Fewer new-car dealerships, higher sales in 2023 lead to boost in throughput

The U.S. new-car dealership count in 2023 fell slightly year over year, but throughput, or the average new-vehicle sales per franchise, jumped as inventory rebounded, according to Automotive News’ annual dealer census. There were 18,133 new-car dealerships in the U.S. as of Jan. 1, down 0.8 percent or 138 compared with Jan. 1, 2023.