Ghistelinck Group

What Ghistelinck Group does

Ghistelinck Group is a privately held Belgian automotive retail group operating as an official Mercedes-Benz concessionaire since March 1, 1950. Headquartered in Waregem, Belgium and wholly owned by CEO Vincent Yserbyt since 2012, the group runs 14 owned branches — 10 in Belgium (Waregem, Oudenaarde, Deinze, Kortrijk/Heule, Menen, Moeskroen and Moeskroen II, Eke) and 3 in France (Lille/Seclin, Valenciennes/Jenlain, Dunkerque/Cappelle-la-Grande) — plus 15+ Luxauto rental locations across Belgium. The group serves both individual consumers (B2C) purchasing passenger cars, smart vehicles, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes-Maybach, and business customers (B2B) acquiring vans, trucks, coaches, and Unimog through Van ProCenter-certified branches. It exceeded 5,000 newly sold vehicles for the first time in 2021.

Name

Ghistelinck Group

Legal name

Ghistelinck Autobedrijven nv

Website

https://www.ghistelinck.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ghistelinck Group is a privately held, family-successor Belgian automotive retailer operating as an official Mercedes-Benz dealer since 1950, running 14 branches across Belgium and northern France that sell new and used passenger cars, vans, trucks, smart, AMG, and Maybach vehicles, complemented by Luxauto short-term rental, Carrosserie-Plus bodywork, financing, insurance, and parts services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waregem

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales (New & Used): Sale of new Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, vans, trucks, smart vehicles, and certified pre-owned vehicles across Belgium and France through multiple dealership locations.
2. After-Sales Service & Maintenance: Workshop services including mechanical repairs, maintenance, MOT testing, express service, bodywork (Carrosserie-Plus), and smart repairs for all vehicle brands.
3. Parts & Accessories Sales: Sale of Mercedes-Benz original parts and accessories through PARTSpro programme with 24/7 online ordering and central warehouse in Waregem.
4. Short-Term Vehicle Rental: Luxauto brand operates short-term rental of cars, minibuses, vans, and trucks across 15+ locations in Belgium with a fleet of over 1,250 vehicles.
5. Leasing & Financing: Mercedes-Benz Financial Services products including financial leasing, operational leasing, renting, and credit facilities for vehicle acquisition.
6. Insurance Products: Vehicle insurance products offered in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Insurance Services covering liability, comprehensive, and capital protection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ghistelinck Group is an official Mercedes-Benz dealership group operating 13 locations across Belgium and France, selling new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, vans (Citan, Vito, Sprinter), trucks, smart, AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, and Mercedes-EQ electric vehicles. The group also delivers after-sales maintenance, bodywork repair (Carrosserie-Plus), original parts distribution (PARTSpro), short-term vehicle rental (Luxauto, 1,250+ vehicles), financial leasing and insurance products, and 24-hour roadside assistance.

Product overview

Ghistelinck Group is an official Mercedes-Benz concessionaire offering a comprehensive portfolio of automotive products and services across Belgium and France through 11 dealership locations. The core offering comprises Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles, vans (Citan, Vito, Sprinter), and trucks, supplemented by smart electric vehicles and specialty brands including Mercedes-Maybach luxury vehicles and Mercedes-AMG performance cars. The group's service ecosystem includes Carrosserie-Plus for bodywork repairs, Luxauto vehicle rental (1,250+ vehicles, 15 locations), Mercedes-Benz Certified pre-owned vans with warranty, and Occasie-Plus for third-party brand vehicles. Digital connectivity is delivered through Mercedes me connect offering smartphone integration and vehicle management. Financial services encompass Mercedes-Benz Financial Services products including credit, leasing, operational lease, and renting. Additional offerings include Mercedes-Benz eBikes, Ghistelinck Classics vintage vehicle services, PARTSpro parts distribution, and 24-hour roadside assistance. The group also distributes Krone trailers and serves as N+ Bikes importer for Belgium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ghistelinck Classics: Classic and vintage car services under the Ghistelinck Group.
• Luxauto
• Occasie-Plus
• Carrosserie-Plus
• Certified (formerly Used1)
• Mercedes-EQ
• Van ProCenter
• PARTSpro

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 new vehicles sold in 2021, exceeding that milestone for the first time.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• N+ Bikes / AMG eBikesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Ghistelinck became importer of N+ Bikes for Belgium in 2020. Exclusive AMG bicycles are commercialised from the Kortrijk site.
• KroneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2013Ghistelinck Group started as official Krone trailer distributor in 2013, selling Krone trailers through its dealership network.
• Luxauto nvcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Ghistelinck acquired Luxauto nv in 2008, integrating it as a subsidiary. Luxauto is Belgium's oldest short-term car, minibus, van, and truck rental company with 16 rental points across the country.
• Mercedes-Benz Financial ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhistelinck offers Mercedes-Benz Financial Services products including financial leasing, operational leasing, credit, and insurance through the dealership network.
• Mercedes-Benz Insurance ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVehicle insurance products (death, invalidity, capital protection) offered in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Insurance Services for commercial and private customers.
• Mercedes-BenzcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Mercedes-Benz dealer since March 1, 1950, holding franchise rights for passenger cars, vans, trucks, smart, AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, and related services across Belgium and northern France.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• D'Ieteren Group: Belgian-headquartered automotive group operating one of Europe's largest multi-brand dealer networks (including Belron and TVH). Most directly comparable to Ghistelinck as a Belgian automotive distribution and services platform with similar B2C and B2B exposure.
• Emil Frey Group: Swiss family-owned automotive dealer group and one of Europe's largest, operating hundreds of dealerships across multiple countries with a similar mix of new/used vehicle sales, service, parts, and financing. Comparable scale and ownership profile to Ghistelinck.
• Hedin Mobility Group: Swedish family-owned automotive dealer group with a broad European footprint in vehicle retail, distribution, and mobility services. Directly comparable to Ghistelinck as a large multi-brand dealer group with parallel B2B and B2C operations.
• Stern Groep: Dutch automotive dealer group operating Mercedes-Benz and other franchises across the Netherlands with dealer, rental, and leasing operations. Highly comparable multi-brand dealer model serving Benelux commercial and retail customers.
• Pendragon plc: UK-listed automotive retailer operating franchised dealerships across multiple brands. Comparable dealer business model with new/used vehicle sales, after-sales service, and financing — although UK-focused rather than continental European.
• Vertu Motors: UK-listed automotive retailer operating franchised dealerships with a comparable mix of new vehicle sales, after-sales service, parts, and finance products. Similar mid-sized dealer group economics to Ghistelinck.

Broad incumbents

• Inchcape plc: London-listed global automotive distributor operating across more than 40 countries with both distribution and retail operations. A larger, publicly-traded incumbent with overlapping automotive retail capabilities, though at materially greater scale.
• Group 1 Automotive: US-listed automotive retailer operating over 200 dealerships in the US and UK with new/used vehicle sales, service, parts, and F&I. Larger incumbent with similar operating model but different geography and scale.
• Mercedes-Benz Group AG: German global automotive OEM and parent franchisor to Ghistelinck. Not a peer in the dealer sense, but the manufacturer whose franchise economics, direct-sales strategy, and product roadmap directly determine Ghistelinck's commercial trajectory.

Regional players

• Lou Bachrodt Automotive: US-based regional automotive dealer group operating multiple franchises across Florida with new vehicle sales, service, and parts. Comparable as a regional multi-brand dealer group, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClXvd2s0NfoX8yBkPCJdC1g
• Facebookfacebook.com/ghistelinck
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/group-ghistelinck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Ghistelinck Group