# Group 1 Automotive Closes $1.3 Billion Hennessy Deal, Adding 10 Atlanta Luxury Stores

> Group 1 Automotive closed its $1.3 billion purchase of Hennessy Automobile Companies on October 19, 2026.

- Published: 2026-10-28T14:18:17+00:00
- Section: Mergers & Acquisitions
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-28/group-1-automotive-hennessy-acquisition
- Source: [Business Wire](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261028461033/en/)

## Key takeaways

- Group 1 Automotive closed the approximately $1.3 billion Hennessy Automobile Companies acquisition on October 19, 2026.
- The deal covers 10 dealerships, including two Lexus, two Porsche and three Jaguar Land Rover stores, and carries $1 billion in blue sky.
- Group 1's Atlanta footprint rises from five to 15 dealerships, making Atlanta its second-largest market by revenue behind Houston.

Group 1 Automotive closed its acquisition of Hennessy Automobile Companies, a 10-dealership Atlanta luxury group, in a transaction valued at approximately $1.3 billion, according to [Business Wire](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261028461033/en/). The deal closed on October 19, 2026, and is estimated to rank third in auto retail history based on blue sky value.

## Group 1's $1.3 Billion Hennessy Purchase

[Group 1 Automotive](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00021vk/group-1-automotive) is a Fortune 250 automotive retailer with more than 250 dealerships in the U.S. and U.K. [Kerrigan Advisors](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0006con/kerrigan-advisors) is the sell-side advisor that led the sale of Hennessy, a 62-year-old family-owned luxury group in Atlanta.

The price of approximately $1.3 billion is inclusive of blue sky, real estate and operating assets, including $1 billion in blue sky, which the announcement describes as a record for a 10-dealership group. The Hennessy stores generate $1.7 billion in annualized revenue, or roughly $170 million per dealership, and retailed over 22,000 vehicles in 2025.

The 10 dealerships comprise two Lexus, two Porsche, three Jaguar Land Rover, one Honda, one Cadillac, one Ford and one Lincoln store, all in Metro Atlanta. Group 1's Atlanta presence rises from five to 15 dealerships, making Atlanta its second-largest market by revenue behind Houston.

"Our strategy focuses on premium brands in attractive growth markets," said Daryl Kenningham, President and Chief Executive Officer at Group 1 Automotive. "This acquisition expands our presence in the Atlanta market."

Peter Hennessy, President of Hennessy Automobile Companies, said the family first worked with Kerrigan Advisors on a smaller divestiture a year earlier. Kerrigan Advisors has sold more than 470 franchises, generating $11 billion in proceeds for its sell-side clients, according to the announcement.

## Group 1's Deal History In Atlanta And Beyond

Group 1 acquired high-performing Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead in Atlanta in August 2025, a store expected to generate approximately $210 million in annual revenues and expand its Southeastern presence to 29 dealerships, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records show record full-year 2025 revenues of $22.6 billion, up 13.2% year-over-year, and approximately 253-259 dealerships across the U.S. and U.K. representing 37 vehicle brands.

## Group 1's Moves Before The Hennessy Closing

In August 2026, Group 1 purchased four dealerships, including Stone Mountain Toyota in Georgia, and subsequently sold two of them to another top 150 dealership group, Autonews reported. In September 2026, Group 1 issued $1.25 billion in notes to fund the Hennessy acquisition, with mandatory redemption if the deal failed by January 6, 2027, AInvest reported. In March 2026, Group 1 divested Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills to Fletcher Jones and three UK sites to Lithia UK, monetizing approximately $570 million in annual revenues, according to akta.pro company records.

## Hennessy's Legal And Financial Advisors

Holland & Knight served as legal counsel to Hennessy. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as exclusive financial advisor, and [Hill Ward Henderson](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000go8v/hill-ward-henderson) and Vinson & Elkins LLP served as legal advisors, to Group 1.

## Companies in this story

- [Group 1 Automotive company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00021vk/group-1-automotive) · website: http://www.group1auto.com/index.htm
- [Kerrigan Advisors company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0006con/kerrigan-advisors) · website: https://www.kerriganadvisors.com
- [Hill Ward Henderson company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000go8v/hill-ward-henderson) · website: http://hwhlaw.com

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