Castle Cars

What Castle Cars does

Castle Cars is a privately held multi-brand automotive dealership group headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, operating 17 franchised dealership locations across the Chicago suburbs and Northwest Indiana. The group retails new vehicles across 14 OEM brands spanning General Motors (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac), Hyundai Motor Group (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis), Mazda, Subaru, Volkswagen Group, and Stellantis (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM), alongside Certified Pre-Owned and pre-owned inventory.

The company runs a hybrid retail model combining physical dealership storefronts with a unified online buying platform (castlecars.com) that supports a 7-step end-to-end purchase flow — vehicle selection, deal configuration, KBB-powered trade-in appraisal, credit submission, coverage selection, document review, and either in-store pickup or free home delivery within 75 miles. Service centers operate at all 17 locations and are open to vehicles purchased elsewhere, with OEM parts and accessories, complimentary car washes, and loaner vehicles supporting the after-sale relationship. A separate Castle Commercial Trucks vertical handles fleet and commercial Chevrolet, GMC, and RAM vehicles.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) one-time new and used vehicle sales, which is the core driver; (2) transaction-based F&I revenue from arranging financing with multiple lenders across the credit spectrum; (3) recurring lease income on new vehicles; and (4) service and parts operations. Customer segments are horizontal — individual retail buyers in the greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana region, including first-time buyers, families, commuters, and tradespeople, with an emerging commercial fleet segment. No external institutional ownership, funding events, or AI/technology differentiation is disclosed.

Name

Castle Cars

Legal name

Castle Cars

Website

https://castlecars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Castle Cars is a privately held multi-brand automotive dealership group operating 17 franchised rooftops across the Chicago suburbs and Northwest Indiana, retailing 14 OEM brands alongside Certified Pre-Owned and used vehicles via a hybrid online-plus-physical platform with home delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakbrook Terrace, IL

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales: Sale of new, Certified Pre-Owned (CPO), and used vehicles across 14+ automotive brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Volkswagen, Genesis, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and RAM. Primary revenue driver with per-transaction pricing.
2. Vehicle Financing: Finance department generates revenue through arranging vehicle loans with multiple lender relationships. Works with customers across credit profiles to find financing solutions.
3. Vehicle Leasing: Lease options available on many new vehicles across all brands. Finance team advises customers on lease vs. finance decisions based on driving habits and budget.
4. Service and Parts: Vehicle maintenance and repair services, OEM parts and accessories sales. Service centers at all 17 locations with trained technicians for multiple makes and models. Open to all customers regardless of where vehicle was purchased.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Castle Cars is a multi-brand automotive dealership group operating 17 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, selling new, Certified Pre-Owned, and used vehicles from 14+ manufacturers. The core offering combines physical dealership retail with a fully digital end-to-end buying platform featuring online inventory search, KBB-powered trade-in appraisal, multi-lender financing and leasing, home delivery within 75 miles, plus multi-brand service centers and OEM parts sales.

Product overview

Castle Cars is a network of used car dealerships operating 17 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. The company offers a multi-brand automotive retail platform encompassing new vehicle sales (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Volkswagen, Genesis, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM), Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles, and pre-owned inventory across all price points. The core offering includes an end-to-end digital car buying experience (7-step online process with home delivery within 75 miles), trade-in appraisal services, financing/leasing options, service centers, and OEM parts/accessories sales. Commercial truck sales and multi-brand service for non-purchased vehicles are also available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Vehicle Sales
• Pre-Owned Vehicles
• Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Vehicles

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Chevrolet (General Motors)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle Cars is an authorized Chevrolet dealership offering new, certified pre-owned, and used Chevrolet vehicles including Silverado, Equinox, Trax, Colorado, Trailblazer, Tahoe, Suburban, Traverse, Blazer, Express, and Corvette models.
• Buick (General Motors)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAuthorized Buick dealership offering new Enclave, Envision, Encore GX, and Envista models along with pre-owned inventory.
• GMC (General Motors)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAuthorized GMC dealership with Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL, Acadia, Terrain, Canyon, and commercial vehicle inventory including Savana vans and HUMMER EV models.
• CadillaccoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle Cadillac McHenry location offers new Cadillac models including XT5, CT5, CT4, LYRIQ, OPTIQ, VISTIQ, and Escalade variants including the new Escalade IQ and Escalade IQL.
• HyundaicoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle Hyundai locations in Downers Grove and Oak Lawn offer Elantra, Sonata, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade, Kona, Venue, IONIQ 5, and hybrid variants including Santa Fe Hybrid and Tucson Hybrid.
• KiacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle Kia McHenry location offers Forte, K4, K5, Seltos, Sportage, Sorento, Telluride, Carnival (minivan), Niro, and hybrid variants.
• MazdacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle Mazda Downers Grove offers CX-5, CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, CX-90, MX-5 Miata, and Mazda3 along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.
• SubarucoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle Subaru locations in McHenry and Portage offer Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, Ascent, Impreza, WRX, BRZ, Solterra (electric), Trailseeker, and new Uncharted model.
• VolkswagencoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle Volkswagen locations in Downers Grove and Schaumburg offer Jetta, Tiguan, Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, Taos, ID.4, Golf GTI, and Golf R with extensive new and used inventory.
• GenesiscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGenesis of Downers Grove offers Genesis luxury vehicles including G70, G80, G90, GV70, GV80, and GV80 Coupe.
• Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM (Stellantis)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCastle CDJR locations in Chesterton (Indiana) and Naperville offer Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Charger, Durango, Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Wagoneer, and RAM 1500/2500/3500 trucks.
• Kelly Blue Book (KBB)coreTechnology or IntegrationCastle Cars uses Kelly Blue Book for trade-in vehicle appraisals, providing customers with trusted vehicle valuation when selling or trading in their current vehicle.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CarMax: Largest US used vehicle retailer with omnichannel online buying and appraisal tools. Direct competitor for Castle Cars' used vehicle, trade-in, and online purchase flow on the used car side.

Broad incumbents

• Lithia Motors: Largest US dealer group by store count with 300+ rooftops across the US, UK, and Canada. Operates the same multi-brand dealership model and has been a major consolidator of regional dealer groups - a potential acquirer profile for Castle Cars.
• Sonic Automotive: Multi-brand dealer group with ~140 dealerships plus the EchoPark used vehicle platform. EchoPark in particular competes directly with Castle Cars' online used vehicle and trade-in strategy.
• AutoNation: Largest US automotive retailer operating ~300 dealerships across 20+ brands. Same multi-brand, multi-rooftop business model as Castle Cars but at vastly greater scale and with broader geographic diversification.
• Group 1 Automotive: Major US/UK multi-brand automotive retailer with ~200 dealerships. Operates franchise operations and used vehicle platforms (Driveway), closely mirroring Castle Cars' new + used + service mix at much larger scale.
• Asbury Automotive Group: Multi-brand automotive retailer with ~150 dealerships and a large Clicklane digital platform. Comparable business model combining physical dealerships with online sales and home delivery.
• Penske Automotive Group: Large multi-brand dealer group with significant premium/luxury franchise concentration (similar to Castle's Cadillac and Genesis operations). Operates commercial truck dealerships as well, mirroring Castle's commercial truck business.

Emerging players

• Vroom: Online used car retailer pursuing a digital-first vehicle purchase model with home delivery. Competes with Castle Cars' online purchase platform and used vehicle offering, though currently in restructuring.
• Carvana: Pure-play online used vehicle retailer with home delivery model. Represents the digital-native disruptor competing directly with Castle Cars' online buying experience and threatening its used vehicle market share.

Regional players

• Ed Morse Automotive Group: Multi-rooftop, multi-brand automotive dealer group based in the Midwest with strong presence in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Florida. Closest regional comparable to Castle Cars in terms of brand mix and Midwest geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shopcastlecars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries17 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 Castle Cars