What Williams Auto Group does

Williams Auto Group, operating as Williams Traverse City, is a privately held multi-franchise automotive dealership group headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan. Founded in 1991, the group operates five distinct dealerships from a single physical cluster in northern Michigan: Williams Chevrolet, Williams Honda, Williams Kia, AutoMax Used Cars (premium pre-owned), and Value Priced Used Cars (wholesale-to-the-public sub-$20K). Vehicle pricing ranges from under $3,000 for older used models to over $145,000 for a new Corvette Z06, with finance terms offered up to 72 months at 4.9-5.9% interest and a flat $314 documentation fee.

The group's core operations span the full vehicle ownership lifecycle. Revenue is generated across four streams: new vehicle sales (franchised Chevrolet, Honda, Kia), used vehicle sales through AutoMax and Value Priced channels, service and parts (OEM parts, scheduled maintenance, recalls), and finance and insurance products arranged through in-house finance centers including guaranteed approval financing. Supporting service lines include Williams Fast Lube (express oil/brake/maintenance), Williams Body Shop (collision repair), and dedicated Service and Parts centers. Current on-site inventory consists of 291+ new vehicles across the three franchised brands and 172+ pre-owned units.

The business is structured as a traditional physical-retail dealer with parallel digital channels: an inventory-search-enabled website platform (DealerInspire-powered), brand-specific micro-sites, online financing applications, virtual test-drive scheduling, and DealerRater review integration. GTM is direct-to-consumer, targeting individual buyers in the Traverse City and northern Michigan region. The group appears to be independently owned, with no identified parent company, private equity backing, or institutional investment disclosed. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or major organizational restructuring events were identified in the source data.

Name

Williams Auto Group

Legal name

Williams Traverse City

Website

https://williamstc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Williams Auto Group (Williams Traverse City) is a privately held multi-franchise automotive dealership group operating five dealerships in Traverse City, Michigan, selling new Chevrolet, Honda, and Kia vehicles alongside used vehicles, with attached service, parts, body shop, fast lube, and finance operations serving individual consumers in northern Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. New Vehicle Sales: Sale of new Chevrolet, Honda, and Kia vehicles through franchise dealerships. Revenue generated from the difference between wholesale acquisition cost and retail sale price.
2. Used Vehicle Sales: Sale of pre-owned vehicles through AutoMax Used Cars and Value Priced Used Cars divisions. Includes certified pre-owned vehicles with warranties.
3. Service and Parts: Maintenance and repair services including oil changes, brakes, tires, coolant exchange, transmission flush, and differential fluid changes. Genuine OEM parts sales.
4. Finance and Insurance Products: Vehicle financing, extended warranties, and protection packages arranged through the finance center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Williams Auto Group operates a multi-brand automotive dealership group in Traverse City, Michigan, selling new Chevrolet, Honda, and Kia vehicles plus used vehicles through AutoMax and Value Priced Used Cars divisions. The group provides full-service automotive care including maintenance, repairs, OEM parts, collision body work, Williams Fast Lube express services, and in-house vehicle financing and trade-in valuation.

Product overview

Williams Auto Group operates Williams Traverse City, a multi-dealership automotive group comprising five distinct brands: Williams Chevrolet (Chevrolet), Williams Honda (Honda), Williams Kia (Kia), AutoMax Used Cars (premium used), and Value Priced Used Cars (wholesale-to-the-public). The group offers new vehicle sales across Chevrolet, Honda, and Kia brands, with 291 new vehicles and 172+ used vehicles in inventory. Supporting services include Williams Fast Lube (oil changes, brakes, tire services), Williams Body Shop (collision repair), Finance Centers (guaranteed approval financing, payment calculator, trade-in valuation), and Service & Parts Centers. The portfolio spans the full vehicle ownership lifecycle from sales through financing, maintenance, and body repair services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AutoMax Used Cars: Premium used vehicle inventory offering
• Williams Fast Lube

Products and services

• Williams Chevrolet Dealership Franchised Chevrolet dealership authorized to sell new Chevrolet vehicles, certified pre-owned Chevrolet vehicles, OEM service, parts, body shop, and finance services under the GM dealer network. Targeted at individual consumers in northern Michigan.
• Williams Honda Dealership Franchised Honda dealership offering new Honda cars, SUVs, vans, certified pre-owned Honda vehicles, and a full service and parts department. Targeted at individual consumers in the Traverse City area.
• Williams Kia Dealership Franchised Kia dealership featuring new Kia vehicles including Telluride and hybrid models, plus certified pre-owned Kia inventory. Targeted at individual consumers in northern Michigan.
• AutoMax Used Cars Premium used vehicle dealership offering curated pre-owned cars, trucks, and SUVs from multiple manufacturers. Includes certified pre-owned vehicles with warranties. Operates from a dedicated location near Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City, Michigan.
• Value Priced Used Cars Wholesale-to-the-public used car sales offering value-priced pre-owned vehicles including models priced under $20,000. Operates from a lot behind the Kia dealership in Traverse City, Michigan.
• Williams Fast Lube Express automotive service center providing oil changes, brakes, wiper blades and washers, coolant exchange, automatic transmission flush, and differential fluid change services. Offers a $10 oil change discount for seniors on Wednesdays.
• Williams Body Shop Collision repair and auto body services offering free estimates for vehicle damage repairs. Operates alongside the Williams Chevrolet dealership.
• Finance Centers In-house and connected finance centers offering auto loans, leases, guaranteed approval financing, payment calculators, and trade-in valuation tools. Finance terms available up to 72 months with 4.9-5.9% interest rates.
• Service & Parts Centers Full-service maintenance and repair facilities handling scheduled maintenance, recall repairs, tire sales and installation (summer, winter, all-season), and genuine OEM parts for Chevrolet, Honda, and Kia vehicles.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chevrolet (General Motors)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranchised Chevrolet dealership authorized to sell new Chevrolet vehicles, offer certified pre-owned programs, and provide manufacturer warranty service. Operates as Williams Chevrolet under the GM dealer network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Carvana: Online-only used-car retailer with a fully digital purchase and delivery model. Indirect competitor that pressures used-vehicle pricing transparency and could erode regional used-car foot traffic over time.

Broad incumbents

• CarMax: Largest U.S. used-car retailer with no franchise new-vehicle sales. Adjacent competitor for Williams's used-vehicle businesses (AutoMax, Value Priced), influencing pricing and turn dynamics in the broader used-car market.

Direct peers

• Penske Automotive Group: Public, premium/luxury-tilted dealership group with commercial truck and Penske Transportation Solutions adjacencies. Comparable franchised retail model, though biased to higher-MSRP brands.
• AutoNation: Public multi-brand dealership group with 250+ rooftops across the U.S. Closely comparable revenue mix of new/used vehicle sales, finance, and parts & service, with similar exposure to OEM franchise economics.
• Lithia Motors: Largest U.S. auto retailer with a multi-brand, multi-rooftop franchise model and integrated digital retailing (Driveway). Directly comparable multi-franchise strategy and growing mix of higher-margin F&I and fixed-operations revenue.
• Sonic Automotive: Public, multi-brand dealership group with EchoPark used-vehicle standalone stores. Closely aligned business model blending franchised new-vehicle sales and dedicated used-car operations.
• Group 1 Automotive: Public, multi-brand franchised dealer group operating across the U.S. and U.K. Same franchised-dealer business model with parallel F&I, parts/service, and used-vehicle verticals.
• Asbury Automotive Group: Public franchised dealership operator with a Clicklane digital retailing platform. Directly comparable mix of new franchise sales, used vehicles (clicklane), F&I, and parts/service.

Regional players

• Suburban Collection: Large privately held multi-brand dealership group based in Michigan, sharing the same regional OEM franchise landscape and Michigan customer base as Williams. Best comparable on geography and brand mix.
• LaFontaine Automotive Group: Michigan-based family-owned multi-brand dealer group. Comparable as a privately held, multi-rooftop group competing for the same Michigan OEM franchises and regional customer pool.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/williams-auto-group

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 Williams Auto Group