The Cedar Group, one of Ireland’s largest motor distributors and retailers, has announced that it has been acquired by the Salvador Caetano Group which is entering the Irish market for the first time. The Salvador Caetano Group, which is headquartered in Portugal, is a global leader in the automotive industry with operations in 48 countries across Europe, Africa and South America.
It has over 80 years of experience in automotive distribution and retail, bus manufacturing, industrial equipment, aftersales service, information technology and renewable energy solutions.
The Cedar Group is the largest independent motor group in Ireland. It employs over 600 people, sold almost 28,000 vehicles in 2025, and has a turnover close to €1 billion per annum. It comprises Nissan Ireland, distributors of Nissan cars; Cedar Motors, distributors of Renault, Dacia and Alpine cars; and the Windsor Motor Group, one of the largest automotive retail groups in Ireland representing the Nissan, Renault, Dacia, Alpine, Peugeot, Opel, Mazda, Citroen, and Suzuki franchises.
The acquisition ends almost 50 years of ownership by the Kuwaiti based Al Babtain family. The management team at The Cedar Group remains unchanged and will continue to lead the development of the Group into the future.
‘The Salvador Caetano Group shares our ambition to grow and to continue building on our success in making the Cedar Group the third largest distributor in Ireland and in having established Windsor as one of the country’s top four motor retail groups,’ said James McCarthy, CEO of The Cedar Group.
‘This acquisition is the perfect fit for the future development of the business as well as being a solid endorsement of the Irish car market and the Nissan, Renault, Dacia and Alpine franchises,’ he added.
‘Our Group is now part of a dynamic international automotive group with interests on three continents, allowing us to benefit from international best practice and 80 years of industry experience as we continue to grow and expand in Ireland,’ he continued.
Mr. McCarthy thanked the Al Babtain family for their commitment to The Cedar Group over the past fifty years.
‘We are delighted to establish a presence in Ireland and to continue our international expansion with the acquisition of The Cedar Group as a platform for growth,’ said Sérgio Ribeiro, Executive Board Member & CEO of Global Automotive Distribution – Salvador Caetano Auto.
‘The Cedar Group is perfectly aligned with our business model. It has very strong distribution rights in Nissan, Renault, Dacia and Alpine, a leading motor retail business with nine franchises, and it is led by an ambitious management team. We were especially impressed by the growth it has achieved since acquiring the Renault, Dacia and Alpine franchises in 2023,’ he added.
‘Ireland is a dynamic and growing market. The Salvador Caetano Group has a strong heritage of innovation and excellence, and we are excited to bring that and our 80 years of experience to Ireland as we become the new leaders in the Irish motor industry,’ he concluded.
