EX-99.1


AT GROUP 1:	President and CEO	Earl J. Hesterberg	(713) 647-5700
	Senior Vice President and CFO	John C. Rickel	(713) 647-5700
	Manager, Investor Relations	Kim Paper Canning	(713) 647-5700
AT Fleishman-Hillard:	Investors	John O. Ambler	(713) 513-9513
AT Pierpont Communications:	Media	Clint L. Woods	(713) 627-2223

HOUSTON, Dec. 17, 2007 — Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI), a Fortune 500 automotive retailer, today announced it has expanded its luxury and import offerings in its Eastern Region by acquiring Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen franchises in Georgia and South Carolina. The three dealerships are expected to generate approximately $107.1 million in estimated annual revenues.

The dealerships will operate under the names Mercedes-Benz of Augusta, located in Augusta, Ga.; and BMW of Columbia, and Advantage Volkswagen, both of Columbia, S.C.

“We are delighted to add these growing import/luxury brands to our portfolio in these expanding markets,” said Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1’s president and chief executive officer.

Year to date, including the above-mentioned acquisitions, Group 1 has acquired 12 import/luxury franchises that are expected to generate $410.2 million in estimated annual revenues. Group 1 noted that it anticipates closing on additional pending acquisitions around year end that are included in its $600 million 2007 full-year acquisition target.

About Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
Group 1 owns and operates 99 automotive dealerships, 134 franchises, and 24 collision service centers in the United States and three dealerships, six franchises and two collision centers in the United Kingdom that offer 31 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships, the company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related financing, vehicle service and insurance contracts; provides maintenance and repair services; and sells replacement parts.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” which are statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, the forward-looking statements often include statements regarding our goals, plans, projections and guidance regarding our financial position, results of operations, market position, pending and potential future acquisitions and business strategy, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks” or “will.” Any such forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, (a) general economic and business conditions, (b) the level of manufacturer incentives, (c) the future regulatory environment, (d) our ability to obtain an inventory of desirable new and used vehicles, (e) our relationship with our automobile manufacturers and the willingness of manufacturers to approve future acquisitions, (f) our cost of financing and the availability of credit for consumers, (g) our ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions and the risks associated therewith, (h) foreign exchange controls and currency fluctuations, and (i) our ability to retain key personnel. These factors, as well as additional factors that could affect our forward-looking statements, are described in our Form 10-K under the headings “Business—Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We urge you to carefully consider this information. We undertake no duty to update our forward-looking statements, including our earnings outlook.