For the second consecutive year, Asbury Automotive Group has been named one of the World’s Most Trustworthy Companies.

Asbury, which operates 145 dealership locations and 37 collision repair centers as well as F&I provider Total Care Auto, ranked 54th among retail businesses on the annual list, compiled by Newsweek in collaboration with statistics portal Statista.

“It is an honor to receive the title of one of the World’s Most Trustworthy Companies two years in a row,” Asbury president and CEO David Hult said. “Our mission is to be the most guest-centric automotive retailer, built on a foundation of trust. This recognition affirms the progress we’re making as we continue to follow our North Star.”

Newsweek said the rankings are based on an independent survey of more than 65,000 participants in 20 countries, who submitted 200,000 evaluations rating companies in 23 industries on three dimensions of trust: customer, investor and employee.

The ranking also included social listening analysis with 500,000 mentions gathered from the internet, evaluating company mentions in various media as positive, neutral or negative. All stock-listed companies headquartered in one of the target countries with revenues of more than $500 million were considered in the study.

The full list of the 2025 World’s Most Trustworthy Companies is available here.

Sonic’s ‘historic’ performance during historic motorcycle rally

Sonic Automotive’s big sales push around the 85th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally crossed the finish line with record-setting results.

The dealership group said its five Harley-Davidson dealerships in the Black Hills of South Dakota, led by Sturgis Harley-Davidson and Black Hills Harley-Davidson, produced “historic” results during the historic rally in the Black Hills area and its related events in terms of motorcycle sales, parts, service and rider engagement.

Sonic said the performance illustrates the Sonic Powersports division’s “growing momentum” in the Harley-Davidson community.

“Our Sonic Powersports team delivered an all-time record performance,” chairman and CEO David Smith said, “and cemented Black Hills Harley-Davidson as the No. 1 Harley-Davidson dealership in America in combined new and used motorcycle sales.”

In a news release, the company said the five stores combined to sell a record 1,100 motorcycles registered in all 50 states during the event, held Aug. 1-10, and handled an “unprecedented demand” for parts, service and merchandise.

The group recorded four days with more than 100 motorcycles sold — all surpassing the previous record of 86 — capped by a single-day peak of 135 sales. To handle the demand, Sonic Powersports had more than 500 employees on hand.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation reported more than 537,000 vehicles entered Sturgis during the 10-day event, which, based on typical passenger loads, brought the estimated total attendance to more than 800,000.

“The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally isn’t just the largest motorcycle rally in America,” Smith said. “It’s one of the country’s most iconic annual events, that draws hundreds of thousands of riders from across the nation. What we saw at the 85th Sturgis Rally was a powerful confirmation of why we’re in this space: to lead with passion, scale and world-class execution for our guests and teammates.”

Sonic announced in July its plan to makes its dealerships the hub of a “celebration for the 800,000 riders and enthusiasts” attending the rally, with featured brand-first activations including a giveaway of a limited-edition Sturgis Rally motorcycle, a commemorative ride route spanning all five stores and the launch of the 85th Founders Club to celebrate rider loyalty and next-level engagement.

“We prepared all year for this moment, and the results speak for themselves,” Sonic president Jeff Dyke said. “From retail strategy to team deployment, we executed at the highest level.

“Selling more than 1,100 bikes and seeing the energy across all five dealerships was something special, and we’re only getting started. With this debut, Sonic Powersports has shattered expectations and set a benchmark that will drive even greater presence in future rallies.”

Sonic Powersports said it is already planning for a larger presence at the 2025 Sturgis Rally.

Lithia announces proposed senior notes offering

Lithia & Driveway announced it intends to offer $600 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2030 in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The private offering is subject to market and other conditions.

In a news release, Lithia said it intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay a portion of the outstanding balance under its revolving lines of credit, noting such amounts can be reborrowed and used for general corporate purposes, including acquisitions and working capital.

The notes will be offered and sold only to qualified institutional buyers in the U.S. and outside the country under the Securities Act. Lithia said the notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the U.S. without registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any related rules, or in a transaction not subject to those requirements.

Lithia & Driveway operates some 450 locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

Car Pros BMW and MINI of Downtown LA celebrate second anniversary

Car Pros Automotive Group marked the two-year anniversary of its BMW and MINI of Downtown Los Angeles dealerships this month, with a luncheon for dealership employees to celebrate their dedication and contributions.

In addition to highlighting two years of growth and community impact since Car Pros acquired the stores from Nick Alexander Imports in September 2023, the company also recognized the dealerships’ 40-plus years of service to the Los Angeles community and Car Pros’ commitment to customer service and continued investment in its employees.

“BMW and MINI of Downtown Los Angeles reflect the values-led growth we aim for across Car Pros,” CEO Matthew Phillips said. “In just two years, we have strengthened these dealerships with pioneering collision repair capabilities, top national MINI rankings and premium customer experiences — all made possible by the dedication of our staff and our deep commitment to the community.”

MINI of Downtown Los Angeles, in Southern California top-selling MINI dealer and a top 10 MINI dealer nationally, completed a $1 million renovation this year, featuring EV fast-charging capability, a café-style showroom with a gourmet coffee bar, expanded lounge space, digital sales stations and upgraded service facilities.

BMW and MINI of Downtown Los Angeles shares a 145,191-square foot space on 10.85 acres with a BMW/MINI-certified collision center, which Car Pros said is Los Angeles’ first BMW-certified repair facility and the only body shop in the downtown area certified to repair BMW’s “iBrand.”

Car Pros operates nine dealerships in Western Washington and Southern California, employing more than 700 people.