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Acquisitions and Dispositions (Details textuals) (USD $) Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue	$ 10,417,000us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaRevenue	$ 9,770,000us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionsProFormaRevenue
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	336,600,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1	350,200,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
Acquisitions and Dispositions (Textual) [Abstract]
Consideration received for franchise dispositions		97,500,000gpi_ProceedsFromDispositionsOfFranchises	33,700,000gpi_ProceedsFromDispositionsOfFranchises
Number Of Dealerships Acquired			16gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs		6,500,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	336,551,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired	269,860,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired	177,956,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares		1.39us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionEquityInterestsIssuedOrIssuableNumberOfSharesIssued
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Liabilities Assumed		65,100,000gpi_Businessacquisitionliabilitiesassumedandextinguished
Other Expenses	0us-gaap_OtherExpenses	(789,000)us-gaap_OtherExpenses	0us-gaap_OtherExpenses
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Business	13,300,000us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness	10,200,000us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness
Proceeds From Disposition Of Franchise Property And Equipment	144,597,000gpi_ProceedsFromDispositionOfFranchisePropertyAndEquipment	102,186,000gpi_ProceedsFromDispositionOfFranchisePropertyAndEquipment	39,197,000gpi_ProceedsFromDispositionOfFranchisePropertyAndEquipment
UNITED STATES
Acquisitions and Dispositions (Textual) [Abstract]
Number Of Dealerships Acquired	7gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US	9gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US	10gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US
Number of franchises awarded	2gpi_Numberoffranchisesawarded / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Goodwill	103,900,000gpi_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwill / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US	56,200,000gpi_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwill / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US
Number of dealerships disposed	7gpi_NumberOfDealershipsDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US	6gpi_NumberOfDealershipsDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US	3gpi_NumberOfDealershipsDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US
Number of franchises disposed	1gpi_NumberOfFranchisesDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US	1gpi_NumberOfFranchisesDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US	2gpi_NumberOfFranchisesDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_US
UNITED KINGDOM
Acquisitions and Dispositions (Textual) [Abstract]
Number Of Dealerships Acquired	3gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_GB	4gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_GB	6gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_GB
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Goodwill	16,800,000gpi_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwill / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_GB	1,500,000gpi_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwill / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_GB
Number of dealerships disposed			1gpi_NumberOfDealershipsDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_GB
BRAZIL
Acquisitions and Dispositions (Textual) [Abstract]
Number Of Dealerships Acquired	1gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR	18gpi_NumberOfDealershipsAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR
Number of franchises awarded	1gpi_Numberoffranchisesawarded / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR
Number of franchises acquired		22gpi_NumberOfFranchisesAcquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR
Number of collision centers acquired		5gpi_Numberofcollisioncentersacquired / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Goodwill	$ 0gpi_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwill / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR	$ 129,400,000gpi_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwill / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR
Number of dealerships disposed	3gpi_NumberOfDealershipsDisposed / gpi_CountriesAndStatesAxis = country_BR

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Number of dealerships acquired.

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Number of franchises acquired.

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Number of shares of equity interests issued or issuable to acquire entity.

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The pro forma revenue for a period as if the business combination or combinations had been completed at the beginning of the period.

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This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

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Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

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Gain (loss) from sale or disposal of an organization or integrated set of activities (for example, but not limited to, a partnership or corporation) engaged in providing a product or service in a commercial, industrial, or professional environment.

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