kerrigan Advisors, which advised Alabama-based Tameron.
“We are grateful for the steadfast guidance Kerrigan Advisors provided throughout this process and for their team’s unwavering focus on our financial and personal objectives,” he said. “They made a complex transaction run smoothly from beginning to end.”
*AutoNation said it is the largest Toyota dealer last year based on combined new-vehicle sales volume for Toyota and Lexus brands.
Elsewhere in the South, Sewell Automotive Companies has added its second Mercedes-Benz dealership.
Texas-based Sewell said it acquired Mercedes-Benz of Selma last week, renaming it Sewell Mercedes-Benz of Selma.
Sewell also owns Mercedes-Benz of West Houston. The group has 22 dealerships and 10 collision centers.
“Texas is a wonderful and unique place to do business, and we look forward to bringing our genuine care to customers in Selma,” co-CEO Jacquelin Sewell said in a release. “Our family has been serving Texans for over a century, and it is our honor to continue this tradition with new customers in the area.”
Added co-CEO Carl Sewell III: “To be able to expand our partnership with Mercedes-Benz beyond Houston and into the greater San Antonio area is an incredible opportunity. This acquisition is part of an exciting period of growth for our organization.”
Morrie’s Auto Group is holding a grand reopening for its recently acquired dealerships in Bellevue, Neb., on June 27. The day will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community event.
The dealerships, previously Beardmore Subaru, Beardmore Hyundai and Beardmore Chevrolet, have been renamed Morrie’s Bellevue Subaru, Chevrolet and Hyundai.
The event runs from 12-3 pm (CDT) at the dealerships and is open to the public. There will be free food from local food trucks, prize giveaways, family-friendly activities, vehicle showcase and more. Guest are invited to meet the team and explore the new dealerships.
“We’re excited to officially welcome the Bellevue community to Morrie’s,” said Morrie’s Auto Group CEO Lance Iserman said in a release. “These dealerships have a strong legacy, and we’re honored to build on that foundation with the same trusted local teams and commitment to exceptional customer service.”
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 more than 300 dealerships generating more than $10 billion in client proceeds, including two of the largest transactions in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group and Leith Automotive to Holman. 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 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®, the industry authority on dealership buy/sell market trends and valuations and 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 The Kerrigan Index™ comprised 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 access The Kerrigan Index™, click here. To read the 2024 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2025 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.
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