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Group 1 Automotive EXPANDS FOOTPRINT IN UNITED KINGDOM Mon, 1 March 2010, 8:00am CST

Acquires Two BMW and Mini Dealerships Southwest of London

HOUSTON, March 1, 2010 — Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI), a Fortune 500 automotive retailer, today announced that it acquired two BMW/Mini dealerships in the Southeast region of England. The four franchises are expected to generate approximately $161.5 million in estimated annual revenues and will complement Group 1’s three existing BMW/Mini dealerships in Hailsham, Brighton and Worthing.

The dealerships, Barons Farnborough and Barons Hindhead, are located approximately 25 miles southwest of London in the wealthy commuter belt of Surrey and Hampshire and are contiguous to Group 1’s existing dealerships.

“The acquisition of these two, large BMW/Mini dealerships will more than double the size of our U.K. operations, significantly increasing Group 1’s scale in the United Kingdom,” said Earl Hesterberg, Group 1’s president and chief executive officer. “We have been patiently looking for attractive growth opportunities in the United Kingdom and are very pleased with this acquisition. The Barons BMW/Mini dealerships are located in the same region as our existing dealerships and, with a strong regional management team already in place, the addition of these stores is an important step in expanding our U.K. footprint, which will now represent approximately five percent of Group 1’s total sales.”

Honda’s John Mendel: Established Auto Makers Should Lead Retail Changes Thurs, 14 January 2010, 5:00pm CST

Change at the retail automotive level is inevitable, and the established players should be the ones to change it, said John Mendel, executive vice president for automobile sales at American Honda Motor Co. Otherwise, new entrants from emerging markets such as India and China, with a burning desire to prove themselves on the world stage, will change it for them, he warned in remarks at the Automotive News World Congress. “We need to create a new sales and service environment that the customer doesn’t simply tolerate but desires,” Mendel said. According to Automotive News, Mendel said the sales process at the dealership level has to change. Honda has already started to brainstorm with its Acura dealer network about ways to add value for consumers at the point of purchase. “It’s going to change; somebody is going to change it,” Mendel said. “It might as well be us.” Mendel also said he believes that the industry has taken steps toward stability but cautioned that it is a mistake to believe that an improved market will solve the industry’s problems. Areas such as energy sustainability, energy security, and greenhouse gas reduction must be addressed. Click here for more on Mendel’s remarks on what auto makers must do to lead the way in the future of the auto industry

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