Ideal Auto Dealer franchise
2026 filing · March 18, 2026
Ideal Auto Dealer at a glance
A car dealership selling new and used vehicles under the Ideal Automotive name.
The business
- Industry
- Retail
- Franchisor
- Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $514K–$2.66M
- Varies with how much of the opening vehicle inventory is financed
- Franchise fee
- $45,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- $200–$500 per vehicle
- A flat royalty on each vehicle sold: for used cars $200 under $10,000, $300 from $10,000 to $20,000 and $500 above, with similar tiers by sticker price for new cars, kept from each sale
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 2% of gross profits, at least $1,000 and at most $3,000, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- Fifty (50%) percent of our then current Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- Franchised, 2025
- 3
- As printed in the filing
From Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 402; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Ideal Auto Dealer among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Ideal Auto Dealer | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,585,325 | Costs more than 90% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $45,000 | Higher than 55% of franchises |
How much a Ideal Auto Dealer franchise costs
Opening varies with how much of the opening vehicle inventory is financed costs an estimated $514,450 to $2,656,200. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 1
Ideal Auto Dealer franchise fee
The franchise fee is $45,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | A flat royalty on each vehicle sold: for used cars $200 under $10,000, $300 from $10,000 to $20,000 and $500 above, with similar tiers by sticker price for new cars, kept from each sale. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross profits, at least $1,000 and at most $3,000, paid monthly. |
| Transfer Fee – Franchise Agreement or Franchised Unit | $5,000 |
| Renewal Fee | Fifty (50%) percent of our then current Franchise Fee |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, pages 15 and 16
Other fees as filed, from pages 16–18. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Ideal Auto Dealer does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 72
How Ideal Auto Dealer compares
Of the 302 retail franchises on this site, Ideal Auto Dealer is the 268th cheapest to open.
| Figure | Ideal Auto Dealer | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $514K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $2.66M | $425K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $45K | $35K | $40K |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 302 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 302 brands in retail franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 (+1) | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 (+2) | 2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
These figures don't add up as printed: the 2024 counts come to 3, but the filing shows 2. Worth asking the franchisor.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 73
Where Ideal Auto Dealer locations are
At the end of 2025, Ideal Auto Dealer had locations in 3 states. The most are in New York, California and New Jersey.
- New York3
- California1
- New Jersey1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| California | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 73
Who owns Ideal Auto Dealer?
Ideal Auto Dealer franchises are sold by Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC.
From Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 13, bankruptcy on page 13
Ideal Auto Dealer filings
The figures on this page come from Ideal Automotive Dealer Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued March 18, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 18, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
