Long term debt and capital lease obligations excluding short term financing current.

No definition available.

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Other Long-term Debt, Miscellaneous

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	gpi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after accumulated amortization, of debt discount.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
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+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the aggregate of total long-term debt, including current maturities and short-term debt.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after accumulated amortization, of debt issuance costs. Includes, but is not limited to, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888426&loc=SL77918701-209980

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-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918627-209977

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

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-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 1
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+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt and lease obligation, classified as noncurrent.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt classified as other.

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+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of uncollateralized debt obligation (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer), excluding current portion.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnsecuredLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=gpi_RevolvingCreditFacilityAcquisitionLineMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=gpi_A5.25SeniorNotesMember
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=gpi_RealEstateRelatedMember
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Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=gpi_FinanceLeaseMember
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Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=gpi_OtherDebtMember
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Debt - Composition of Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 02, 2020	Apr. 02, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other long-term debt	$ 764,600			$ 579,100
Finance leases	124,900
Total Debt	1,362,400			1,501,600
Less: unamortized discount	0			5,600
Less: unamortized debt issuance costs	11,000			4,800
Less current maturities of long-term debt	56,700			59,100
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations	1,294,700			1,432,100
Acquisition Line
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding borrowing balance	$ 47,800			72,500
4.00% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	4.00%
Long-term debt	$ 550,000			0
5.00% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.00%	5.00%
Long-term debt	$ 0			550,000
5.25% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.25%		5.25%
Long-term debt	$ 0			300,000
Real estate related
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other long-term debt	619,800			453,300
Finance Lease
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other	124,800			83,000
Other Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other	$ 20,000			$ 42,800