A Canadian dealership group entered the U.S. via California in February, then expanded there this month in separate first-quarter transactions.
Ride Automotive Group on Feb. 2 purchased Simi Valley Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram and Marin Mazda in San Rafael on March 1, VJ Sehdev, executive vice president of Ride Automotive, confirmed to Automotive News.
Sehdev said his group, which has two Kia dealerships in Canada, wanted to grow more.
"We found the opportunity in the States," he said.
Ride Automotive's venture into the U.S. follows several other Canadian dealership groups expanding south of the border. Canada's Alpha Auto Group, for example, added to its U.S. portfolio with the Nov. 22 purchase of a Mercedes-Benz store in California.