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Property and Equipment (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Property Plant and Equipment (Textual) [Abstract]
Depreciation and amortization	$ 31,500,000us-gaap_OtherDepreciationAndAmortization	$ 42,300,000us-gaap_OtherDepreciationAndAmortization	$ 35,800,000us-gaap_OtherDepreciationAndAmortization
Building recorded under capital lease included in property plant equipment before accumulated depreciation		67,500,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsNoncurrent	57,300,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsNoncurrent
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Capital expenditures incurred for purchase and construction of assets		97,700,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets	69,200,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireProductiveAssets
Assets Held-for-sale, Long Lived		4,000,000us-gaap_RealEstateHeldforsale
Land and Building [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Acquisition of fixed assets		62,700,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis = us-gaap_LandAndBuildingMember	38,800,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis = us-gaap_LandAndBuildingMember
Dealership Acquisitions [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Acquisition of fixed assets		80,500,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gpi_DealershipAcquisitionsMember	71,400,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gpi_DealershipAcquisitionsMember
Dealership Acquisitions [Member] | Land [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Acquisition of fixed assets		34,200,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gpi_DealershipAcquisitionsMember / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis = us-gaap_LandMember	21,600,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gpi_DealershipAcquisitionsMember / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis = us-gaap_LandMember
Dealership Acquisitions [Member] | Buildings [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Acquisition of fixed assets		$ 41,000,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gpi_DealershipAcquisitionsMember / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis = us-gaap_BuildingMember	$ 27,600,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentAdditions / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gpi_DealershipAcquisitionsMember / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis = us-gaap_BuildingMember

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- Definition

Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal, through the balance sheet date and due to be paid more than one year (or one operating cycle, if longer) after the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6455398&loc=d3e45280-112737



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-Publisher FASB

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Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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The other noncash expense, not otherwise specified in the taxonomy, charged against earnings in the period to allocate the cost of tangible and intangible assets over their remaining economic lives.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 360

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229



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The cash outflow for purchases of and capital improvements on property, plant and equipment (capital expenditures), software, and other intangible assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Investing Activities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133



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Amount of acquisition of long-lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

+ References

No definition available.

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Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of investments in land and buildings held for sale, excluding real estate considered to be inventory of the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

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