<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000350698-16-000349.txt : 20161107
<SEC-HEADER>0000350698-16-000349.hdr.sgml : 20161107
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20161005125641
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000350698-16-000349
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20161005

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			AUTONATION, INC.
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000350698
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-AUTO DEALERS & GASOLINE STATIONS [5500]
		IRS NUMBER:				731105145
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		200 SW 1ST AVE
		STREET 2:		SUITE 1600
		CITY:			FORT LAUDERDALE
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			33301
		BUSINESS PHONE:		9547696000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		200 SW 1ST AVE
		STREET 2:		SUITE 1600
		CITY:			FORT LAUDERDALE
		STATE:			FL
		ZIP:			33301

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	AUTONATION, INC. /FL
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20090827

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	AutoNation, Inc. /FL
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20090827

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	AUTONATION INC /FL
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19990407
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html>
	<head>
		<!-- Document created using Wdesk 1 -->
		<!-- Copyright 2016 Workiva -->
		<title>Document</title>
	</head>
	<body style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;">
<div><a name="s65ca6ec260af4264a3505c80083778d9"></a></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">AUTONATION, INC.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">200 SW 1st Ave, Suite 1600</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;text-indent:528px;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;text-indent:528px;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">October 5, 2016</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">VIA EDGAR SUBMISSION</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">James Allegretto</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Senior Assistant Chief Accountant</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Division of Corporate Finance</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Mail Stop 3561</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">United States Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">100 F Street, NE</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">&#160;</font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:9pt;padding-left:24px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Re:</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">AutoNation, Inc.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:24px;text-indent:24px;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2015</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:24px;text-indent:24px;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Filed February 11, 2016</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:24px;text-indent:24px;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">File No. 1-13107</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Dear Mr.&#160;Allegretto:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">This letter responds to the comment that AutoNation, Inc. (the &#8220;Company&#8221;) received from the Staff (the &#8220;Staff&#8221;) of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;Commission&#8221;) by letter dated September&#160;30, 2016. For your convenience, we have set forth the Staff&#8217;s comment below followed by our response to the comment.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;text-decoration:underline;">Selected Financial Data, page 21</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:9pt;padding-left:24px;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">1.</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Your presentation of operating income less floorplan interest expense may be inconsistent with Question 102.10 of the updated Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations on Non-GAAP Financial Measures issued on May 17, 2016. Please review this guidance when preparing your next filing. Also, to the extent that you continue to present this measure, please label it as a non-GAAP.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;text-decoration:underline;">Response:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">We acknowledge the Staff&#8217;s comment and have reviewed Question 102.10 of the updated Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations on Non-GAAP Financial Measures. We respectfully advise the Staff that, beginning with our next annual report on Form 10-K, we will no longer present operating income less floorplan interest expense as a line item in the Selected Financial Data table.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">*   *   *   *   *</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">In providing this response letter to the Staff, the Company acknowledges that (i) the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the above-referenced filing, (ii) Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the above-referenced filing, and (iii) the Company may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">If you or any member of the Staff has any questions regarding the response set forth herein, please contact the undersigned at (954) 769-2803.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:336px;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Respectfully submitted,</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;padding-left:336px;text-indent:0px;font-size:9pt;"><div style="padding-left:0px;text-indent:0px;line-height:normal;padding-top:10px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;width:38.829268292682926%;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left;"><tr><td colspan="1"></td></tr><tr><td style="width:100%;"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">/s/ Cheryl Miller</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Cheryl Miller</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;">Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer</font></div></td></tr></table></div></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:9pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:9pt;"><br></font></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div>	</body>
</html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
