CIAC Groep

What CIAC Groep does

CIAC Groep is a privately held Belgian multi-brand automotive dealership group headquartered in Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen. Founded circa 1925 and celebrating its centennial in 2025, the company operates as an authorized franchisee for Ford, Toyota, and Lexus across four retail sites located in Gent, Aalst, Eeklo, and Deinze. Sub-brands include CIAC Fordstore Gent, CIAC Ford Eeklo (De Wispelaere), CIAC Ford Deinze (Van den Poel), CIAC Toyota Gent, CIAC Toyota Aalst, and CIAC Lexus Gent.

The business operates a traditional franchised-dealership model with no proprietary technology platform. Product offerings span new-vehicle sales across Ford, Toyota, and Lexus (covering ICE, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric, and commercial models), pre-owned vehicles across a broader multi-brand set (including Mercedes-Benz, Mini, VW, Mazda, Renault), authorized workshop servicing, online parts ordering, bodywork repairs ('carrosserie'), fleet and leasing solutions for business clients, and Ford Nugget camper-van rentals. Customer acquisition runs through physical showrooms, an online appointment booking system, organic social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and seasonal promotional events (e.g., Summer Stock Sale, Gentse Feesten Giveaway).

Revenue is generated through one-time vehicle sales, workshop and parts transaction fees, recurring/subscription-style fleet and leasing contracts, and transactional mobility rentals. The primary customer segment is individual consumers purchasing personal vehicles; a secondary business fleet segment supports corporate leasing and maintenance. No revenue, headcount, or financial performance is publicly disclosed.

Name

CIAC Groep

Legal name

CIAC Groep

Website

https://ciac.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIAC Groep is a privately held Belgian multi-brand automotive dealership group operating authorized Ford, Toyota, and Lexus showrooms and workshops across four sites in East Flanders, serving individual consumers and business fleet customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales - New Cars: Sale of new Ford, Toyota, and Lexus vehicles including electric, hybrid, and combustion engine options
2. Vehicle Sales - Used Cars: Sale of pre-owned vehicles through dedicated used car inventory
3. Workshop and Maintenance Services: Vehicle maintenance and repair services through workshop appointments
4. Parts Sales: Sale of auto parts and accessories for vehicle maintenance and repairs
5. Fleet & Leasing: Fleet management and vehicle leasing services for business customers
6. Bodywork Services (Carrosserie): Vehicle body repair and accident damage repair services
7. Ford Nugget Rental: Rental of Ford Nugget camper vans

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CIAC Groep operates a multi-brand automotive dealership selling new and used Ford, Toyota, and Lexus vehicles across four locations in East Flanders, Belgium. The company offers authorized workshop services, parts ordering, vehicle bodywork repair, fleet and leasing services for businesses, and Ford Nugget camper van rentals.

Product overview

CIAC Groep operates as a multi-brand automotive dealership offering new and used vehicles across Ford, Toyota, and Lexus brands. The product portfolio consists of core vehicle sales (new and pre-owned cars) supplemented by workshop services, parts ordering, car sales assistance, fleet & leasing solutions, bodywork repairs, and Ford Nugget camper rentals. The company has four locations in East Flanders (Gent, Aalst, Eeklo, Deinze) and represents multiple vehicle fuel types including electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, petrol, and diesel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nieuwe wagens (New Cars) Sale of new Ford, Toyota, and Lexus vehicles, including electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, petrol, and diesel powertrain options, available across all four CIAC locations for individual retail buyers.
• Tweedehandswagens (Used Cars) Sale of pre-owned vehicles across multiple brands including Ford, Toyota, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Volkswagen, Mazda, and Renault through dedicated used car inventory at CIAC.
• Werkplaatsafspraak (Workshop Service) Workshop appointment booking for vehicle maintenance and repairs, with services delivered through CIAC's authorized service centers for Ford, Toyota, and Lexus vehicles.
• Bestel onderdelen (Order Parts) Online ordering system for automotive parts and components to support vehicle maintenance and repairs.
• Jouw wagen verkopen (Sell Your Car) Service allowing customers to sell their existing vehicles to CIAC as part of trade-in or standalone sale transactions.
• Fleet & Leasing Fleet management and vehicle leasing solutions for business customers, providing ongoing fleet acquisition, leasing contracts, and bulk maintenance services.
• Carrosserie (Bodywork) Vehicle bodywork repair services covering body damage and accident damage repairs for customer vehicles.
• Huur Ford Nugget (Ford Nugget Rental) Rental service for Ford Nugget camper vans offered through CIAC's Ford dealership locations.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ford Motor CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Ford dealer operating under Fordstore brand, selling new Ford vehicles and providing authorized service and parts. Multiple Ford locations: Gent, Eeklo (De Wispelaere), and Deinze (Van den Poel).
• Toyota Motor CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Toyota dealer selling new Toyota vehicles with locations in Gent and Aalst.
• Lexus (Toyota Motor Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Lexus dealer operating a dedicated Lexus showroom in Gent.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Inchcape plc: Global automotive distributor and retailer with multi-brand authorized operations. Comparable as a multi-OEM authorized retailer with service and distribution capabilities, though far larger, publicly listed, and operating across many more geographies than CIAC.
• Group 1 Automotive: US/UK-based multi-brand franchised automotive retailer with new vehicle, used vehicle, and aftersales operations. Comparable franchised multi-brand model to CIAC, though substantially larger and with US/UK exposure.
• D'Ieteren: Belgian automotive group historically tied to Volkswagen Group distribution and the country's largest independent auto player. Comparable as a Belgium-headquartered multi-brand automotive distributor with franchised OEM relationships, but at substantially greater scale and capital-markets visibility.

Direct peers

• Emil Frey Group: Privately-held Swiss automotive dealer group operating authorized franchises for many OEMs across continental Europe. Closely comparable to CIAC as a multi-brand authorized franchised dealer with full-service aftersales, though considerably larger and geographically diversified.
• Hedin Mobility Group: Large European multi-brand automotive dealer group operating franchised sales, service, and fleet businesses across multiple countries. Comparable to CIAC in business model (multi-brand authorized dealer with service and fleet operations), but at significantly larger European scale.
• AutoCanada: Canadian multi-brand franchised automotive dealership group with new vehicle, used vehicle, and aftersales businesses. Closely comparable multi-brand authorized dealer model, though larger and Canada-focused.
• Vertu Motors: UK-based automotive retailer operating franchised dealerships across multiple OEMs. Directly comparable multi-brand franchised retailer model, though listed and operating only in the United Kingdom.
• Pendragon: UK-headquartered multi-brand automotive retailer operating franchised dealerships. Closely comparable to CIAC's franchised multi-brand dealership model, though larger and UK-focused.
• HESS Group: Swiss family-owned automotive dealer group with Ford, Toyota, and other OEM franchises. Directly comparable as a multi-brand authorized franchised dealer (including Ford and Toyota specifically) with full-service operations, though Switzerland-based.

Regional players

• Loubeyre Premium: French multi-brand automotive dealer group with franchised OEM operations. Comparable multi-brand authorized dealer model, though operating in France rather than Belgium and thus not directly contesting CIAC's territory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CIACGroep
• Facebookfacebook.com/fordstoregent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciacgroep
• Instagraminstagram.com/ciac.fordstore.gent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CIAC Groep