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Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) (Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt						$ (46,403,000)us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt	$ 0us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt	$ 0us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt
Valuation Allowance, Amount	40,486,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance			28,310,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance		40,486,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance	28,310,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
ASSET IMPAIRMENTS	30,400,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	9,400,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	1,700,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges			41,520,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	6,542,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	7,276,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
Impairment of Intangible Assets, Indefinite-lived (Excluding Goodwill)	25,600,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsIndefinitelivedExcludingGoodwill	5,500,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsIndefinitelivedExcludingGoodwill		5,400,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsIndefinitelivedExcludingGoodwill	7,000,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsIndefinitelivedExcludingGoodwill	31,000,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfIntangibleAssetsIndefinitelivedExcludingGoodwill
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	99,265,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross			98,234,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross		99,265,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross	98,234,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross		2,300,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross
Impairment primarily related to the Company's real estate holdings						1,300,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfRealEstate
On certain deferred tax assets [Member] | Net of taxes [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Valuation Allowance, Amount				3,500,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance / gpi_DeferredTaxAssetsAxis = gpi_OncertaindeferredtaxassetsMember / gpi_TaxeffectedAxis = gpi_NetoftaxesMember			3,500,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance / gpi_DeferredTaxAssetsAxis = gpi_OncertaindeferredtaxassetsMember / gpi_TaxeffectedAxis = gpi_NetoftaxesMember
UNITED STATES
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt		22,800,000us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US	23,400,000us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US
Net Gain (Loss) on Real Estate and Dealership Transactions		16,600,000gpi_NetGainLossonRealEstateandDealershipTransactions / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US						1,500,000gpi_NetGainLossonRealEstateandDealershipTransactions / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US
Number of Dealerships Disposed		5gpi_NumberOfDealershipsDisposed / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US
UNITED STATES | Net of taxes [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net Gain (Loss) on Real Estate and Dealership Transactions							5,400,000gpi_NetGainLossonRealEstateandDealershipTransactions / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US / gpi_TaxeffectedAxis = gpi_NetoftaxesMember
ASSET IMPAIRMENTS							4,000,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US / gpi_TaxeffectedAxis = gpi_NetoftaxesMember	4,400,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_US / gpi_TaxeffectedAxis = gpi_NetoftaxesMember
BRAZIL
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Tax impact of deductible goodwill		$ 3,400,000gpi_Taximpactofdeductiblegoodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = country_BR

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards.

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