Guarantees - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Total borrowings of the independents and affiliates subject to guarantee	$ 350.6
Guarantees related to borrowings, other assets	37.0
Guarantees related to borrowings, other long-term liabilities	$ 37.0
Minimum [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guaranteed obligations maturity	1 year
Maximum [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Guaranteed obligations maturity	6 years

Period of time in years that the guaranteed obligation terminates.

No definition available.

Name:	gpc_GuaranteedObligationsMaturity
Namespace Prefix:	gpc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The current carrying amount of the asset for the guarantor's receivable under the guarantees.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gpc_OtherAssetsGuaranteesRelatedToBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	gpc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: