General Motors, which already had the most minority-owned dealerships in the U.S., increased its count by more than any other automaker in 2019, according to data from the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers.
GM finished the year with 287 minority-owned dealerships, a gain of nine, while Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was No. 2, with 181, a gain of four. Toyota added seven to jump past Hyundai into the No. 4 spot, with 81.
Overall, minority dealership numbers continued an upward trajectory after taking a dive during the Great Recession. There were 1,243 at the end of 2019, 29 more than a year earlier but 31 percent less than the peak of 1,805 in 2005.
Ford Motor Co. had three fewer minority dealerships than a year earlier, remaining in third, with 165 stores. Hyundai had a net loss of seven minority-owned stores last year, dropping to fifth place, with 76.
“GM continues to push forth our decades-long commitment to create a dealer network that reflects the incredible diversity of our customer base,” the automaker said in a statement. “We are proud to say that we have more minority dealers than any other OEM in the U.S., accounting for nearly one of every four minority dealers in this country. It is apparent that our work has resulted in tremendous strides, and we have no intention to take our foot off the pedal.”
