COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 44111

New Car Dealers

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

15companies1880–2002founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedWatts of Lydney Group Ltd.
1880
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedLookers plc
1908
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedGeneral Motors Corporation
1916
FoundedAsplundh Tree Expert Co.
1928
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedLithia Motors, Inc.
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedArnold Clark Automobiles Ltd.
1954
FoundedInchcape PLC
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedRon Tonkin Chevrolet Company
1960
FoundedDon Massey Cadillac, Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedLarry H. Miller Group
1979
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedUnited Auto Group, Inc.
1990
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedGroup 1 Automotive, Inc.FoundedThe Major Automotive Companies, Inc.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedAutoNation, Inc.
1998
FoundedAsbury Automotive Group Inc.
2002
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Watts of Lydney Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1880 · United Kingdom
Watts of Lydney Group Ltd.
Lookers plc →
Active · founded 1908 · United Kingdom
Lookers plc is one of the United Kingdom's top five new and used car dealers.
General Motors Corporation →
Active · founded 1916
General Motors Corporation (GM) is the world's largest full-line vehicle manufacturer and marketer.
Asplundh Tree Expert Co. →
Active · founded 1928
Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
Lithia Motors, Inc. →
Active · founded 1946
Lithia Motors, Inc.
Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd. →
Active · founded 1954 · Scotland
In the meantime, Arnold Clark remained solidly at the helm of the company he'd founded nearly 50 years before.
Inchcape PLC →
Active · founded 1958 · United Kingdom
Inchcape PLC, a company with more than a 150-year history--starting as a shipping and trading firm and evolving into a…
Ron Tonkin Chevrolet Company →
Active · founded 1960
Ron Tonkin Chevrolet Company has 16 locations in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area.
Don Massey Cadillac, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Don Massey Cadillac, Inc.
Larry H. Miller Group →
Active · founded 1979
The Larry H.
United Auto Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
United Auto Group, Inc., is a leading acquirer, consolidator, and operator of franchised automobile and light-truck…
Group 1 Automotive, Inc. →
Active · founded 1995
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
The Major Automotive Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1995
The Major Automotive Companies, Inc.
AutoNation, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
AutoNation, Inc.
Asbury Automotive Group Inc. →
Active · founded 2002
Asbury's own online marketing strategy emphasized individual web sites for its dealers, rather than a unified national…
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