Qvale Auto Group is down to its last two dealerships with the sale of two stores in the Tampa, Fla., area.

According to The Presidio Group, which advised the seller in the transaction, Atlantic Coast Automotive, a large dealership group that operates some 90 dealership locations in Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York, has acquired Audi Lakeland and Volkswagen Brandon from Qvale.

In a news release, Presidio said Qvale Auto Group has now sold 10 of its dealerships in Florida and California over the past four years. Owner Bruce Qvale continues to operate the company’s Alfa Romeo and Maserati stores in St. Petersburg, Fla., and plans to diversify his holdings outside of retail automotive.

Qvale Auto Group was founded by Bruce’s father Kjell Qvale in 1947 to import MG sports cars. He later became the first distributor of the Volkswagen Beetle on the West Coast.

Kjell Qvale is a member of the British Sports Car Hall of Fame for his role in importing and popularizing British vehicles such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls Royce in the U.S. On his induction in 2018, the Hall said his companies were responsible for selling more British sports cars in North America than anyone else.

Kjell Qvale, who died in 2013, was also co-founder and chairman of the first Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

HGreg ups its commitment to Operation Red Nose

HGreg is committed to helping keep roads safer this holiday season.

The dealership group, based in Québec, Canada, is showing that commitment as honorary president of Operation Red Nose campaigns in three regions in its home province: Montreal, Laval-Basses-Laurentides and Mascouche–Lanaudière-Sud.

Operation Red Nose is a nonprofit organization that offers safe rides home during the month of December in more than 100 communities throughout Canada. The rides come at no cost, but donations are accepted.

HGreg has worked with Operation Red Nose Laval-Basses-Laurentides for 21 years and with Operation Red Nose Montreal for four years, and is adding the Mascouche-Lanaudière-Sud region for 2024.

“Road safety is a priority for HGreg, which is why we have chosen to extend our support to a new region this year,” said HGreg vice president of marketing Harry Kasparian, the honorary president of the Red Nose campaigns. “As a Québec leader in vehicle sales, we have a duty to educate the public about the dangers of impaired driving.

“We encourage all citizens to use Operation Red Nose’s services as a way of ensuring our roads are safer during the holidays.”

The company is celebrating the collaboration with a special evening on Dec. 7 to invite its employees to volunteer with Operation Red Nose as drivers. During that evening, HGreg will double users’ donations to the Montreal Red Nose service.

HGreg is also continuing its awareness campaign through social media, reminding the population of the importance of safety and responsibility at the wheel during the holiday season.

HGreg operates more than 35 dealerships in Québec, California and Florida.