Sonic Automotive said Tuesday it has purchased Sun Chevrolet in Chittenango, N.Y., following its acquisition of three Used Car King pre-owned stores from same group back in December 2020.

Joe Caputo founded Sun Chevrolet in 1979. He and son Todd Caputo ran that store along with the three used-car standalone stores in Central New York.

Todd Caputo, president of Sun Chevrolet, has moved into a leadership position with EchoPark Automotive, which is Sonic’s line of pre-owned stores.

Sun Chevrolet is Sonic’s sixth Chevy store and its 111th franchise location overall.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the team from Sun Chevrolet into the Sonic family,” Sonic and EchoPark chief executive officer David Smith said in a news release. “The culture that Joe and Todd Caputo built at Sun Chevrolet aligns with the guest and teammate experience standards we set forth at Sonic Automotive, making the team a perfect addition to our company.”

Sonic and EchoPark president Jeff Dyke said: “We’re excited to start a new year by expanding our footprint once again. We have tremendous respect for the Chevrolet brand and look forward to continuing the work Joe, Todd and the Sun Chevrolet team established to deliver an exceptional brand promise to guests in the Central New York region.”

Added Todd Caputo: “It’s an honor and a privilege for our family to become a part of the Sonic family. We look forward for years to come to continue serving our guests in Central New York.”

Canada’s Knight Automotive enters U.S.

In another dealership M&A move, Canada-based Knight Automotive Group has expanded to the U.S., purchasing California’s Sunrise Ford of Fontana and Sunrise Ford of North Hollywood from the Bruncati family, according to a news release from Performance Brokerage Services.

Knight Automotive Group has 14 stores throughout Western Canada, and now counts Southern California in its footprint.

“The entire Performance Brokerage team was excellent to work with,” Braeden Mueller of Knight Automotive Group said in a news release. “We continued to be in touch over the years and they worked with our group to find the right fit on our first acquisition in the United States. Knight Automotive Group looks forward to working with Performance Brokerage on future acquisitions.”

James Bruncati, owner of the Ford stores, added: “The team at Performance Brokerage did a phenomenal job. Jonathan Forgy did a great job of building a comprehensive packet, and Jason Stopnitzky did a great job at finding the right buyer. They found a buyer that fit very well with the culture we built.

“Kevin Knight and Braeden Mueller from Knight Automotive were a pleasure to deal with and I feel they will do extremely well in the future. Thank you to the whole team at Performance Brokerage Services.”

Dealers give back

On the philanthropic front, Signature Auto Group — a car leasing company with locations in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — said it is taking 5% of the proceeds it makes this month and donating it to the Bronx Fire Relief Fund in the aftermath of a deadly Jan. 9 apartment building fire in the New York borough.

“Our entire team is extremely saddened by the loss of life and families torn apart due to this tragic fire in the Bronx,” says a spokesperson for Signature Auto Group said in a news release. “We figure that the least we can do is humbly donate 5% of our January proceeds to support anyone impacted by the Tremont fire.”

Donations to the Bronx Fire Relief Fund can be made here:  https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fund/initiatives/bronx-apartment-building-fire.page

Elsewhere, Ed Morse Automotive Group — which was the official automotive partner of college football’s Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas — gave a new car to a Purple Heart recipient during halftime of the bowl game.

The name drawn from the hat with nearly 100 Purple Heart recipients was Ken Watterson, who is president of Veterans Resource Center in Dallas. Watterson served two tours in Vietnam, receiving a Purple Heart after an injury in 1968. He helped launched the Homeless Veterans Service of Dallas, Inc., in 2004.

The vehicle given away was a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Custom in Satin Steel Metallic.  

“From its inception over 75 years ago, our company has proudly supported veteran and military organizations. What an honor it is to be part of the Armed Forces Bowl, such a cool and impactful event that extends beyond the Dallas area,” Ed Morse Automotive Group chairman and CEO Teddy Morse said in a news release.  “It was a blast hanging out with all of those inspiring Purple Heart recipients and getting to know Ken Watterson, a true hero.”