Thorson Motor Center

What Thorson Motor Center does

Thorson Motor Center is a privately held, single-rooftop franchised automotive dealership founded in 1991 and headquartered at 3456 E Colorado Blvd in Pasadena, California. The company is an authorized retailer of new Buick and GMC vehicles and operates a full-service dealership platform spanning new vehicle sales, certified pre-owned (CarBravo) and used vehicle sales (including non-GM brands such as Honda, Kia, and Ford), finance and insurance origination through GM Financial and other lenders, leasing, and a service and parts department stocked with GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco components. The underlying technology is conventional dealership infrastructure: GM proprietary ordering and CRM systems, the buy.gm.com online retailing platform, OnStar connected-vehicle services, Sunbit buy-now-pay-later for service, and standard third-party integrations (Google Analytics, AutoCheck/Experian). No proprietary AI, software products, or technology platform is built or licensed by the company.

The business serves individual retail consumers across credit profiles, military personnel through a dedicated appreciation program, Spanish-speaking customers via bilingual services, and small-to-mid commercial fleet operators through GM's Business Elite program with dedicated work truck inventory. Distribution is omnichannel but anchored to the physical Pasadena storefront, supplemented by phone sales, online vehicle search, and SEO-targeted landing pages spanning Pasadena, Glendale, Alhambra, West Covina, Long Beach, and surrounding San Gabriel Valley communities. The dealership employs between 101 and 250 staff across sales, service, parts, and F&I functions.

Revenue is generated through five streams: new vehicle sales, pre-owned vehicle sales, finance and insurance commission income, service and parts transactions, and lease origination. Pricing is largely transactional and not publicly disclosed, with service department pricing published as fixed menu items (e.g., $299.99 ACDelco battery install, $249–$349 brake rotor installs, $24.95 tire rotation). The company competes on location convenience, OEM-certified service capability, financing accessibility for challenged credit, and lifetime service wallet capture from vehicles sold at the rooftop.

Name

Thorson Motor Center

Legal name

Thorson Motor Center

Website

https://thorsonmotorcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Thorson Motor Center is a privately held Buick and GMC franchised dealership in Pasadena, California, founded in 1991, selling new and used vehicles, offering financing and leasing, and providing certified service and parts to retail consumers, military buyers, and small commercial fleets across the San Gabriel Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Vehicle Sales: Sales of new Buick and GMC vehicles including cars, SUVs, trucks, and commercial vehicles. Revenue from vehicle transactions, document fees, and dealer add-ons.
2. Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales: Certified Pre-Owned Buick/GMC vehicles plus used vehicles from other manufacturers (Honda, Kia, Ford). Includes CarBravo program vehicles.
3. Finance and Insurance: Financing services through GM Financial and other lenders, GAP coverage, protection plans, pre-paid maintenance, tire and wheel protection. Commission revenue from arranging financing.
4. Service and Parts: Maintenance services (oil changes, brake service, tire service, battery service), collision repair, and genuine OEM parts sales. ACDelco parts and GM Genuine Parts.
5. Leasing: Vehicle leasing programs for Buick and GMC vehicles with various term options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Thorson Motor Center is a franchised Buick and GMC dealership in Pasadena, California that sells new vehicles (Buick Envista, Encore GX, Envision, Enclave; GMC Canyon, Sierra 1500/HD, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon/Yukon XL, Savana, HUMMER EV, and Sierra EV), pre-owned and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, and work trucks/commercial fleet vehicles. It also provides in-house vehicle financing and leasing through GM Financial and other lenders, a GM Certified Service department performing maintenance and repairs, a parts department stocking ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts, and offers GM technology services such as OnStar and Super Cruise.

Product overview

Thorson Motor Center is a Buick and GMC franchised automobile dealership located in Pasadena, California. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio consisting of new vehicle sales (Buick vehicles including Envista, Encore GX, Envision, and Enclave; GMC vehicles including Canyon, Sierra 1500, Sierra HD, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Savana vans, HUMMER EV, and Sierra EV), pre-owned vehicle sales including certified pre-owned programs, and full-service operations including finance, lease, service, and parts departments. The dealership serves surrounding communities including Glendale, Alhambra, Arcadia, West Covina, El Monte, and Long Beach, with a focus on both retail consumers and commercial/fleet buyers through dedicated work truck sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Vehicle Sales (Buick and GMC)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• General Motors (GM)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAuthorized Buick and GMC dealership franchise representing GM brand. Sales of new GM vehicles, GM Genuine Parts, and GM Certified Service. Access to GM financial services, OnStar services, and GM marketing programs including GM Rewards.
• OnStarcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnStar services standard on most GM vehicles sold. Provides emergency assistance, navigation, security features, and automatic vehicle diagnostics. Installation available at dealership for vehicles not pre-equipped.
• CarBravomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGM's certified pre-owned vehicle program. Thorson Motor Center participates as CarBravo dealer for selling certified used vehicles with GM-backed warranties and benefits.
• ACDelcomajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOfficial GM parts brand for service and parts department. ACDelco Gold and Silver parts used for vehicle service. Warranty-backed parts with free replacement warranties on batteries and brake components.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Penske Automotive Group: International automotive and commercial vehicle retailer with premium brand focus across the US, UK, Germany, Italy, and Australia. Comparable in franchised dealership economics, F&I structure, and commercial vehicle exposure — though heavier on premium brands than Thorson's mass-market Buick/GMC mix.
• CarMax: Largest US used car retailer with 200+ stores and no-haggle pricing model. Directly comparable as a major player competing for used vehicle sales, with a complementary CarMax Auto Finance offering similar to Thorson's GM Financial/CarBravo CPO positioning.
• Hendrick Automotive Group: Largest privately-held US dealer group with ~140 dealerships across multiple states. Closely comparable as a privately-held large-scale franchised dealer with diverse brand mix and strong service operations — useful comparable for Thorson's potential PE exit trajectory.
• Sonic Automotive: US franchised dealer group operating ~140 new and used vehicle stores, with EchoPark as a dedicated used vehicle brand. Directly comparable in new vehicle franchise operations, plus EchoPark provides a relevant read on Thorson's CarBravo CPO strategy.
• Asbury Automotive Group: US franchised dealer group operating ~150 new vehicle dealerships plus Clicklane online retail platform and Total Care Auto F&I product. Comparable in multi-brand franchised dealership model, digital retailing capability, and F&I product extension.
• Lithia Motors: One of the largest US franchised dealer groups with hundreds of stores across the US, UK, and Canada. Closely comparable as a multi-brand franchised dealer with both ICE and EV exposure, plus an integrated online used vehicle platform (Driveway). Key trading comp for dealership group valuation.
• Group 1 Automotive: US and UK automotive retailer operating 200+ dealerships spanning premium and mass-market brands. Directly comparable multi-brand franchised dealer with similar revenue mix and a recent push into digital retailing (AcceleRide); useful comp for both traditional dealership operations and digital initiatives.
• AutoNation: Largest US auto retailer operating ~200+ new vehicle franchises across multiple brands and states. Directly comparable as a multi-brand, multi-store franchised auto dealer with similar revenue mix (new, used, F&I, service, parts) and serves as a key publicly-traded comparable for franchised dealership economics.

Emerging players

• Vroom: Online used vehicle retailer with home delivery and e-commerce-first model. Emerging disruptor competing for used vehicle market share from traditional dealerships; relevant comp for assessing digital retailing threat to Thorson's pre-owned operations.
• Carvana: Pure online used car retailer with home delivery and vending machine pickup model. Key emerging competitor in the used vehicle space, reshaping consumer expectations around no-haggle pricing and digital purchase flow that puts pressure on traditional dealers like Thorson.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThorsonMotorCenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Thorson Motor Center