ABG US Equity☆

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

OVERVIEW

We are one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States. As of December 31, 2020 we owned and operated 112 new vehicle franchises (91 dealership locations), representing 31 brands of automobiles, 25 collision centers, and one auto auction in 16 metropolitan markets, within nine states. Our stores offer an extensive range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; parts and service, which include repair and maintenance services, replacement parts, and collision repair service; and finance and insurance products. For the year ended December 31, 2020, our new vehicle revenue brand mix consisted of 41% imports, 39% luxury, and 20% domestic brands.

Our revenues are derived primarily from: (i) the sale of new vehicles; (ii) the sale of used vehicles to individual retail customers ("used retail") and to other dealers at auction ("wholesale") (the terms "used retail" and "wholesale" collectively referred to as "used"); (iii) repair and maintenance services, including collision repair, the sale of automotive replacement parts, and the reconditioning of used vehicles (collectively referred to as "parts and service"); and (iv) the arrangement of third-party vehicle financing and the sale of a number of vehicle protection products (defined below and collectively referred to as "F&I"). We evaluate the results of our new and used vehicle sales based on unit volumes and gross profit per vehicle sold, our parts and service operations based on aggregate gross profit, and our F&I business based on F&I gross profit per vehicle sold.

Our gross profit margin varies with our revenue mix. Sales of new vehicles generally result in a lower gross profit margin than used vehicle sales, sales of parts and service, and sales of F&I products. As a result, when used vehicle, parts and service, and F&I revenue increase as a percentage of total revenue, we expect our overall gross profit margin to increase.

Selling, general, and administrative ("SG&A") expenses consist primarily of fixed and incentive-based compensation, advertising, rent, insurance, utilities, and other customary operating expenses. A significant portion of our cost structure is variable (such as sales commissions) or controllable (such as advertising), which we believe allows us to adapt to changes in the retail environment over the long-term. We evaluate commissions paid to salespeople as a percentage of retail vehicle gross profit, advertising expense on a per vehicle retailed ("PVR") basis, and all other SG&A expenses in the aggregate as a percentage of total gross profit.

Our continued organic growth is dependent upon the execution of our balanced automotive retailing and service business strategy, the continued strength of our brand mix, and the production and allocation of desirable vehicles from the automobile manufacturers whose brands we sell. Our vehicle sales have historically fluctuated with product availability as well as local and national economic conditions, including consumer confidence, availability of consumer credit, fuel prices, and employment levels. Our vehicle sales may also be impacted by manufacturer imposed stop-sales or open safety recalls.

In addition, our ability to sell certain new and used vehicles can be negatively impacted by a number of factors, some of which are outside of our control. As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, certain vehicle manufacturers have needed to slow or temporarily halt assembly lines for the safety of their workers. Manufacturers have also been hampered by the lack of availability of parts and key components from suppliers such as semi-conductor chips, which has also caused disruption to production. We cannot predict with any certainty how long the automotive retail industry will continue to be subject to these production slowdowns or when normalized production will resume at these manufacturers. Further, governmental actions, such as travel restrictions imposed in response to national emergencies or the imposition of tariffs or trade restrictions on imported goods may adversely affect vehicle sales and depress demand. Although we cannot adequately predict the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on our business, we continue to believe that any future negative trends in new vehicle sales caused by lack of inventory availability would be partially mitigated by (i) the expected relative stability of our parts and service operations over the long-term, (ii) the variable nature of significant components of our cost structure, and (iii) our diversified brand and geographic mix.

Park Place Acquisition

On December 11, 2019, the Company entered into (1) an Asset Purchase Agreement (the "2019 Asset Purchase Agreement") with certain members of the Park Place Dealership family of entities, Park Place Mid-Cities, Ltd., a Texas limited partnership, and the identified principal (collectively, "Park Place") and (2) a Real Estate Purchase Agreement (the "Real Estate Purchase Agreement" and, together with the 2019 Asset Purchase Agreement, the "Transaction Agreements") with certain members of the Park Place Dealership family of entities to acquire substantially all of the assets of, and certain real property related to, the Park Place business. The 2019 Asset Purchase Agreement included the purchase of 19 franchises (3 Mercedes-Benz, 3 Sprinter, 2 Lexus, 2 Jaguar, 2 Land Rover, 1 Porsche, and 1 Volvo and 5 ultra luxury brands including 1 Bentley, 1 Rolls Royce, 1 McLaren, 1 Maserati and 1 Karma), two collision centers and an auto auction. On March 24, 2020, Asbury delivered notice to the sellers terminating the Transaction Agreements pursuant to the terms thereof in exchange for the

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payment of $10.0 million of liquidated damages. Please refer to Liquidity and Capital Resources for additional details regarding the impact on financing transactions.

As a result of the Company's efforts to mitigate the financial impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, along with a strong May and June 2020 performance, the Company reengaged on the Park Place Dealership group acquisition under more favorable pricing and more flexible financing terms, including limiting the purchase of luxury dealership franchises to those most aligned with the Company's core strategic business. On July 6, 2020, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the "Revised Asset Purchase Agreement") with Park Place to acquire substantially all of the assets of, and lease the real property related to, 12 new vehicle dealership franchises (3 Mercedes-Benz, 3 Sprinter, 2 Lexus, 1 Jaguar, 1 Land Rover, 1 Porsche, and 1 Volvo), two collision centers and an auto auction comprising the Park Place Dealership group (collectively, the "Revised Transaction") for a purchase price of $889.9 million. The Revised Transaction was completed on August 24, 2020. The purchase price was financed through a combination of cash, floor plan facilities and seller financing.

Impact of COVID-19 on Our Business

In response to the economic downturn to our business experienced as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, in early April 2020 management took various actions in an attempt to mitigate the financial impact. These actions included the furlough of employees, reduced store hours, and the suspension of the Company's 401(k) match. In addition, the Company implemented temporary reductions in pay for all employees and the Company’s directors also agreed to waive portions of their annual cash retainers. We continued to evaluate these actions throughout the second quarter of the 2020 fiscal year and made the difficult decision to permanently reduce the workforce by approximately 1,300 employees to help align our expense structure with the current business environment. By the end of July 2020 we had reinstated full pay to all employees impacted by the temporary reductions and the Company's 401(k) match for eligible employees. We continue to monitor and respond as necessary to the Company’s operational needs during the ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the resulting economic uncertainty.

The gradual rebound to our business we began to experience in May and June, continued through the third and fourth quarters of 2020. The seasonally adjusted annual rate ("SAAR") of new vehicle sales in the U.S. during 2020 was 14.6 million compared to 17.1 million in 2019. On a same-store basis, all of our revenue streams declined from the prior year with the exception of used vehicle wholesale revenue. Despite this decline in revenue, we experienced a significant increase in our new and used gross profit margins in 2020 when compared to 2019, as new vehicle supply disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic reduced the availability of new vehicle inventory, which eventually drove up demand for used vehicles. Our parts and service business also showed signs of a recovery and by year-end was approaching pre-pandemic levels.

We continue to monitor and manage our cash flows and have enacted cost saving measures to respond to the uncertain environment. The Company has significantly reduced its marketing expenses, deferred certain capital expenditures, and managed other controllable expenses. The flexibility of our cost structure has resulted in profitability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with profitability in the second half of 2020 exceeding that of the prior year period.

At this time, we cannot predict the duration or scope, and future effects, of the impacts from the pandemic. Vaccines are currently being administered with the objective of having the country return to some sense of normalcy by the second half of 2021. However, vaccine availability, distribution, efficacy to new strains of the virus and the public's willingness to get vaccinated all remain challenges, which could lengthen the duration of the impacts of the pandemic. We continue to manage the business as appropriate in order to preserve our financial flexibility during this challenging time.

During the first quarter of 2020, we recorded a $23.0 million non-cash impairment charge related to our intangible manufacturer franchise rights. If the COVID-19 pandemic continues, future outbreaks in the markets in which we operate may cause changes in customer behaviors, including a potential reduction in traffic at our dealerships and could result in additional impairment charges. The uncertainties in the global economy may negatively impact our suppliers and other business partners, which may interrupt our supply chain and require other changes to our operations. These and other factors may adversely impact our financial condition, liquidity and cash flow. We cannot accurately predict the amount and timing of any additional impairment charge at this time, however, any such impairment charge could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and stockholders’ equity.

Our top priority continues to be the safety and protection of our customers, team members and their families. We have modified certain business practices to conform to government restrictions and are taking precautionary measures as directed by government and regulatory authorities. Following the CDC’s recommendation, we are providing face masks to employees and guests as required. Additionally, we increased the frequency of dealership cleanings, implemented the use of plastic seat and steering wheel covers when performing service on guest vehicles, performed thorough cleaning and sanitizing of loaner vehicles after each use, and secured extra supplies of hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, gloves and disinfectants for both employee

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and guest use at our dealerships. Many of our stores are also offering complimentary pick-up and delivery services to our customers, and we continue to offer online purchasing of new and used vehicles with delivery to the customer.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND SIGNIFICANT ESTIMATES

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, requires management to make estimates and assumptions, that affect the amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, as of the date of the financial statements, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates their estimates and assumptions and the effects of any such revisions are reflected in the financial statements, in the period in which they are determined to be necessary. Actual outcomes could differ materially from those estimates in a manner that could have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Set forth below are the policies and estimates that we have identified as critical to our business operations and understanding our results of operations, based on the high degree of judgment or complexity in their application.

Goodwill and Manufacturer Franchise Rights—

Goodwill represents the excess cost of an acquired business over the fair market value of its identifiable assets and liabilities. We have determined, based on how we integrate acquisitions into our business, how the components of our business share resources and interact with one another, and how we review the results of our operations, that we have several geographic market-based operating segments. We have determined the dealerships in each of our operating segments are components that are aggregated into several geographic market-based reporting units for the purpose of testing goodwill for impairment, as they (i) have similar economic characteristics, (ii) offer similar products and services (all of our franchised dealerships offer new and used vehicles, parts and service, and arrange for third-party vehicle financing and the sale of insurance products), (iii) have similar customers, (iv) have similar distribution and marketing practices (all of our dealerships distribute products and services through dealership facilities that market to customers in similar ways) and (v) operate under similar regulatory environments.

Our only other significant identifiable intangible assets are our rights under franchise agreements with manufacturers, which are recorded at an individual franchise level. The fair value of our manufacturer franchise rights are determined at the acquisition date, by discounting the projected cash flows specific to each franchise. We have determined that manufacturer franchise rights have an indefinite life as there are no economic, contractual or other factors that limit their useful lives, and they are expected to generate cash flows indefinitely due to the historically long lives of the manufacturers' brand names. Furthermore, to the extent that any agreements evidencing our manufacturer franchise rights would expire, we expect that we would be able to renew those agreements in the ordinary course of business. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we performed quantitative impairment tests as of March 31, 2020, and identified eleven dealerships with franchise rights carrying values that exceeded their fair values, and as a result, recorded non-cash impairment charges of $23.0 million. No additional franchise right impairments were identified in 2020.

We do not amortize goodwill and other intangible assets that are deemed to have indefinite lives. We review goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights for impairment annually as of October 1st, or more often if events or circumstances indicate that any impairment may have occurred. We are subject to financial statement risk to the extent that goodwill becomes impaired due to decreases in the fair value of our automotive retail business or manufacturer franchise rights become impaired due to decreases in the fair value of our individual franchises.

F&I Chargeback Reserves—

We receive commissions from third-party lending and insurance institutions for arranging customer financing and from the sale of vehicle service contracts, guaranteed asset protection (known as "GAP") debt cancellation, and other insurance to customers (collectively "F&I"). F&I commissions are recorded at the time the associated vehicle is sold.

We may be charged back for F&I commissions in the event a contract is prepaid, defaulted upon, or terminated ("chargebacks"). F&I commissions, net of estimated future chargebacks, are included in Finance and Insurance, net in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income. We reserve for chargebacks on finance, insurance, or vehicle service contract commissions received. The reserve is established based on historical operating results and the termination provisions of the applicable contracts and is evaluated on a product-by-product basis.

Our F&I cash chargebacks for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 were $38.0 million, $40.6 million, and $37.5 million, respectively. Our chargeback reserves were $47.3 million and $48.2 million as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Total chargebacks as a percentage of F&I commissions for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, were 12%, 13%, and 13%, respectively. A 100 basis point change in our estimated reserve rate for future

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chargebacks, would change our finance and insurance chargeback reserve by approximately $3.2 million as of December 31, 2020.

Insurance Reserves—

We are self-insured for employee medical claims and maintain stop loss insurance for large-dollar individual claims. We have large deductible insurance programs for workers compensation, property and general liability claims. We maintain and review our claim and loss history to assist in assessing our expected future liability for these claims. We also use professional service providers, such as account administrators and actuaries, to help us accumulate and assess this information. Provisions for retained losses and deductibles are made by charges to expense based upon periodic evaluations of the estimated ultimate liabilities on reported and unreported claims.

We had $17.9 million and $17.0 million of insurance reserves for incurred and expected employee medical, workers' compensation, property, and general liability claims, net of anticipated insurance recoveries, as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. Expenses associated with employee medical, workers' compensation, property, and general liability claims, including premiums for insurance coverage, for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, totaled $37.9 million, $33.3 million, and $29.9 million, respectively.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2019

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

REVENUE:

GROSS PROFIT:

OPERATING EXPENSES:

Selling, general, and administrative 781.9 799.8 (17.9) (2) %

Depreciation and amortization 38.5 36.2 2.3 6 %

Franchise rights impairment 23.0 7.1 15.9 NM

Other operating expenses, net 9.2 0.8 8.4 NM

OTHER EXPENSES (INCOME):

Loss on extinguishment of long-term debt, net 20.6 — 20.6 — %

Gain on dealership divestitures, net (62.3) (11.7) (50.6) NM

Net income per common share—Diluted $ 13.18 $ 9.55 $ 3.63 38 %

______________________________

NM—Not Meaningful

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For the Year Ended December 31,

REVENUE MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 27.0 % 26.9 %

Used vehicle wholesale 3.4 % 2.6 %

Parts and service 12.5 % 12.5 %

Finance and insurance, net 4.3 % 4.4 %

GROSS PROFIT MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 11.9 % 11.5 %

Used vehicle wholesale 0.9 % 0.1 %

Parts and service 44.4 % 47.8 %

Finance and insurance, net 24.9 % 27.0 %

GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 17.2 % 16.2 %

SG&A EXPENSES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS PROFIT 63.9 % 68.4 %

Total revenue during 2020 decreased by $78.5 million (1%) compared to 2019, due to a $95.9 million (2%) decrease in new vehicle revenue, a $9.6 million (1%) decrease in parts and service revenue and a $10.9 million (3%) decrease in F&I revenue, partially offset by a $37.9 million (2%) increase in used vehicle revenue. The $54.5 million (5%) increase in gross profit during 2020 was the result of a $59.0 million (37%) increase in new vehicle gross profit, a $22.5 million (17%) increase in used vehicle gross profit, partially offset by a $16.1 million (3%) decrease in parts and service gross profit and a $10.9 million (3%) decrease in F&I gross profit. Our total gross profit margin increased 100 basis points from 16.2% in 2019 to 17.2% in 2020.

Income from operations during 2020 increased by $45.8 million (14%) compared to 2019, primarily due to a $54.5 million (5%) increase in gross profit and a $17.9 million (2%) decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses partially offset by a $15.9 million increase in franchise rights impairment, an $8.4 million increase in other operating expenses, net and a $2.3 million (6%) increase in depreciation and amortization expenses.

Total other expenses, net decreased by $48.4 million (60)% in 2020, primarily due to a $50.6 million increase in gain on dealership divestitures and a $20.2 million decrease in floor plan interest expense, partially offset by a $20.6 million loss on extinguishment of debt and a $1.8 million increase in other interest expense, net. As a result, income before income taxes increased by $94.2 million (39%) to $338.1 million in 2020. The $24.2 million (41%) increase in income tax expense was primarily attributable to the 39% increase in income before taxes and a 40 basis point increase in the 2020 effective tax rate. Overall, net income increased by $70.0 million (38%) from $184.4 million in 2019 to $254.4 million in 2020.

We assess the organic growth of our revenue and gross profit on a same store basis. We believe that our assessment on a same store basis represents an important indicator of comparative financial performance and provides relevant information to assess our performance. As such, for the following discussion, same store amounts consist of information from dealerships for identical months in each comparative period, commencing with the first month we owned the dealership. Additionally, amounts related to divested dealerships are excluded from each comparative period.

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New Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

New vehicle units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

New vehicle units:

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New Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

New vehicle gross margin 5.8 % 4.1 % 1.7 %

Luxury:

New vehicle gross margin 7.8 % 6.3 % 1.5 %

Import:

New vehicle gross margin 3.9 % 2.4 % 1.5 %

Domestic:

New vehicle gross margin 5.9 % 4.3 % 1.6 %

Same Store:

New vehicle gross margin 5.4 % 4.2 % 1.2 %

Luxury:

New vehicle gross margin 7.3 % 6.3 % 1.0 %

Import:

New vehicle gross margin 3.8 % 2.4 % 1.4 %

Domestic:

New vehicle gross margin 5.8 % 4.2 % 1.6 %

New vehicle revenue decreased by $95.9 million (2%), as a result of a 10% decrease in new vehicle unit sales partially offset by an 8% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold. Same store new vehicle revenue decreased by $317.1 million (9%) as a result of a 12% decrease in new vehicle units sold, partially offset by a 4% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold.

Same store new vehicle gross profit in 2020 increased by $27.9 million (19%), as a result of a 36% increase in gross profit per new vehicle sold partially offset by a 12% decrease in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross margin increased 120 basis points to 5.4% in 2020, primarily as a result of a supply shortage for much of 2020 caused by manufacturers reducing or halting production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We finished 2020 with a 40 day supply of new vehicle inventory which is below our target of 70 to 75 days primarily as a result of production challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Used Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 11.3 1.0 10.3 NM

Used vehicle retail units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle retail gross profit $ 127.4 $ 124.1 $ 3.3 3 %

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 9.1 1.6 7.5 NM

Used vehicle retail units:

Used Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

Used vehicle retail gross margin 7.5 % 6.9 % 0.6 %

Same Store:

Used vehicle retail gross margin 7.6 % 7.0 % 0.6 %

Used vehicle revenue increased by $37.9 million (2%), due to a $49.2 million (26%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue partially offset by a $11.3 million (1%) decrease in used retail revenue. Same store used vehicle revenue decreased by $71.4 million (4%) due to an $86.6 million (5%) decrease in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $15.2 million (9%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenues.

In 2020, total Company and same store used vehicle retail gross profit margins increased 60 basis points to 7.5% and 7.6%, respectively. We primarily attribute the increases in used vehicle retail gross profit margin to increased demand for used vehicles as a result of new vehicle inventory shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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We believe that our used vehicle inventory continues to be well-aligned with current consumer demand, with approximately 31 days of supply as of December 31, 2020.

Parts and Service—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Parts and service gross profit:

Total parts and service gross profit $ 543.2 $ 559.3 $ (16.1) (3) %

Same Store:

Parts and service gross profit:

Total parts and service gross profit $ 470.8 $ 522.3 $ (51.5) (10) %

* Reconditioning and preparation represents the gross profit earned by our parts and service departments for internal work performed and is included as a reduction of Parts and service cost of sales within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income upon the sale of the vehicle.

The $9.6 million (1%) decrease in parts and service revenue was primarily due to a $11.2 million decrease in wholesale parts revenue and a $0.3 million decrease in customer pay revenue partially offset by a $1.9 million increase in warranty revenue. The wholesale parts business was negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which significantly reduced demand as a result of fewer miles being driven. Same store parts and service revenue decreased $64.6 million (8%) from $840.0 million in 2019 to $775.4 million in 2020. The decrease in same store parts and service revenue was due to a $33.9 million (7%) decrease in customer pay revenue, a $13.6 million (9%) decrease in warranty revenue, and a $11.1 million (9%) decrease in wholesale parts revenue.

Parts and service gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, decreased by $4.4 million (1%) to $425.5 million and same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, decreased by $38.0 million (9%) to $365.9 million. The $38.0 million decrease in same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, is primarily due to a $29.2 million (10%) decrease in customer pay gross profit, a $6.7 million (8%) decrease in warranty gross profit, and a $2.1 million (10%) decrease in wholesale parts gross profit. The COVID-19 global pandemic negatively impacted our parts and service business for most of 2020 as a result of people driving fewer miles and therefore requiring less vehicle maintenance. In addition, fewer accidents on the roadways negatively impacted our collision repair business.

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Finance and Insurance, net—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 1,736 $ 1,630 $ 106 7 %

Same Store:

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 1,775 $ 1,645 $ 130 8 %

F&I revenue, net decreased by $10.9 million (3%) in 2020 when compared to 2019 primarily as a result of a 9% decrease in new and used retail unit sales partially offset by a 7% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed.

On a same store basis F&I revenue, net decreased by $12.9 million (4%) in 2020 when compared to 2019 primarily as a result of a 11% decrease in new and used retail unit sales partially offset by a 8% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed.

During 2020 we continued to benefit from a favorable consumer lending environment, which allowed more of our customers to take advantage of a broader array of F&I products and our continued focus on improving the F&I results at our lower-performing stores through our F&I training programs.

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Selling, General, and Administrative Expense—

2020 % of GrossProfit 2019 % of GrossProfit

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Same Store:

SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit decreased 450 basis points from 68.4% in 2019 to 63.9% in 2020. Same store SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit decreased 340 basis points from 68.6% in 2019 to 65.2% in 2020. The decrease in SG&A as a percentage of gross profit is the result of broad cost cutting measures implemented as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic and higher gross profits on new and used vehicle sales triggered by new vehicle inventory shortages caused by pandemic related production disruptions. In addition to personnel cost savings realized as a result of headcount reductions, our cost cutting measures significantly reduced controllable expenses, such as advertising and travel. We were also able to generate savings by adjusting our loaner vehicle fleet to accommodate the COVID-19 triggered service volume downturn. We anticipate our SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit to gradually increase as new vehicle inventory levels begin to normalize in 2021.

Depreciation and Amortization Expense —

The $2.3 million (6%) increase in depreciation and amortization expense during 2020 compared to 2019, was primarily the result of depreciation associated with dealership acquisitions during 2020, additional assets placed into service during 2020, and depreciation expense associated with the purchase of previously leased properties.

Franchise Rights Impairment —

We assessed our manufacturer franchise rights for impairment by comparing the present value of cash flows attributable to each franchise right to its carrying value. As a result of our impairment testing performed as of March 31, 2020, we recognized

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a $23.0 million pretax non-cash charge related to eleven dealerships during the year ended December 31, 2020 and a $7.1 million charge as a result of our annual impairment test related to six dealerships during the year ended December 31, 2019.

Other Operating Expenses (Income), net —

Other operating expenses (income), net includes gains and losses from the sale of property and equipment, income derived from lease arrangements, and other non-core operating items. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded other operating expense, net of $9.2 million, which included $12.9 million related to the Park Place acquisition, $0.7 million real estate related impairment partially offset by a $2.1 million gain related to legal settlements and a $0.3 million gain related to the sale of vacant real estate.

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded expense of $0.8 million, net, which included a $2.6 million pre-tax loss related to the write-off of fixed assets, partially offset by $1.8 million, net of other non-core operating income.

Floor Plan Interest Expense —

Floor plan interest decreased by $20.2 million (53%) to $17.7 million during 2020 compared to $37.9 million during 2019, as a result of a decrease in the LIBOR rate on which our floor plan interest rate is calculated as well as generally lower new vehicle inventory levels during 2020 as a result of pandemic related production issues.

Income Tax Expense —

The $24.2 million (41%) increase in income tax expense was the result of a $94.2 million (39%) increase in income before income taxes. Our effective tax rate increased 40 basis points from 24.4% in 2019 to 24.8% in 2020. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to an increased state rate attributed to higher apportionment in certain jurisdictions in states in which the Company has significant activity. We expect our effective tax rate to be around 25% in 2021.

Refer to Note 15 "Income Taxes" for additional information regarding income taxes.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2018

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

REVENUE:

GROSS PROFIT:

OPERATING EXPENSES:

Depreciation and amortization 36.2 33.7 2.5 7 %

Franchise rights impairment 7.1 3.7 3.4 92 %

Other operating expenses (income), net 0.8 (1.1) 1.9 (173) %

OTHER EXPENSES (INCOME):

Swap interest expense — 0.5 (0.5) (100) %

Gain on dealership divestitures, net (11.7) — (11.7) —

Total other expenses, net 81.1 86.1 (5.0) (6) %

Net income per common share—Diluted $ 9.55 $ 8.28 $ 1.27 15 %

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For the Year Ended December 31,

REVENUE MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 26.9 % 25.9 %

Used vehicle wholesale 2.6 % 2.8 %

Parts and service 12.5 % 11.9 %

Finance and insurance, net 4.4 % 4.3 %

GROSS PROFIT MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 11.5 % 11.5 %

Used vehicle wholesale 0.1 % 0.2 %

Parts and service 47.8 % 46.8 %

Finance and insurance, net 27.0 % 26.5 %

GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 16.2 % 16.0 %

SG&A EXPENSES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS PROFIT 68.4 % 68.5 %

Total revenue during 2019 increased by $335.9 million (5%) compared to 2018, due to a $74.6 million (2%) increase in new vehicle revenue, a $159.2 million (8%) increase in used vehicle revenue, a $78.4 million (10%) increase in parts and service revenue and a $23.7 million (8%) increase in F&I revenue. The $65.9 million (6%) increase in gross profit during 2019 was the result of a $4.4 million (3%) increase in used vehicle gross profit, a $23.7 million (8%) increase in F&I gross profit and a $43.5 million (8%) increase in parts and service gross profit, partially offset by a $5.7 million (3%) decrease in new vehicle gross profit. Our total gross profit margin increased 20 basis points from 16.0% in 2018 to 16.2% in 2019.

Income from operations during 2019 increased by $14.1 million (5%) compared to 2018, primarily due to a $65.9 million (6%) increase in gross profit, partially offset by a $44.0 million (6%) increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses, a $3.4 million increase in franchise rights impairment, a $2.5 million (7%) increase in depreciation and amortization expenses, and a $1.9 million increase in other operating expenses (income), net.

Total other expenses (income), net decreased by $5.0 million in 2019, primarily due to an $11.7 million increase in gain on divestitures and a $0.5 million decrease in swap interest expense in 2019, partially offset by a $5.4 million increase in floor plan interest expense and a $1.8 million increase in other interest expense, net. As a result, income before income taxes increased by $19.1 million (8%) to $243.9 million in 2019. The $2.7 million (5%) increase in income tax expense was primarily attributable to the 8% increase in income before taxes, partially offset by a 3% decrease associated with a lower effective tax rate. Overall, net income increased by $16.4 million (10%) from $168.0 million in 2018 to $184.4 million in 2019.

On January 1, 2019, we adopted ASC 842, utilizing the optional transition relief method, which allowed for the effective date of the new leases standard as the date of initial application. Our prior period comparative information has not been adjusted and continues to be reported under accounting standards in effect for those periods. The adoption of this accounting standard had a minimal impact on the financial results of the Company for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. For additional information related to the impacts from the adoption of this update, please refer to Note 18 "Leases" within the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2017-12. This update aligns the recognition and presentation, which are to be applied prospectively, of the effects of the hedging instrument and the hedged item in the financial statements. As a result of the adoption of this update, the Company's swap interest expense is now presented within other interest expense, net. Please refer to Note 14 "Financial Instruments and Fair Value" within the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details regarding the Company's interest rate swap agreements.

We assess the organic growth of our revenue and gross profit on a same store basis. We believe that our assessment on a same store basis represents an important indicator of comparative financial performance and provides relevant information to assess our performance. As such, for the following discussion, same store amounts consist of information from dealerships for

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identical months in each comparative period, commencing with the first month we owned the dealership. Additionally, amounts related to divested dealerships are excluded from each comparative period.

New Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Total new vehicle gross profit $ 159.5 $ 165.2 $ (5.7) (3) %

New vehicle units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Total new vehicle gross profit $ 151.2 $ 163.6 $ (12.4) (8) %

New vehicle units:

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New Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 1,516 $ 1,569 $ (53) (3) %

New vehicle gross margin 4.1 % 4.4 % (0.3) %

Luxury:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 3,473 $ 3,481 $ (8) — %

New vehicle gross margin 6.3 % 6.5 % (0.2) %

Import:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 685 $ 836 $ (151) (18) %

New vehicle gross margin 2.4 % 2.9 % (0.5) %

Domestic:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 1,719 $ 1,684 $ 35 2 %

New vehicle gross margin 4.3 % 4.3 % — %

Same Store:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 1,508 $ 1,579 $ (71) (4) %

New vehicle gross margin 4.1 % 4.4 % (0.3) %

Luxury:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 3,491 $ 3,481 $ 10 — %

New vehicle gross margin 6.3 % 6.5 % (0.2) %

Import:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 670 $ 832 $ (162) (19) %

New vehicle gross margin 2.4 % 2.9 % (0.5) %

Domestic:

Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 1,659 $ 1,684 $ (25) (1) %

New vehicle gross margin 4.1 % 4.3 % (0.2) %

New vehicle revenue increased by $74.6 million (2%), as a result of a 2% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold. Same store new vehicle revenue decreased by $60.8 million (2%) as a result of a 3% decreases in new vehicle units sold, partially offset by an increase in revenue per new vehicle sold.

The 3% decrease in same store unit sale volume was driven by a 3% and 13% decrease in import and domestic units, respectively, partially offset by a 4% increase in luxury units.

Same store new vehicle gross profit in 2019 decreased by $12.4 million (8%), as a result of a 4% decrease in gross profit per new vehicle sold, and a 3% decrease in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross margin decreased 30 basis point to 4.1% in 2019, as a result of margin pressure across our brand offerings, but particularly our import brands, which decreased 50 basis points from 2.9% in 2018 to 2.4% in 2019.

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Used Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle retail gross profit $ 133.1 $ 127.8 $ 5.3 4 %

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 1.0 1.9 (0.9) (47) %

Used vehicle retail units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle retail gross profit $ 126.0 $ 126.1 $ (0.1) — %

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 1.1 2.0 (0.9) (45) %

Used vehicle retail units:

Used Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 1,502 $ 1,551 $ (49) (3) %

Used vehicle retail gross margin 6.9 % 7.2 % (0.3) %

Same Store:

Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 1,503 $ 1,558 $ (55) (4) %

Used vehicle retail gross margin 6.8 % 7.2 % (0.4) %

Used vehicle revenue increased by $159.2 million (8%), due to a $158.0 million (9%) increase in used retail revenue and $1.2 million (1%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Same store used vehicle revenue increase by $91.7 million (5%) due to a $93.2 million (5%) increase in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $1.5 million (1%) decrease in used vehicle wholesale revenues.

In 2019, total Company and same store used vehicle retail gross profit margins decreased 30 and 40 basis points to 6.9% and 6.8%, respectively. We primarily attribute the decrease in used vehicle retail gross profit margin to the Company's efforts to grow our sales volume, which benefits our reconditioning and preparation business and finance and insurance, net, as well as increased competition and price transparency within the used vehicle marketplace.

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We believe that our used vehicle inventory continues to be well-aligned with current consumer demand, with approximately 29 days of supply as of December 31, 2019.

Parts and Service—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Parts and service gross profit:

Total parts and service gross profit $ 559.3 $ 515.8 $ 43.5 8 %

Same Store:

Parts and service gross profit:

Total parts and service gross profit $ 538.7 $ 509.2 $ 29.5 6 %

* Reconditioning and preparation represents the gross profit earned by our parts and service departments for internal work performed and is included as a reduction of Parts and service cost of sales within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income upon the sale of the vehicle.

The $78.4 million (10%) increase in parts and service revenue was due to a $48.0 million (9%) increase in customer pay revenue, a $21.6 million (15%) increase in warranty revenue, and an $8.8 million (7%) increase in wholesale parts revenue. Same store parts and service revenue increased $56.1 million (7%) from $810.9 million in 2018 to $867.0 million in 2019. The increase in same store parts and service revenue was due to a $32.7 million (6%) increase in customer pay revenue, a $16.4 million (11%) increase in warranty revenue, and a $7.0 million (6%) increase in wholesale parts revenue.

Parts and service gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $38.3 million (10%) to $429.9 million and same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $27.0 million (7%) to $414.2 million. The $27.0 million increase in same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, is primarily due to a $16.8 million (6%) increase in customer pay gross profit, a $9.3 million (12%) increase in warranty gross profit, and a $0.9 million (4%) increase in wholesale parts gross profit. We attribute the increase in same store gross profit to our continued strategic focus on customer retention as well as additional warranty work.

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Finance and Insurance, net—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 1,630 $ 1,558 $ 72 5 %

Same Store:

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 1,643 $ 1,555 $ 88 6 %

F&I revenue, net increased by $23.7 million (8%) in 2019 when compared to 2018 primarily as a result of a 5% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed and a 3% increase in new and used retail unit sales.

On a same store basis F&I revenue, net increased by $15.3 million (5%) in 2019 when compared to 2018 primarily as a result of a 6% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed.

We continued to benefit from a favorable consumer lending environment, which allowed more of our customers to take advantage of a broader array of F&I products and our continued focus on improving the F&I results at our lower-performing stores through our F&I training programs.

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Selling, General, and Administrative Expense—

2019 % of GrossProfit 2018 % of GrossProfit

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Same Store:

SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit decreased 10 basis points from 68.5% in 2018 to 68.4% in 2019. Same store SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit remained at 68.4% in both 2018 and 2019.

Depreciation and Amortization Expense —

The $2.5 million (7%) increase in depreciation and amortization expense during 2019 compared to 2018, was primarily the result of depreciation associated with dealership acquisitions during 2019, additional assets placed into service during 2019, and depreciation expense associated with the purchase of previously leased properties.

Franchise rights impairment —

We assessed our manufacturer franchise rights for impairment by comparing the present value of cash flows attributable to each franchise right to its carrying value. As a result of our impairment testing, we recognized a $7.1 million pretax non-cash charge related to six dealerships for the year ended December 31, 2019 and a $3.7 million charge related to three dealerships for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Other Operating Expenses (Income), net —

Other operating expenses (income), net includes gains and losses from the sale of property and equipment, income derived from lease arrangements, and other non-core operating items. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded expense of $0.8 million, net which included a $2.6 million pre-tax loss related to the write-off of fixed assets, partially offset by $1.8 million, net of other non-core operating income.

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The $1.1 million in other operating income, net for 2018, is primarily due to a $0.7 million gain resulting from legal settlements and $.04 million of other non-core operating income.

Floor Plan Interest Expense —

Floor plan interest increased by $5.4 million (17%) to $37.9 million during 2019 compared to $32.5 million during 2018, as a result of an increase in LIBOR from which our floor plan interest rate is calculated and increased floor plan borrowings from higher inventory levels during 2019.

Income Tax Expense—

The $2.7 million (5%) increase in income tax expense was the result of a $19.1 million (8%) increase in income before income taxes, partially offset by a decrease as a result of a lower effective tax rate and an excess tax benefit related to the vesting of share-based awards. Our effective tax decreased from 25.3% in 2018 to 24.4 in 2019. The decrease in our effective tax rate was primarily due to a reduced state rate attributed to lower apportionment in certain jurisdictions and statutory rate reductions in states in which the Company has significant activity. We expect our effective tax rate to be between 24.5% and 25.5% for 2020.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

As of December 31, 2020, we had total available liquidity of $461.9 million, which consisted of $1.4 million of cash and cash equivalents, $85.4 million of available funds in our floor plan offset accounts, $237.3 million of availability under our revolving credit facility, and $137.8 million of availability under our used vehicle revolving floor plan facility. The borrowing capacities under our revolving credit facility and our used vehicle revolving floor plan facility are limited by borrowing base calculations and, from time to time, may be further limited by our required compliance with certain financial covenants. As of December 31, 2020, these financial covenants did not further limit our availability under our other credit facilities. For more information on our financial covenants, see "Covenants and Defaults" and "Share Repurchases and Dividend Restrictions" below.

We continually evaluate our liquidity and capital resources based upon (i) our cash and cash equivalents on hand, (ii) the funds that we expect to generate through future operations, (iii) current and expected borrowing availability under our 2019 Senior Credit Facility, our other floor plan facilities, our Real Estate Credit Agreement, our Restated Master Loan Agreement, and our mortgage financings (each, as defined below), (iv) amounts in our new vehicle floor plan notes payable offset accounts, and (v) the potential impact of our capital allocation strategy and any contemplated or pending future transactions, including, but not limited to, financings, acquisitions, dispositions, equity and/or debt repurchases, dividends, or other capital expenditures. We believe we will have sufficient liquidity to meet our debt service and working capital requirements; commitments and contingencies; debt repayment, maturity and repurchase obligations; acquisitions; capital expenditures; and any operating requirements for at least the next twelve months.

Park Place Acquisition

On March 24, 2020, the Company delivered notice to the sellers terminating the 2019 Asset Purchase Agreement and the Real Estate Purchase Agreement related to the Park Place acquisition in exchange for the payment of $10.0 million of liquidated damages. In connection with the termination of the Transaction Agreements, the Company delivered a notice of special mandatory redemption to holders of its $525.0 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2028 (the"2028 Notes") and $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2030 (the "2030 Notes") pursuant to which it redeemed on a pro rata basis (1) $245.0 million of the 2028 Notes and (2) $280.0 million of the 2030 Notes, in each case, at 100% of the respective principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding the special mandatory redemption date (the "Special Mandatory Redemption").

On July 6, 2020, the Company entered into the Revised Asset Purchase Agreement with respect to the Revised Transaction. The Revised Transaction was completed on August 24, 2020 for a purchase price of $889.9 million. The purchase price was financed through a combination of cash, floor plan facilities and seller financing discussed in more detail below.

Material Indebtedness

We currently are party to the following material credit facilities and agreements, and have the following material indebtedness outstanding. For a more detailed description of the material terms of these agreements and facilities, and this indebtedness, refer to the "Long-Term Debt" footnote included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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•2019 Senior Credit Facility—On September 25, 2019, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into the third amended and restated credit agreement with Bank of America, as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (the "2019 Senior Credit Facility"). The 2019 Senior Credit Agreement provides for the following:

Revolving Credit Facility— A $250.0 million Revolving Credit Facility for, among other things, acquisitions, working capital and capital expenditures, including a $50.0 million sub-limit for letters of credit. We had $12.7 million in outstanding letters of credit as of December 31, 2020, resulting in $237.3 million of borrowing availability as of December 31, 2020.

New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility— A $1.04 billion New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility which allows us to transfer cash as an offset to floor plan notes payable. These transfers reduce the amount of outstanding new vehicle floor plan notes payable that would otherwise accrue interest, while retaining the ability to transfer amounts from the offset account into our operating cash accounts within one to two days. As a result of the use of this floor plan offset account, we experienced a reduction in Floor Plan Interest Expense on our Consolidated Statements of Income. As of December 31, 2020, we had $637.3 million outstanding under the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility, which is net of $78.6 million in our floor plan offset account.

Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility— A $160.0 million Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility to finance the acquisition of used vehicle inventory and for, among other things, working capital and capital expenditures, as well as to refinance used vehicles. We began the year with nothing drawn on our used vehicle floor plan facility. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we had borrowings of $220.0 million and repayments of $220.0 million, resulting in no borrowings outstanding on our Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility as of December 31, 2020. Our borrowing capacity under the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility was limited to $137.8 million based on our borrowing base calculation as of December 31, 2020.

Subject to compliance with certain conditions, the 2019 Senior Credit Agreement provides that we have the ability, at our option and subject to the receipt of additional commitments from existing or new lenders, to increase the size of the facilities by up to $350.0 million in the aggregate without lender consent.

At our option, we have the ability to re-designate a portion of our availability under the Revolving Credit Facility to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility. The maximum amount we are allowed to re-designate is determined based on aggregate commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility, less $50.0 million. In addition, we are able to re-designate any amounts moved to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility back to the Revolving Credit Facility. We started the year with $190.0 million of availability under the Revolving Credit Facility re-designated to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility to take advantage of the lower commitment fee rates on the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility when compared to the Revolving Credit Facility. On March 17, 2020, we re-allocated the entire $190.0 million from the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility to the Revolving Credit Facility.

Borrowings under the 2019 Senior Credit Facility bear interest, at our option, based on LIBOR or the Base Rate, in each case, plus an Applicable Rate. The Base Rate is the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50%, (ii) the Bank of America prime rate, and (iii) one month LIBOR plus 1.00%. Applicable Rate means with respect to the Revolving Credit Facility, a range from 1.00% to 2.00% for LIBOR loans and 0.15% to 1.00% for Base Rate loans, in each case based on the Company's consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio. Borrowings under the New Vehicle Floorplan Facility bear interest, at our option, based on LIBOR plus 1.10% or the Base Rate plus 0.10%. Borrowings under the Used Vehicle Floorplan Facility bear interest, at our option, based on LIBOR plus 1.40% or the Base Rate plus 0.40%.

In addition to the payment of interest on borrowings outstanding under the 2019 Senior Credit Facility, we are required to pay a quarterly commitment fee on total unused commitments thereunder. The fee for unused commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility is between 0.15% and 0.40% per year, based on the Company's total lease adjusted leverage ratio, and the fee for unused commitments under the New Vehicle Facility Floor Plan and the Used Vehicle Facility Floor Plan Facility is 0.15% per year.

•Manufacturer affiliated new vehicle floor plan and other financing facilities—We have a floor plan facility with the Ford Motor Credit Company ("Ford Credit") to purchase new Ford and Lincoln vehicle inventory. Our floor plan facility with Ford Credit was amended in July 2020 to extend the maturity date to July 31, 2021. We have also established a floor plan offset account with Ford Credit, which operates in a similar manner to our floor plan offset account with Bank of America. As of December 31, 2020, we had $64.9 million, which is net of $6.8 million in our floor plan offset account, outstanding under our floor plan facility. Additionally, we had $132.7 million, outstanding under our 2019 Senior Credit Facility and facilities with certain manufacturers for the financing of loaner vehicles,

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which were presented within Accounts payable and accrued liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Neither our floor plan facility with Ford Credit nor our facilities for loaner vehicles have stated borrowing limitations.

•The New Senior Notes—On February 19, 2020, the Company completed its offering of senior unsecured notes, consisting of $525.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Existing 2028 Notes and $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Existing 2030 Notes. The 2028 Notes and 2030 Notes mature on March 1, 2028 and March 1, 2030, respectively. Interest is payable semiannually, on March 1 and September 1 of each year. The New Senior Notes were offered, together with additional borrowings and cash on hand, to (i) fund, if consummated, the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Park Place, (ii) redeem all of our outstanding $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024 (the "6.0% Notes") and (iii) pay fees and expenses in connection with the foregoing.

On March 24, 2020, the Company delivered notice to the sellers terminating the 2019 Asset Purchase Agreement and the Real Estate Purchase Agreement. As a result, the Company redeemed $245.0 million aggregate principal million of the 2028 Notes and $280.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2030 Notes pursuant to the Special Mandatory Redemption.

In September 2020, the Company completed an add-on issuance of $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional senior notes consisting of $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional 2028 Notes at a price of 101.00% of par, plus accrued interest from September 1, 2020, and $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional 2030 Notes (together with the additional 2028 Notes, the "Additional Notes") at a price of 101.75% of par, plus accrued interest from September 1, 2020 (the "September 2020 Offering"). After deducting the initial purchasers' discounts of $2.8 million, we received net proceeds of approximately $250.6 million from the September Offering. The $3.5 million premium paid by the initial purchasers of the Additional Notes was recorded as a component of long-term debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheet and is being amortized as a reduction of interest expense over the remaining term of the Notes. The proceeds of the September 2020 Offering were used to redeem the Seller Notes issued in connection with the Revised Transaction.

The notes of each series are guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis, by each of our existing and future restricted subsidiaries, with certain exceptions. In addition, the notes are subject to customary covenants, events of default and optional redemption revisions. The notes are required to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 within 270 days of the closing date for the offering of the notes. The Company completed the registration of the cash series of Notes in October 2020.

•Seller Notes — The Seller Notes comprised $150.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.00% promissory note due August 2021 and $50.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.00% promissory note due February 2022 and were issued on August 24, 2020 in conjunction with the Revised Transaction. In September 2020, the Company redeemed the Seller Notes with the proceeds of the September 2020 Offering of Senior Notes.

•6.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024 — In connection with the issuance of the Existing 2028 Notes and Existing 2030 Notes, on March 4, 2020, we redeemed all of our 6.0% Notes at 103% of par, plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the date of redemption.

•Mortgage notes—As of December 31, 2020, we had $79.2 million of various mortgage note obligations. These obligations are collateralized by the associated real estate at our dealership locations.

•2013 BofA Real Estate Facility—On September 26, 2013, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (the "2013 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement") with Bank of America, N.A. ("Bank of America"), as lender, providing for term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $75.0 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2013 BofA Real Estate Facility"). As of December 31, 2020, we had $33.6 million of outstanding borrowings under the 2013 BofA Real Estate Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under this agreement.

•2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility—On February 3, 2015, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amended and restated master loan agreement (the "2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement") with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association ("Wells Fargo"), as lender, which provides for term loans to certain of our subsidiaries that are borrowers under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100.0 million (the "2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility"). Borrowings under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility are guaranteed by us and are collateralized by the real property financed under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance under this agreement was $65.5 million, which included $3.8 million classified as Liabilities associated with assets held for sale. There is no further borrowing availability under this facility.

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•2018 Bank of America Facility—On November 13, 2018, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time, the "2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement") with Bank of America, as lender, providing for term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $128.1 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2018 BofA Real Estate Facility"). Our right to make draws under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility terminated on November 13, 2019. All of the real property financed by an operating dealership subsidiary of the Company under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility is collateralized by first priority liens, subject to certain permitted exceptions. As of December 31, 2020, we had $84.2 million of outstanding borrowings under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility.

•2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility—On November 16, 2018, certain of our subsidiaries entered into a master loan agreement (the "2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement") with Wells Fargo as lender, which provides for term loans to certain of our subsidiaries that are borrowers under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100.0 million (the "2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility"). Our right to make draws under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility terminated on June 30, 2020. On November 16, 2018 and June 26, 2020, we borrowed an aggregate amount of $25.0 million and $69.4 million, respectively, under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility, the proceeds of which were used for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2020, we had $92.0 million which includes $5.1 million classified as Liabilities associated with assets held for sale, outstanding borrowings under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under this agreement.

Covenants and Defaults

We are subject to a number of customary covenants in our various debt and lease agreements, including those described below. We were in compliance with all of our covenants as of December 31, 2020. Failure to comply with any of our debt covenants would constitute a default under the relevant debt agreements, which would entitle the lenders under such agreements to terminate our ability to borrow under the relevant agreements and accelerate our obligations to repay outstanding borrowings, if any, unless compliance with the covenants were waived. In many cases, defaults under one of our agreements could trigger cross-default provisions in our other agreements. If we are unable to remain in compliance with our financial or other covenants, we would be required to seek waivers or modifications of our covenants from our lenders, or we would need to raise debt and/or equity financing or sell assets to generate proceeds sufficient to repay such debt. We cannot give any assurance that we would be able to successfully take any of these actions on terms, or at times, that may be necessary or desirable.

The representations and covenants contained in the 2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement, 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement, 2013 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement, 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement and the related documents are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including, among others, requirements to comply with a minimum consolidated current ratio, minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case, as applicable. In addition, certain other covenants could restrict our ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends or acquire or dispose of assets. Each of these agreements provides for events of default that are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including cross-defaults to other material indebtedness. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, we could be required by the applicable agreement to immediately repay all amounts outstanding thereunder.

The representations and covenants contained in the agreement governing the 2019 Senior Credit Facility are customary for financing transactions of this nature including, among others, a requirement to comply with a minimum consolidated current ratio, minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case as set out in the agreement governing the 2019 Senior Credit Facility. In addition, certain other covenants could restrict the Company's ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends or acquire or dispose of assets. The agreement governing the 2019 Senior Credit Facility also provides for events of default that are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including cross-defaults to other material indebtedness. In certain instances, an event of default under either the Revolving Credit Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility could be, or result in, an event of default under the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility, and vice versa. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the Company could be required to immediately repay all amounts outstanding under the applicable facility.

The 2019 Senior Credit Facility and the Indentures currently allow for restricted payments without limit so long as our Consolidated Total Leverage ratio (as defined in the 2019 Senior Credit Facility and the Indenture) is no greater than 3.0 to 1.0 after giving effect to such proposed restricted payments. Restricted payments generally include items such as dividends, share repurchases, unscheduled repayments of subordinated debt, or purchases of certain investments. In the event that our Consolidated Total Leverage ratio does (or would) exceed 3.0 to 1.0, the 2019 Senior Credit Facility and the Indenture would then also allow for restricted payments under the following mutually exclusive parameters, subject to certain exclusions:

•Restricted payments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $20.0 million in any fiscal year;

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•General restricted payments allowance of $150.0 million; and

•Subject to our continued compliance with a minimum consolidated current ratio, a consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and a maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case as set out in the Indentures, restricted payments capacity additions (or subtractions if negative) equal to (i) 50% of our net income (as defined in the 2019 Senior Credit Facility and the Indenture) beginning on October 1, 2014 and ending on the date of the most recently completed fiscal quarter (the "Measurement Period"), plus (ii) 100% of any cash proceeds we receive from the sale of equity interests during the Measurement Period minus (iii) the dollar amount of share purchases made and dividends paid on or after December 4, 2014.

Share Repurchases and Dividend Restrictions

Our ability to repurchase shares or pay dividends on our common stock is subject to our compliance with the covenants and restrictions described in "Covenants and Defaults" above.

On January 30, 2014, our Board of Directors authorized the Repurchase Program. On October 19, 2018, our Board of Directors reset the authorization under our Repurchase Program to $100.0 million in the aggregate, for the repurchase of our common stock in open market transactions or privately negotiated transactions, from time to time.

During 2020, we did not repurchase any shares of our common stock under the Repurchase Program. As of December 31, 2020 we had remaining authorization to repurchase $66.3 million in shares of our common stock under the Repurchase Program.

On January 27, 2021, the Board of Directors increased the Company’s share repurchase authorization under our Repurchase Program by $33.7 million to $100 million. The extent that the Company repurchases its shares, the number of shares and the timing of any repurchases will depend on general market conditions, legal requirements and other corporate considerations. The repurchase program may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.

During 2020, we repurchased 56,607 shares of our common stock for $5.1 million from employees in connection with a net share settlement feature of employee equity-based awards.

Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2020, we had the following contractual obligations (in millions; note references are to the notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere herein):

Payments due by period

Floor plan notes payable (Notes10&11) $ 702.2 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 702.2

________________________________________

(a)For additional information related to the Company's operating and finance lease liabilities presented within the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements, see Note 18 "Leases" of the Notes thereto.

(b)Includes variable rate interest payments calculated using an estimated LIBOR rate of 0.14%, and assumes that borrowings will not be refinanced prior to or upon maturity.

Cash Flows

Classification of Cash Flows Associated with Floor Plan Notes Payable

Borrowings and repayments of floor plan notes payable to a lender unaffiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchase a particular new vehicle ("Non-Trade"), and all floor plan notes payable relating to used vehicles (together referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Non-Trade"), are classified as financing activities on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, with borrowings reflected separately from repayments. The net change in floor plan notes payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchase a particular new vehicle (collectively referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Trade") is classified as an operating activity on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash

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Flows. Borrowings of floor plan notes payable associated with inventory acquired in connection with all acquisitions and repayments made in connection with all divestitures are classified as a financing activity in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in operating activities differ from cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in financing activities only to the extent that the former are payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchased the related inventory, while the latter are payable to a lender not affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchased the related inventory. The majority of our floor plan notes are payable to parties unaffiliated with the entities from which we purchase our new vehicle inventory, with the exception of floor plan notes payable relating to the financing of new Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

Floor plan borrowings are required by all vehicle manufacturers for the purchase of new vehicles, and all floor plan lenders require amounts borrowed for the purchase of a vehicle to be repaid within a short time period after the related vehicle is sold. As a result, we believe that it is important to understand the relationship between the cash flows of all of our floor plan notes payable and new vehicle inventory in order to understand our working capital and operating cash flow and to be able to compare our operating cash flow to that of our competitors (i.e., if our competitors have a different mix of trade and non-trade floor plan financing as compared to us). In addition, we include all floor plan borrowings and repayments in our internal operating cash flow forecasts. As a result, we use the non-GAAP measure "cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted" (defined below) to compare our results to forecasts. We believe that splitting the cash flows of floor plan notes payable between operating activities and financing activities, while all new vehicle inventory activity is included in operating activities, results in significantly different operating cash flow than if all the cash flows of floor plan notes payable were classified together in operating activities.

Cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, includes borrowings and repayments of floor plan notes payable to lenders not affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchase the related new vehicles and all floor plan notes payable relating to used vehicles. Cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, has material limitations, and therefore, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results in accordance with GAAP. In order to compensate for these potential limitations we also review the related GAAP measures.

We have provided below a reconciliation of cash flow from operating activities, as if all changes in floor plan notes payable, except for (i) borrowings associated with acquisitions and repayments associated with divestitures and (ii) borrowings and repayments associated with the purchase of used vehicle inventory, were classified as an operating activity.

For the Year Ended December 31,

(In millions)

Cash provided by operating activities, as reported $ 652.5 $ 349.8 $ 10.1

Cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted $ 497.2 $ 155.1 $ 181.6

Operating Activities—

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $652.5 million, $349.8 million, and $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, totaled $497.2 million, $155.1 million, and $181.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, includes net income, adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities, changes in working capital, and changes in floor plan notes payable—non-trade.

The $342.1 million increase in net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, was primarily the result of the following:

•$152.6 million related to a decrease in inventory, net of floor plan notes payable, including both trade and non-trade;

•$110.3 million related to an increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities;

•$59.2 million related to non-cash adjustments to net income primarily related to the gain on dealership divestitures in 2020 when compared to 2019;

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•$16.5 million related to sales volume and the timing of collection of accounts receivable and contracts-in-transit during 2020 as compared to 2019; and

•$14.3 million related to the change in other long-term assets and liabilities.

The increase in our net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, was partially offset by:

•$9.6 million related to the change in other current assets, net; and.

•$1.2 million related to operating lease liabilities.

The $26.5 million decrease in our net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, was primarily the result of the following:

•$101.3 million increase related to the change in inventory, net of floor plan notes payable, including both trade and non-trade.

The decrease in our net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted, was partially offset by:

•$34.9 million related to non-cash adjustments to net income;

•$26.9 million related to the change in accounts payable and accrued liabilities;

•$8.9 million related to the change in other current assets and other long-term assets and liabilities, net; and

•$4.1 million related to timing and collection of accounts receivable and contracts-in-transit during 2019 as compared to 2018.

Investing Activities—

Net cash used in investing activities totaled $820.8 million, $227.6 million, and $149.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Cash flows from investing activities relate primarily to capital expenditures, acquisitions, divestitures, and the sale of property and equipment.

Capital expenditures, excluding the purchase of real estate and acquisitions, were $46.5 million, $57.6 million, and $40.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Purchases of real estate totaled $2.3 million, $9.2 million, and $17.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. In addition, we purchased previously leased facilities for $4.9 million, and $4.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

We expect that capital expenditures during 2021 will total approximately $55.0 million to upgrade or replace our existing facilities, construct new facilities, expand our service capacity, and invest in technology and equipment. In addition, as part of our capital allocation strategy, we continually evaluate opportunities to purchase properties currently under lease and acquire properties in connection with future dealership relocations. No assurances can be provided that we will have or be able to access capital at times or on terms in amounts deemed necessary to execute this strategy.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we acquired substantially all of the assets of, and leased the real property related to 12 new vehicle dealership franchises (eight dealership locations), two collision centers and an auto auction comprising the Park Place Dealership group for a purchase price of $889.9 million. We funded this acquisition with $527.4 million of cash, $200.0 million of Seller Notes, $127.5 million of floor plan borrowings for the purchase of the related new vehicle inventory and $35.0 million of floor plan borrowings for the purchase of the related used vehicle inventory. In addition, we acquired the assets of three franchises (one dealership location) in the Denver, Colorado market for a purchase price of $63.6 million. This acquisition was funded with an aggregate of $34.5 million of cash and $27.1 million of floor plan borrowings for the purchase of the related new vehicle inventory. These acquisitions included purchase price holdbacks of $2.0 million for potential indemnity claims made by us with respect to the acquired franchises. In addition to the acquisition amounts above, we released $2.5 million of purchase price holdbacks related to a prior year acquisition

During the year ended December 31, 2019, we acquired the assets of nine franchises (five dealership locations) and one collision center in the Indianapolis, Indiana market and one franchise (one dealership location) in the Denver, Colorado market for a combined purchase price of $210.4 million. We funded these acquisitions with an aggregate of $153.9 million of cash and $55.3 million of floor plan borrowings for the purchase of the related new vehicle inventory. In the aggregate, these acquisitions included purchase price holdbacks of $1.2 million for potential indemnity claims made by us with respect to the acquired franchises. In addition to the acquisition amounts above, we released $0.8 million of purchase price holdbacks related to a prior year acquisition.

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During the year ended December 31, 2018, we acquired three franchises (three dealership locations) for an aggregate purchase price of $91.3 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we divested two franchises (two dealership locations) in the Atlanta, Georgia market, six franchises (five dealership locations) and one collision center in the Jackson, Mississippi market, and one franchise (one dealership location) in the Greenville, South Carolina market for proceeds of $177.9 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2019, we divested one franchise (one dealership location) and one collision center for proceeds of $39.1 million. There were no divestitures during the year ended December 31, 2018. Additionally, proceeds from the sale of assets, unrelated to a dealership divestiture, were $4.2 million, $15.0 million, and $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

Financing Activities—

Net cash provided by financing activities totaled $166.2 million and $143.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2018, respectively. Net cash used in financing activities totaled $127.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, we had non-trade floor plan borrowings of $4.31 billion, $4.32 billion, and $4.59 billion, respectively. Included in our non-trade floor plan borrowings, were borrowings of $220.0 million, $80.0 million, and $300.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, related to our used vehicle floor plan facility. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, we had non-trade floor plan borrowings of $131.6 million, $55.3 million, and $22.7 million respectively, related to acquisitions. The majority of our floor plan notes are payable to parties unaffiliated with the entities from which we purchase our new vehicle inventory, with the exception of floor plan notes payable relating to the financing of new Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, we made non-trade floor plan repayments of $4.47 billion, $4.51 billion, and $4.39 billion, respectively. Included in our non-trade floor plan repayments were repayments of $220.0 million, $110.0 million, and $270.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, related to our used vehicle floor plan facility. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 we had floor plan repayments associated with dealership divestitures of $60.4 million and $14.1 million, respectively.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, we received proceeds from borrowings totaling $1.88 billion, $97.7 million and $50.7 million, respectively.

Repayments of borrowings totaled $1.62 billion, $48.4 million, and $19.9 million, for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we did not repurchase any shares of our common stock under our Repurchase Program. We did repurchase 56,607 shares of our common stock for $5.1 million from employees in connection with a net share settlement feature of employee equity-based awards.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

We had no off balance sheet arrangements during any of the periods presented other than those disclosed in Note 19 "Leases (Prior to Adoption of ASC 842)" and Note 20 "Commitments and Contingencies" of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements thereto.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to risk from changes in interest rates on a significant portion of our outstanding indebtedness. Based on $678.1 million of total variable interest rate debt, which includes our floor plan notes payable and certain mortgage liabilities, outstanding as of December 31, 2020, a 100 basis point change in interest rates would result in a change of $6.8 million in annual interest expense.

We periodically receive floor plan assistance from certain automobile manufacturers, which is accounted for as a reduction in our new vehicle inventory cost. Floor plan assistance reduced our cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, by $44.0 million, $42.2 million, and $39.2 million, respectively. We cannot provide assurance as to the future amount of floor plan assistance and these amounts may be negatively impacted due to future changes in interest rates.

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As part of our strategy to mitigate our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, we have various interest rate swap agreements. All of our interest rate swaps qualify for cash flow hedge accounting treatment and do not contain any ineffectiveness.

We currently have four interest rate swap agreements. Two swap agreements were entered into in July 2020. These swaps were designed to provide a hedge against changes in variable rate cash flows regarding fluctuations in the one month LIBOR. The following table provides information on the attributes of each swap as of December 31, 2020:

(In millions) (In millions) (In millions)

For additional information about the effect of our derivative instruments, please refer to Note 14 "Financial Instruments and Fair Value" within the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Page

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 68

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 70

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 75

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated March 1, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidatedfinancial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

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/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2008.

Atlanta, Georgia

March 1, 2021

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on the COSO criteria.

As indicated in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, management's assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of fifteen franchises (nine dealership locations), two collision centers and one auto auction acquired during 2020, which are included in the 2020 consolidated financial statements of the Company and constituted $1,015.6 million of consolidated assets as of December 31, 2020 and $687.1 million of consolidated revenues for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of the fifteen franchises (nine dealership locations), two collision centers and one auto auction.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes and our report dated March 1, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Atlanta, Georgia

March 1, 2021

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ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In millions, except par value and share data)

As of December 31,

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS:

Cash and cash equivalents $ 1.4 $ 3.5

OPERATING LEASE RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS 317.4 65.6

OTHER LONG-TERM ASSETS 9.6 10.0

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

Floor plan notes payable—trade, net $ 64.9 $ 130.3

Floor plan notes payable—non-trade, net 637.3 657.7

Current maturities of long-term debt 36.6 32.4

Current maturities of operating leases 24.8 17.0

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 450.9 308.7

Liabilities associated with assets held for sale 8.9 100.9

LONG-TERM LEASE LIABILITY 296.7 52.6

DEFERRED INCOME TAXES 34.6 26.0

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES 50.9 32.4

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 20)

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (5.6) (2.9)

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 3,676.3 $ 2,911.3

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In millions, except per share data)

For the Year Ended December 31,

REVENUE:

COST OF SALES:

OPERATING EXPENSES:

Franchise rights impairment 23.0 7.1 3.7

Other operating expenses (income), net 9.2 0.8 (1.1)

OTHER EXPENSES (INCOME):

Swap interest expense — — 0.5

Loss on extinguishment of long-term debt, net 20.6 — —

Gain on dealership divestitures, net (62.3) (11.7) —

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE:

Basic—

Diluted—

WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING:

Restricted stock — 0.1 0.1

Performance share units 0.1 0.1 0.1

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In millions)

For the Year Ended December 31,

Other comprehensive income (loss):

Change in fair value of cash flow swaps (3.6) (4.4) 2.3

Income tax benefit (expense) associated with cash flow swaps 0.9 1.1 (0.8)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

(Dollars in millions)

Shares Amount Shares Amount

Comprehensive Income:

Share-based compensation — — 10.5 — — — — 10.5

Comprehensive Income:

Share-based compensation — — 12.5 — — 12.5

Comprehensive Income:

Share-based compensation — — 12.6 — — 12.6

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In millions)

For the Year Ended December 31,

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

Deferred income taxes 9.5 5.4 5.3

Franchise rights impairment 23.0 7.1 3.7

Loss on extinguishment of debt 20.6 — —

Gain on divestitures (62.3) (11.7) —