In the vast and competitive landscape of the American auto industry, few names command as much respect and intrigue as McLarty. It is a name synonymous not just with selling cars, but with a multigenerational legacy of business acumen, political influence, and strategic growth. When car enthusiasts and industry analysts ask, How many dealerships does McLarty own?, they are asking more than a simple question. They are attempting to map the coordinates of a sprawling, dynamic, and ever-expanding automotive empire. The answer is not a single, static number but a story of partnerships, acquisitions, and a powerful family vision.
The McLarty name represents a complex network of wholly-owned businesses, powerful joint ventures, and international interests. Tracing its ownership threads reveals a masterclass in modern business strategy. From humble beginnings in Hope, Arkansas, to boardrooms across the globe, the McLarty automotive journey is one of relentless ambition. This deep dive will explore the origins of this dynasty, dissect its key corporate entities, and ultimately provide the clearest possible answer to just how far the McLarty dealership network extends today.
From Arkansas Roots to a Global Stage: The McLarty Legacy
To understand the McLarty Automotive Group of today, one must first look to its deep roots in Arkansas and the formidable figure of Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty III. While the family’s business history stretches back to his grandfather’s establishment of McLarty Leasing Systems, it was Mack who elevated the family name to national and international prominence. His career is a remarkable blend of high-stakes business and high-level politics, a combination that has undoubtedly shaped the group’s strategic DNA.
Before becoming a titan of the auto industry, Mack McLarty served as President Bill Clinton’s first White House Chief of Staff. This experience in the nation’s capital provided him with a unique perspective on policy, economics, and global affairs—assets that would prove invaluable upon his return to the private sector. He brought back not just a network of contacts but a profound understanding of the macroeconomic forces that shape consumer behavior and international markets.
This foundation of political savvy and business heritage created the perfect launchpad for an aggressive expansion into the automotive retail sector. The family had always been involved in the car business, but under the leadership of Mack and his sons, Mark and Franklin, what was once a regional operation began its transformation into a national powerhouse. They understood that success in the modern auto industry required scale, but they also held onto a core belief that the car business is, at its heart, a local one. This duality—pursuing massive growth while maintaining a community-focused approach—has become a hallmark of the McLarty method and a key driver of their enduring success. The leadership baton has been passed to the next generation, with Mark McLarty now serving as the Chairman and CEO of McLarty Automotive Group, continuing to steer the company on its ambitious course.
Decoding the Network: McLarty’s Key Business Entities
The complexity behind the question of ownership lies in the multifaceted structure of the McLarty business interests. It is not a single, monolithic company but a collection of strategically aligned entities. Understanding these different arms of the enterprise is essential to grasping its true scale.
McLarty Automotive Group (MAG): The Heart of the Empire
The central and most recognizable entity is the McLarty Automotive Group (MAG). This is the primary, family-controlled operation that forms the core of their U.S. dealership holdings. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, MAG is the vehicle through which the family executes its primary growth strategy of acquiring and operating dealerships across the country.
MAG has a significant presence in the American South and Midwest, with a dense concentration of stores in states like Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Illinois. The group’s portfolio is impressively diverse, representing a wide array of popular domestic, Asian, and European brands. You will find Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, and luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz under the MAG umbrella.
What sets MAG apart is its acquisition philosophy. Rather than rebranding every purchase under a single corporate name, the group often retains the dealership’s original, local identity. A customer might be shopping at a “Springfield Honda” or a “Texarkana Ford” and not immediately realize they are part of a national group. This strategy cleverly leverages the goodwill and community trust built up by the previous owners over decades, all while implementing McLarty’s sophisticated management, marketing, and operational systems behind the scenes. It’s a “best of both worlds” approach that has fueled their rapid and seamless expansion.
Powerful Partnerships: The RLJ-McLarty-Landers Era
A crucial chapter in the McLarty story involves the formation of RLJ-McLarty-Landers Automotive Holdings. This landmark partnership brought together three titans from different fields:
- Robert L. Johnson: The visionary founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and The RLJ Companies.
- Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty: The seasoned business and political strategist.
- Steve Landers: A legendary Arkansas-based auto dealer known for his operational prowess.
This joint venture, formed in 2007, was groundbreaking. It quickly became one of the largest minority-owned automotive dealership groups in the United States, a significant achievement in the industry. The partnership combined Johnson’s financial acumen and media savvy, McLarty’s strategic oversight, and Landers’ on-the-ground dealership expertise. Together, they acquired dozens of dealerships, creating a formidable entity that at its peak generated billions in revenue annually.
However, the automotive landscape is in constant flux. In 2021, a significant portion of the RLJ-McLarty-Landers portfolio, consisting of 34 dealerships and three collision centers, was sold to Asbury Automotive Group for a staggering sum. This sale was not an end but a strategic evolution, allowing the partners to realize substantial returns on their investment and freeing up capital for new ventures. While this specific partnership has been restructured, its legacy is a testament to the power of strategic alliances in achieving monumental scale.
The Final Tally: How Many Dealerships Does McLarty Own?
Now, we return to the central question. Given the dynamic nature of buying and selling dealerships, providing a number that is accurate down to the single digit is nearly impossible, as it can change from one month to the next. However, by consulting authoritative industry reports and company announcements, we can establish a highly accurate and insightful estimate.
The most respected annual ranking in the industry comes from Automotive News. According to their Top 150 Dealership Groups list published in 2023 (reflecting 2022 year-end data), McLarty Automotive Group owned 83 dealerships. This placed them firmly within the top 20 largest dealership groups in the entire United States, a testament to their immense scale. In 2022 alone, these 83 dealerships retailed over 43,000 new vehicles and more than 56,000 used vehicles.
It is critical to emphasize that this number—83 dealerships—pertains specifically to the core McLarty Automotive Group. It does not include the dealerships that were part of the RLJ-McLarty-Landers partnership at its zenith, nor does it fully capture the scope of their diversified international investments in markets like Brazil, Mexico, and China, which are often structured as partnerships or equity stakes rather than direct ownership.
Therefore, the most accurate answer is a layered one:
| Entity | Description | Approximate Dealership Count |
|---|---|---|
| McLarty Automotive Group (MAG) | The primary, family-owned and operated U.S. dealership network. | Approximately 85-95+. The official 2023 report listed 83, but MAG is a net acquirer and has continued to grow since that data was collected. |
| RLJ-McLarty-Landers (Historical Peak) | The former powerhouse partnership with Robert L. Johnson and Steve Landers. | At its height, this entity owned over 35 dealerships before its major sale to Asbury Automotive Group. |
So, while the most direct answer is that McLarty Automotive Group owns nearly 100 dealerships, the full scope of the McLarty family’s influence in the automotive sector, both past and present, is even greater. They are in a constant state of acquisition, and it is highly probable that their dealership count has already climbed since the last official report.
The Road Ahead: The Future of the McLarty Automotive Empire
The McLarty story is far from over. The sale of the RLJ-McLarty-Landers assets was not a retreat but a strategic pivot. With a fortified war chest and a proven model for success, McLarty Automotive Group is better positioned than ever for future growth. The company continues to actively seek out and acquire dealerships that fit its strategic profile, focusing on strong brands in growing markets.
Their success formula—combining the financial power and operational sophistication of a large corporation with the customer-centric, community-grounded feel of a local family business—remains their most potent competitive advantage. In an era where the car buying experience is being transformed by technology, the McLarty group is investing heavily in digital retailing tools while simultaneously doubling down on the importance of the human element.
Ultimately, the number of dealerships McLarty owns is a moving target, a testament to their dynamism and ambition. It is a benchmark of their growth, but it does not define them. The true measure of the McLarty empire lies in its enduring legacy, its shrewd strategic vision, and its profound impact on the American automotive retail landscape. As they continue to navigate the road ahead, one thing is certain: the McLarty name will remain a driving force in the industry for generations to come.
How many dealerships does the McLarty Automotive empire actually own?
Pinpointing an exact number of dealerships owned by the McLarty family is challenging because the empire is not a single, monolithic corporation. Instead, it is a complex web of partnerships, joint ventures, and distinct corporate entities. The largest and most well-known entity is RML Automotive, a partnership that operates over 80 dealerships across the South and Midwest. However, the McLarty family also has ownership stakes in other dealership groups and individual stores that fall outside the RML Automotive umbrella, making a precise, unified count difficult to ascertain publicly.
The total number is also in constant flux due to the dynamic nature of the auto retail industry. The McLarty strategy involves frequent acquisitions and occasional divestitures, meaning any specific count can become outdated quickly. Their business model often involves partnering with other established dealer groups or financing local operators, further blurring the lines of direct ownership. Therefore, it is more accurate to describe their holdings as a vast network with controlling or significant interests in well over 100 dealerships, rather than providing a single, static number.
Why is it so difficult to determine the exact number of McLarty dealerships?
The primary reason for the difficulty in tracking the number of McLarty-owned dealerships is their business structure. Unlike a publicly-traded company that must report its holdings to shareholders and regulatory bodies, the McLarty automotive interests are privately held. They operate through multiple, legally separate entities, such as RML Automotive, McLarty Automotive Group, and various other partnerships. This decentralized structure means there is no single, consolidated public record listing all their assets under one corporate name.
This complexity is often a strategic advantage. By using different corporate entities for various acquisitions and regional operations, the family can create flexible partnership agreements, limit liability, and tailor management styles to specific markets. This private, fragmented approach allows them to operate with a degree of strategic discretion, making it difficult for competitors to track their nationwide footprint and acquisition strategy, and consequently, for the public to arrive at a simple, definitive number.
What is the difference between McLarty Automotive Group and RML Automotive?
RML Automotive is the largest and most prominent dealership group associated with the McLarty family. It is a major partnership that stands for the initials of its principal leaders, including the McLarty family. As one of the largest private dealership groups in the United States, RML Automotive owns and operates a substantial portfolio of over 80 dealerships, primarily concentrated in states like Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. This entity represents the bulk of the family’s publicly known automotive retail operations and is the vehicle for many of its large-scale acquisitions.
McLarty Automotive Group, on the other hand, is another distinct, family-led entity that operates separately from the RML partnership. While it also acquires and manages dealerships, its portfolio is generally smaller and may be focused on different strategic initiatives or geographic regions. The existence of these two separate groups illustrates the family’s strategy of using different corporate structures for different ventures. This allows them to engage in various types of partnerships and maintain operational flexibility across their diverse and growing automotive empire.
Who are the key figures behind the McLarty Automotive empire?
The foundational figure of the modern empire is Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty III. While the family’s automotive history dates back to his grandfather in 1921, Mack McLarty’s influence grew exponentially after his prominent career in politics, most notably as President Bill Clinton’s first White House Chief of Staff. Upon returning to the private sector, he leveraged his extensive network and business acumen to transform the family’s regional dealership business into a national powerhouse through strategic acquisitions and high-level partnerships.
Today, the leadership has transitioned significantly to the next generation, with his son, Mark McLarty, serving as a primary driving force. Mark is the chairman and CEO of the various automotive entities, including RML Automotive, and directs the company’s aggressive growth strategy. He is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations, identifying acquisition targets, and managing the complex network of partnerships that define the modern McLarty automotive empire, continuing the legacy of expansion his father initiated.
In which regions are McLarty dealerships primarily located?
The McLarty Automotive empire has deep roots in the American South and has maintained a strong concentration in this region. The company’s origins are in Arkansas, which remains a key market. Through their largest entity, RML Automotive, they have established a dominant presence in several other states, including Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Tennessee. This core territory in the South and Midwest represents the heart of their operations, where they have the highest density of dealerships.
While their foundation is in the South, the group’s expansion strategy has been national in scope. They have actively acquired dealerships and dealer groups in other regions, including the Southeast and beyond. Their approach often involves identifying opportunities in growing markets regardless of location, leading to a footprint that is both geographically clustered in their home territory and opportunistically widespread across the country. This results in a diverse portfolio that spans multiple time zones and demographic markets.
How did the McLarty family build their automotive empire?
The origins of the McLarty automotive business are humble, tracing back to 1921 when Mack McLarty’s grandfather opened a Ford dealership in Hope, Arkansas. For decades, the family business remained a successful but primarily local and regional operation, focused on serving its community in Arkansas. This multi-generational foundation in the car business provided the hands-on experience and industry knowledge that would become crucial for their later expansion.
The transformation into a national empire began in earnest when Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty III returned to the private sector in the late 1990s. He applied the skills and connections from his time in national politics and international business to the automotive industry, forming powerful partnerships and pioneering a strategy of acquiring and consolidating dealerships on a massive scale. This shift from a single-point dealer to a multi-state mega-dealer, accelerated by his son Mark, was fueled by strategic acquisitions, access to capital, and a sophisticated management approach that turned the family name into one of the largest private automotive retailers in the nation.
Are all dealerships with the “McLarty” name part of the same parent company?
No, not all dealerships bearing the “McLarty” name operate under a single parent company. The McLarty name functions as a powerful brand across their various business interests, but the dealerships themselves are often owned by different legal entities. For example, a “McLarty” dealership in Arkansas might be held by one partnership, while a “McLarty” dealership in Missouri could be part of the larger RML Automotive portfolio, which is a separate partnership structure. This is a deliberate and common strategy in large-scale private enterprises.
This structure provides significant operational and financial advantages. It allows the family to form different joint ventures with various partners for specific regions or brands, which can be more attractive to local investors or management teams. It also helps in limiting liability, as the financial performance or legal issues of one entity do not directly impact the others. For the consumer, the experience may feel consistent due to shared branding and business philosophies, but the corporate ownership behind the showroom is often more complex and fragmented than the name suggests.