One of the former Larry H. Miller dealerships has changed hands again.

Asbury Automotive Group has sold Larry H. Miller Toyota Corona in Corona, Calif., and its related real estate and business operations to Mike Hong and Jerry Heuer, according to The Presidio Group, which represented Asbury in the transaction.

The dealership is one of 61 acquired by Asbury in its blockbuster $3.2 billion purchase of the Larry H. Miller Dealerships in December 2021.

Hong and Heuer will rename the store Toyota of Corona, Presidio said.

“Being able to grow with a tremendous brand like Toyota in Southern California is incredibly exciting,” Hong said.

Presidio president George Karolis said the sale is another indication dealership M&A activity will strengthen for the rest of 2025.

“Presidio’s pipeline of deals continues to be robust, and we are getting steady interest from both dealers looking to sell and those interested in acquiring,” he said. “The industry is positioned for a strong second half of 2025, and we expect transaction pace to pick up significantly from what turned out to be a slower first quarter for deal count.”

First franchise for longtime independent dealer

A longtime independent dealer has entered the franchise world.

Benji Urra has acquired Bravo Nissan of Victoria in Victoria, Texas, from Raymond Palacios and Alex Flores of Bravo Autos, according to Pinnacle Mergers & Acquisitions, which represented the seller.

The dealership has been renamed Nissan of Victoria.

The franchise is the first for Urra, who started Benji Auto Sales in 1985 and remains its president and CEO, operating locations in Orlando and West Park, Fla.

“We’re proud to support longtime clients like Raymond Palacios through strategic decisions in their business journey,” Pinnacle president Mike Sims said. “This transaction also represents an exciting milestone for Benji Urra as he steps into franchise ownership for the first time.”

Santa Barbara Auto Group gets Bentley franchise

Santa Barbara Auto Group said it has been selected as a franchisee to represent Bentley for sales and service.

The dealership group, founded in 2004, said Bentley Santa Barbara will have new Bentleys on display and ready to sell starting Thursday, while its service department is currently completing Bentley certification and will be ready to begin servicing Bentley vehicles no later than June 30.

The company said the sales and service teams are receiving specialized Bentley training “to ensure a seamless and elevated experience.” The new store is located adjacent to Santa Barbara Auto Group’s Jaguar Land Rover showroom.

“In our pursuit of offering ‘Simply the Best’ to our customers,” owner Steve Knappenberger said, “we are pleased to announce Bentley Santa Barbara as a new addition to Santa Barbara Auto Group.