Los Angeles-based US Auto Trust dealership group has acquired Dallas-based Boardwalk Auto Group, the company announced in an Oct. 7 press release.
The acquisition includes Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani and Czinger franchises.
"We are thrilled to bring world-renowned brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Pagani into the US Auto Trust family,” US Auto Trust founder Ed Glazer said in a statement. “These marques represent the pinnacle of performance and design, and we look forward to delivering an ownership experience worthy of their legacy.”
Glazer is also owner and co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team.
With the acquisition of the Boardwalk Auto Group, US Auto Trust now owns nine luxury franchises. In addition to the recently acquired Boardwalk Auto dealers, the company owns two Aston Martin dealerships in San Diego and Newport Beach, CA, as well as Lotus of San Diego and Cadillac Pasadena in Southern California.
The luxury segment accounts for a growing percentage of new retail sales. Vehicles with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $70,000 accounted for 14.1% of all retail auto purchases in the U.S. in the first half of 2025 compared to only 3.9% in 2019, according to Cox Automotive data.
“Today’s auto market is being driven by wealthier households who have access to capital, good loan rates and are propping up the higher end of the market,” said Cox Automotive executive analyst Erin Keating in a press release.
The Ferrari franchise is the real jewel in the crown of the Boardwalk acquisition, George Karolis, president of The Presidio Group, an Atlanta- and Denver-based investment bank involved in retail auto mergers and acquisitions, told Wards Auto in a phone interview.
“There are only some 50 Ferrari dealerships in the United States, and they change hands infrequently,” said Karolis. “Most folks who have Ferrari love Ferrari.”
He compared owning a Ferrari franchise to owning a sports team. “Some make good money, but some don’t make a good return,” Karolis said. “But they are tremendously valuable.”
The Presidio Group advised Scott Biehl on his sale of Jaguar Land Rover Los Angeles to US Auto Trust in August 2022. On June 30, 2025, US Auto Trust sold that dealership and three other Jaguar Land Rover dealerships in the Los Angeles area to publicly listed Sonic Automotive Group.
Focusing on such high-end luxury brands gives a dealership group some cushion against any economic downturn, Karolis said. “The ultra-luxury customers haven’t been impacted as much by the economy,” he said, adding “Ferrari is the most desirable for the ultra-luxury franchises.”
