US Auto Trust Sells Jaguar Land Rover Dealerships to Sonic Automotive

Transaction Represents the Biggest Jaguar Land Rover Sale in Automotive Retail History

Kerrigan Advisors, a sell-side advisor to auto dealers nationwide, represented Los Angeles-based US Auto Trust in the sale of its Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) dealerships in Los Angeles, Newport Beach and San Jose and the Land Rover dealership in Pasadena to Sonic Automotive, the sixth largest automotive retailer in the United States. The transaction marks the most valuable JLR sale in automotive history and makes Sonic the leading JLR retailer in the U.S.

The sale also represents Kerrigan Advisors’ 401st franchise sold nationally since 2015, cementing the firm’s position as the leading sell-side advisor to higher value dealerships.

US Auto Trust’s JLR platform represents some of the highest volume JLR franchises ever sold in the U.S. Land Rover Los Angeles ranked #1 in California and #5 in the U.S. and serves the affluent Beverly Hills market. Jaguar Land Rover Newport Beach is one of the top franchises in California and ranked #2 in the U.S., and Jaguar Land Rover San Jose is the highest volume Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Northern California. The group will retain ownership of its Aston Martin, Cadillac and Lotus dealerships in Southern California after the sale.

“Kerrigan Advisors played an instrumental role in making the sale happen,” said Matt Kaiser, chief of staff for US Auto Trust. “The firm’s expertise was invaluable in identifying Sonic as the ideal buyer for our valuable JLR platform. We’ve greatly valued our partnership with JLR and are proud of the transformation we’ve achieved, elevating these dealerships from among the brand’s lowest NPS performers to some of the highest ranked in both customer service and sales. As an ultra-premium retail group with a deep commitment to the customer experience, we accomplished our objectives and believe the time was right to redirect our focus toward future luxury acquisitions. We remain dedicated to serving the Southern California luxury market through our other Aston Martin, Cadillac and Lotus franchises.”

“The US Auto Trust-Sonic transaction demonstrates the strong demand for premium dealership assets in top California auto retail markets like Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Pasadena and San Jose. We were honored to represent US Auto Trust in this historic sale and congratulate Sonic on this marquee acquisition,” said Ryan Kerrigan, managing director of Kerrigan Advisors. “We have appreciated being a thought partner to US Auto Trust as they entered the auto retail industry and, when the time was right, assisting the group in selling their lucrative JLR platform. Congratulations to US Auto Trust and Sonic on this important transaction.”

Land Rover, known for its iconic SUV-only lineup, has one of the most coveted dealer networks in the United States with just 202 franchises nationwide. The dealerships in this sale are known for their prime real estate and strategic locations in some of the most affluent regions in the U.S., benefiting from high population density per franchise and industry-leading customer loyalty scores.

California is the nation’s largest auto retail market, generating over $150 billion in dealership revenue in 2024, accounting for 12% of the U.S. market and ranking second in average revenue per dealership.

“This transaction highlights that the combination of high volume, ideal auto retail location and top luxury franchises creates strong buyer demand. JLR’s high-margin product lineup and robust profitability further increased the appeal of US Auto Trust’s JLR platform in California,” said Erin Kerrigan, managing director of Kerrigan Advisors. “We were honored to represent US Auto Trust and work with their team to ensure this highly valuable multi-franchise transaction ran smoothly and came to a successful close.”

Information sourced from Businesswire. To learn more, contact [email protected].