Modern Automotive Network

What Modern Automotive Network does

Modern Automotive Network is a privately held, family-owned automotive dealership group headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, operating since 1933 under the Fowler family across five generations. The company runs 17 franchised new-vehicle dealerships representing Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Genesis, INFINITI, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota brands, supported by four Collision Centers, a centralized Parts Warehouse, and a corporate Support Center, employing more than 1,100 people across North Carolina.

The core product is vehicle retail — both new and pre-owned — distributed through physical dealership rooftops and the GoModern online shopping platform, which supports inventory search, financing pre-approval, trade-in valuation, and service scheduling. Adjacent revenue lines include auto financing (F&I) arranged through lending partners, the SmartBuy certified pre-owned program with tiered Gold/Silver/Bronze warranty coverage, OEM parts sales, and maintenance/collision repair services delivered through dealership service departments and dedicated Collision Centers.

The business model is a traditional franchised dealer economics structure: per-unit gross profit on new and used vehicle sales, finance and insurance income on each funded transaction, plus high-margin recurring revenue from service, parts, and collision work. Customer segments are individual consumers (vehicle buyers, service customers, and trade-in sellers) with no disclosed enterprise or fleet accounts. Pricing includes a flat $799 Dealer Services Fee plus per-vehicle margin, with vehicle prices spanning roughly $6,274 to $84,025 across the inventory. The underlying technology stack relies on the CDK Dealer Management System for inventory and customer management; no proprietary AI, software products, or platform extensions are disclosed.

Name

Modern Automotive Network

Legal name

Modern Automotive Network

Website

https://modernauto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Modern Automotive Network is a privately held, family-owned franchised auto dealership group operating 17 new-vehicle stores across North Carolina, selling new and pre-owned vehicles, financing, parts, and service/collision repair under the Fowler family's five-generation ownership since 1933.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Vehicle Sales: Sale of new vehicles from franchised dealerships including Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Genesis, INFINITI, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota brands.
2. Used Vehicle Sales: Sale of pre-owned vehicles through SmartBuy program with tiered warranty options (Gold, Silver, Bronze) based on vehicle age and mileage.
3. Auto Financing: Financing services for vehicle purchases through lending partnerships, offering pre-approval and various loan terms.
4. Service and Maintenance: Vehicle service operations including oil changes, transmission replacements, and general maintenance performed by qualified technicians at service centers.
5. Parts Sales: Sale of genuine OEM parts for vehicle maintenance and repair.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Modern Automotive Network sells new and pre-owned vehicles through 17 franchised dealerships across North Carolina representing Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Genesis, INFINITI, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota. It complements vehicle sales with in-house auto financing, trade-in valuation, OEM parts sales, vehicle maintenance and repair service, and collision repair across four Collision Center locations. Customers can browse inventory, get pre-approved for financing, value trades, and schedule service through the GoModern online platform before completing transactions at a dealership.

Product overview

Modern Automotive Network operates as a family-owned automotive dealership network offering a unified platform of vehicle sales and service products. The core offering centers on GoModern Online Shopping, which enables customers to browse and purchase both new and pre-owned vehicles. The SmartBuy Pre-Owned Vehicles program provides certified pre-owned vehicles with tiered warranty tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze) based on vehicle age and mileage. Supporting services include auto financing, trade-in valuation, and OEM parts ordering. The network also operates Modern Service Centers for vehicle maintenance and repairs. All products are accessible through the dealership network spanning 17 locations across North Carolina, with offerings covering multiple vehicle brands including Nissan, Toyota, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Ford, Mazda, INFINITI, Subaru, Genesis, and Cadillac.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartBuy: Risk-free pre-owned vehicle buying program offering certified pre-owned vehicles with various warranty tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and benefits including 150-point inspections, 3-day/300 mile exchange, and complimentary NC state inspections for life.

Products and services

• New Vehicle Sales Sale of new vehicles through franchised dealerships representing Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Genesis, INFINITI, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota, targeted at individual consumers purchasing personal-use vehicles.
• SmartBuy Pre-Owned Vehicles Certified pre-owned vehicle program offering warranty-tiered used vehicles with 150-point inspections, CARFAX reports, 3-day/300 mile exchange, and complimentary NC state inspections for life, targeted at consumers seeking used vehicles with manufacturer-backed assurance.
• Auto Financing Vehicle financing solutions with online pre-approval options, provided through lending partnerships to help consumers finance new or used vehicle purchases.
• Trade-In Valuation Vehicle appraisal and trade-in service enabling customers to receive cash or trade-in credit for their current vehicle when purchasing from the dealership network.
• Modern Service Centers Vehicle maintenance and repair services from oil changes to transmission replacements, performed by qualified technicians at state-of-the-art facilities across the 17 dealership locations.
• OEM Parts Ordering Genuine OEM parts available through the Modern Parts Warehouse and individual dealership parts departments, supporting vehicle maintenance and repairs across all represented brands.
• GoModern Online Shopping Digital retailing platform enabling customers to browse 2,500+ new vehicles and 900+ used vehicles, complete purchase steps remotely, and finalize transactions at a dealership or arrange delivery.
• Collision Repair Services Body and collision repair services provided through four dedicated Modern Collision Center locations across North Carolina, supporting both dealership customers and outside referrals.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sonic Automotive: Public franchised dealer group with 140+ dealerships including EchoPark used-vehicle stores. Closely comparable multi-brand franchise model including a separate used-vehicle retail concept that parallels Modern's SmartBuy program.
• Lithia Motors: Public US franchised dealer group with 300+ stores and aggressive acquisition strategy. Runs the same multi-brand franchised dealership model with diversified new, used, F&I, and service revenue as Modern Automotive, but at materially larger scale.
• Hendrick Automotive Group: Private US franchised dealer group with 140+ dealerships headquartered in Charlotte, NC. Most direct regional incumbent peer to Modern Automotive, operating in overlapping North Carolina markets with the same multi-brand franchised model and family-owned heritage.
• Group 1 Automotive: Public franchised dealer operator with 200+ dealerships across the US and UK. Mirrors Modern Automotive's franchised new and used vehicle sales plus service and parts model, with much larger scale and international footprint.
• AutoNation: Largest US franchised auto dealer with 250+ stores across multiple states. Directly comparable franchised dealer group model with new/used vehicle sales, F&I, service, and parts revenue streams, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Modern Automotive.
• Asbury Automotive Group: Public franchised dealer group with 150+ dealerships across multiple US states including the Southeast. Directly comparable multi-brand franchise model with similar revenue mix (new, used, F&I, service, parts) anchored in Sun Belt markets overlapping Modern's NC geography.
• Ken Garff Automotive Group: Private family-owned US franchised dealer group with 80+ dealerships across multiple states. Close analog to Modern Automotive in private, family-operated multi-brand franchised model with comparable service and parts integration.

Direct peers

• CarMax: Largest US used vehicle retailer with 200+ stores. Directly competes with Modern's SmartBuy program on certified pre-owned vehicle sales, and overlaps the used-vehicle portion of the franchise dealership model.

Emerging players

• Carvana: Online-first used vehicle retailer with a fully digital purchase and delivery experience. Compete with Modern's used vehicle and online shopping platforms by offering a fully digital alternative to traditional dealer visits.

Regional players

• Paramount Automotive Group: Private Southeast US franchised dealer group. Comparable multi-brand franchised dealer operator with similar revenue streams and regional US focus, though exact geographic overlap with North Carolina is limited.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ModernAutomotiveNC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Modern Automotive Network