mynth
06/2023

LOOKERS acquired by GLOBAL AUTO HOLDINGS

UNITED KINGDOM Automotive / Retail & Services / Dealerships EV 500M - 1.5b GBP

Context

Global Auto Holdings Ltd. (GAHL), an affiliate sharing ownership with Toronto-based Alpha Auto Group (AAG), has completed the acquisition of Lookers PLC through a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. Following initial shareholder resistance over the summer, GAHL raised its cash offer per share to secure investor approval. The transaction takes the target private and marks its delisting from the London Stock Exchange. The operational perimeter encompasses a workforce of approximately 6,500 employees and an infrastructure network of 147 franchise dealerships across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The transaction marks AAG’s entry into the European automotive retail market. Prior to the acquisition, AAG's geographic footprint was limited to 15 large-scale vehicle dealerships across Canada and the United States. By acquiring Lookers, the group absorbs an established, century-old distributor of new and used vehicles, light vans, and aftermarket services. The post-closing industrial thesis focuses on geographic diversification and expanding global market share, positioning the combined entity to leverage Lookers' existing platform amidst broader consolidation within the British automotive retail sector.

LOOKERS, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2023, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, a level LOGIN than the average currently observed in the Industry & Manufacturing sector (11.2x).

Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.

-> Deep-dive in Industry & Manufacturing market trends

Target

Lookers PLC is a British automotive retail company founded in 1908, operating through a network of 147 franchise dealerships in the UK and Ireland, offering new and used vehicles, as well as aftermarket services such as maintenance and repair, with an extensive presence in the UK automotive market, providing a varied range of vehicle brands and models, and benefiting from a solid reputation for customer service and sales quality, with a team of over 6,500 employees dedicated to delivering an exceptional vehicle buying and ownership experience, and which has undergone a rich and evolutionary history, transitioning from a bicycle retailer to a major player in the automotive market, with a stock exchange presence since 1973, but which is now preparing to come under private control, which should enable it to pursue its growth and development strategy in a context of increased competition and regulatory changes in the automotive sector.

Ent. Value

LOGIN

Equity Value

LOGIN

Multiples

EV / Revenue

LOGIN

EV / EBITDA

LOGIN

EV / EBIT

LOGIN

Historical Financials (GBP)

Year
Rev
EBITDA
EBIT
2023
LOGIN
LOGIN
LOGIN
2022
LOGIN
LOGIN
LOGIN

Similar deals in Industry & Manufacturing

List of similar M&A transactions (Date, Acquirer, Target, Country, Sector, Deal Context)
DateAcquirerTargetCountrySectorDeal Context
09/2024OUEST CROISSANCE / BPIFRANCETEXELISFRANCEAutomotive

The management team of Texelis organized a new MBO to reinforce their majority stake and bring in new long-term partners. This transaction replaces the previous structure set up in 2018. A consortium of six investors backed the deal: Ouest Croissance and Bpifrance's Definvest entered as new leads, while historical partners Siparex and Carvest reinvested

01/2024PATRICK INDUSTRIESSPORTECHUNITED STATESAutomotive

Patrick Industries signed a definitive agreement to acquire Sportech, LLC from Monomoy Capital Partners. This acquisition is immediately accretive to Patrick's margins and earnings per share. It represents a strategic "Secondary Buyout" where an industrial player takes over from a private equity firm to support the next phase of growth

11/2022AUO CORPORATIONBEHR-HELLA THERMOCONTROL GMBH (BHTC)GERMANYAutomotive

AUO Corporation has finalized the 100% equity acquisition of BHTC. This strategic transaction marks a milestone in AUO's evolution into a Tier 1 automotive supplier, effectively merging its leadership in display technology with BHTC's expertise in climate control and HMI systems

10/2022SOCIETE GENERALE CAPITAL PARTENAIRESPOZEOFRANCEAutomotive

Pozeo’s management, led by Nicolas Chauveau Pégaz and supported by Vincent Lejeune, took control of the group through a management buyout structured with Bpifrance (via France Investissement Tourisme 2) and Société Générale Capital Partenaires (with minority stakes)

10/2022PLASTIC OMNIUMVARROC LIGHTING SYSTEMS (VLS)INDIAAutomotive

Plastic Omnium has signed an agreement with Varroc Engineering Limited to acquire 100% of its automotive lighting business, Varroc Lighting Systems (VLS). This carve-out transaction comes at a time when the target company is experiencing financial difficulties, as evidenced by its EBITDA margin turning negative in 2021

07/2022PLASTIC OMNIUMAMLS AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEMSAUSTRIAAutomotive

The acquisition of AMLS by Plastic Omnium is a strategic move to bolster the group's position in intelligent automotive systems and expand its offerings beyond traditional body components. By integrating this specialized automotive lighting business, Plastic Omnium enhances its technological capabilities in key areas such as electronics, embedded software, and advanced lighting solutions, which have become key differentiators for manufacturers

05/2022D’IETERENAUTODISTRIBUTION / PARTS HOLDING EUROPEFRANCEAutomotive

This transaction represents a major strategic trade sale marking the transition of Parts Holding Europe (PHE) from private equity ownership back to a long-term industrial partner. After two unsuccessful IPO attempts and discussions with other financial sponsors, the incoming industrial leader secured an exclusive agreement to acquire absolute majority control

11/2019TDR CAPITALCONSTELLATION AUTOMOTIVEUNITED KINGDOMAutomotive

The acquisition of BCA Marketplace by TDR Capital is a strategic move to expand the firm's presence in the European used car market. The deal is driven by the growing demand for online used car sales, and the need for a more efficient and digitalized marketplace

12/2018EMZ PARTNERSVIGNAL GROUPFRANCEAutomotive

The sale of Vignal Lighting Group to EMZ Partners marks a significant milestone in the company's history. The transaction is the result of a strategic review process initiated by Eurazeo PME, which had been the majority shareholder of Vignal Lighting Group since 2014

10/2018SOCIETE GENERALE CAPITAL PARTENAIRES / BNP PARIBAS DEVELOPPEMENTGROUPE GRISFRANCEAutomotive

Groupe GRIS successfully completed a capital reorganization through a Management Buy-Out (MBO). The entry of SGCP and BNP Paribas Developpement provided the financial stability to pursue the group's "GRIS 2022" strategic plan, which focused on modernizing production tools and expanding its market share in Germany

REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 500M - 1.5b GBP

Revenue range: 2.5b - 5b GBP

EBITDA range: 100M - 200M GBP

Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of LOOKERS by GLOBAL AUTO HOLDINGS are reserved for mynth community members. Register for free to unlock full data.

Authors: verified mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).

Target: lookers

Acquirer: global auto holdings