Kerrigan Advisors, the leading exclusive sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented Car Pros Automotive Group, a leading Southern California dealership group, in the sale of Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach to Sutherlin Automotive Group, which recently acquired the Subaru and Volkswagen franchises in the market and also owns dealerships in Tennessee and Alabama. Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach ranked as the #1 Kia dealer in Orange County in 2025 and a top 100 Kia dealer nationally.
Car Pros Automotive Group is known for its values-led approach to retailing, strong operational performance and deep commitment to its employees, customers and communities. The Phillips family founded Car Pros in 1993 as a small used car lot with two employees. Since then, Car Pros has grown under CEO Matthew Phillips into a high-performance, people-focused organization representing Kia, Honda, BMW and MINI across Southern California, with a long track record of national success with the Kia brand.
“Given Sutherlin’s recent expansion in the local market, this represented a good strategic option for Car Pros, adding Orange County’s top volume Kia franchise to Sutherlin’s Huntington Beach operations,” said Ryan Kerrigan. “We greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with Matthew and represent Car Pros again. Car Pros has acquired and sold numerous dealerships over the last 20 years, including its acquisitions of Nick Alexander BMW & MINI and Honda of El Monte, and on the sell side, Kerrigan Advisors is proud to have represented Car Pros with the sale of Car Pros Kia Carson in 2018, Car Pros VW of San Bernardino in 2022, and Car Pros Kia Tacoma, Kia Renton and Hyundai Renton last year.”
“Once again, thank you to Kerrigan Advisors for being my partner through all things buy/sell over the years,” said Phillips. “I appreciated the opportunity to work with Ryan and Chris Gempton again. This sale made sense as it allows for the future growth of the dealership under an owner already committed to the Orange County market. I want to thank the Car Pros team in Huntington Beach for everything they have built there.”
Huntington Beach is a top non-luxury car market in Orange County, California situated along the iconic Beach Blvd, the primary connector from Pacific Coast Highway to the 405 freeway, one of the nation’s highest trafficked highways. It ranks the second largest car market in Orange County with more than 16,000 new unit sales annually.
Kia franchises are highly sought after due to strong sales growth, high and growing throughput per franchise, an award-winning product lineup and expected increases in franchise valuation. Kia’s sales per franchise have grown 40% since 2020 and now exceed 1,000 annually, the third highest of all non-luxury franchises. In the first quarter of 2026, Kia posted a US sales record, rising 4.1% year over year while the broader industry declined 6.2%. Kia’s product momentum is reflected in its accolades, including the EV3’s 2025 World Car of the Year award and Red Dot “Best of the Best” design recognition.
“Kia has become one of the most sought-after non-luxury franchises in the buy/sell market, and in our latest Blue Sky Report, we raised our blue sky multiple for the brand in response to that demand. Today’s dealership buyers are highly motivated to expand market share and focused on the economies of scale that come with regional density. The opportunity to acquire a top-ranked Kia franchise in one of Southern California’s largest car markets, against the backdrop of one of the strongest buy/sell markets in the industry’s history, resulted in a great outcome for Car Pros,” commented Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “On behalf of Kerrigan Advisors, congratulations to both Car Pros and Sutherlin on a successful transaction.”
With the completion of the Car Pros-Sutherlin transaction, Kerrigan Advisors has now sold 452 franchises since the firm’s founding in 2014, including 70 in California and 24 Kia franchises – leading the industry.
Legal counsel for Car Pros was Bert Rasmussen with Scali Rasmussen PC. Legal counsel for Sutherlin was David Meyer of ArentFox Schiff LLP.
About Kerrigan Advisors
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 450+ franchises generating more than $11 billion in client proceeds, including three of the largest transactions in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group, Leith Automotive to Holman, and the planned sale of Hennessy Automotive Companies to Group 1 Automotive (expected to close in Q4 2026). 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 with 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®, which 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 monthly The Kerrigan Index™ composed 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 read the 2025 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2026 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors is also the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership. Additionally, Kerrigan Advisors publishes a podcast, Beyond Blue Sky – A Kerrigan Conversation, where Kerrigan Advisors’ clients and industry leaders share the mindset, strategy and personal stories behind their once-in-a-generation transaction.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260819694017/en/
Media gallery
