Automotive franchise opportunities
We track 192 automotive franchise brands; 150 disclose a minimum investment, with a median of $177,500. Initial franchise fees typically fall between $18,000 and $49,125 (middle half of disclosed fees). Every figure below is FDD-derived — where a brand won't say, we print "not disclosed" instead of guessing.
What automotive franchises cost: a snapshot
The 8 automotive brands with the most complete filings, cash-to-open low to high. The full list is below.
| Verification mark | Brand | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUPERGLASS WINDSHIELD REPAIRFranchise fee $28,652 – $57,922 | $37,602 | $112,522 | $37,602 to $112,522 | |
| Tint WorldFranchise fee $183,350 – $220,350 | $289,950 | $469,950 | $289,950 to $469,950 | |
| Alloy Wheel Repair SpecialistsFranchise fee $40,000 – $110,000 | $100,000 | $638,500 | $100,000 to $638,500 | |
| Car-XFranchise fee $30,000 – $35,000 | $315,200 | $512,000 | $315,200 to $512,000 | |
| Dollar Rent A CarFranchise fee $25,000 – $125,000 | $879,300 | $15,874,000 | $879,300 to $15,874,000 | |
| Cottman Transmission and Total Auto CareFranchise fee $37,500 | $192,199 | $230,499 | $192,199 to $230,499 | |
| All Tune and Lube | ATL Motor Mate | All Tune TransmissionsFranchise fee $69,200 – $83,500 | $112,000 | $146,500 | $112,000 to $146,500 | |
| Merlin 200,000 Miles ShopsFranchise fee $35,195 – $86,195 | $264,745 | $534,395 | $264,745 to $534,395 |
Automotive trades, guide by guide
How much does an automotive franchise cost?
The median minimum investment across the 150 automotive brands that disclose one is $177,500; the middle half of disclosed minimums falls between $86,269 and $334,625. Format and real estate drive the spread — anchor on a specific brand's FDD Item 7.
What franchise fee and royalty do automotive brands charge?
The median disclosed initial franchise fee in automotive is $33,740 (middle half: $18,000–$49,125), and the median ongoing royalty is 6% of revenue. The fee is one line of the total investment — build-out and working capital usually dwarf it.
Which automotive franchises cost the least to open?
Among automotive brands with full cost data, the lowest disclosed minimum investments are CruiseOne | Dream Vacations ($12,595 – $20,970), SUPERGLASS WINDSHIELD REPAIR ($37,602 – $112,522), Dr. Vinyl ($41,320 – $71,500). A low minimum is a filed low, not an all-in promise — check each brand's full range.
How many automotive franchise brands are there?
Our dataset profiles 192 automotive franchise brands; 150 disclose investment figures and 36 meet our full-cost-data bar (fee, investment, royalty, and unit history all on file).
Automotive brands with full cost data (36 of 192)
Ranked by data completeness, then size. Where a brand won't disclose a figure, the cell says so.
| Brand | Cash to open | Franchise fee |
|---|---|---|
| SUPERGLASS WINDSHIELD REPAIR | $37,602 – $112,522 | $28,652 – $57,922 |
| Tint World | $289,950 – $469,950 | $183,350 – $220,350 |
| Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists | $100,000 – $638,500 | $40,000 – $110,000 |
| Car-X | $315,200 – $512,000 | $30,000 – $35,000 |
| Dollar Rent A Car | $879,300 – $15,874,000 | $25,000 – $125,000 |
| Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care | $192,199 – $230,499 | $37,500 |
| All Tune and Lube | ATL Motor Mate | All Tune Transmissions | $112,000 – $146,500 | $69,200 – $83,500 |
| Merlin 200,000 Miles Shops | $264,745 – $534,395 | $35,195 – $86,195 |
| Fast Undercar | $54,800 – $805,000 | $12,500 |
| DetailXPerts | $88,500 – $195,100 | $65,500 – $81,100 |
| Quality Tune-Up Shops | $234,000 – $282,750 | $12,500 |
| ProColor Collision | $316,800 – $3,129,500 | $10,000 – $20,000 |
| CruiseOne | Dream Vacations | $12,595 – $20,970 | $10,500 |
| Jiffy Lube | $232,000 – $520,000 | $35,000 – $85,000 |
| Meineke Car Care Center | $122,758 – $572,540 | $27,700 – $61,195 |
| Valvoline Instant Oil Change | $192,375 – $3,483,550 | $73,750 – $122,050 |
| AAMCO Transmissions | $234,800 – $353,200 | $68,000 – $90,500 |
| PacLease | $454,250 – $904,250 | $4,250 |
| Hertz | $879,300 – $15,839,000 | $25,000 – $100,000 |
| Budget | $605,500 – $1,568,400 | $25,000 – $30,000 |
| Grease Monkey | $708,057 – $2,284,321 | $39,900 – $49,900 |
| Avis | $605,500 – $1,568,400 | $30,000 |
| RNR Tire Express | $703,561 – $1,687,275 | $45,500 |
| Novus Glass | $90,000 – $284,690 | $50,700 – $78,010 |
| Tuffy Tire & Auto Service | $229,000 – $728,500 | $40,000 – $50,000 |
| Dr. Vinyl | $41,320 – $71,500 | $24,500 |
| J.D. Byrider | CarNow Acceptance Co. | $814,750 – $1,437,500 | $60,000 |
| SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service | $708,057 – $2,284,321 | $39,900 – $49,900 |
| Honest-1 Auto Care | $223,150 – $997,650 | $62,500 – $65,000 |
| Express Oil Change | Tire Engineers | $2,562,000 – $3,815,000 | $50,000 |
| Strickland Brothers | $270,400 – $486,900 | $64,900 – $69,900 |
| Fleet Clean | $160,325 – $436,375 | $74,125 – $227,625 |
| Auto Driveaway | $87,075 – $172,400 | $15,000 |
| Eagle Transmission | $221,000 – $385,500 | $35,000 |
| Payless Car Rental | $605,500 – $1,568,400 | $25,000 – $30,000 |
| Kennedy Transmission Brake & Auto Service | $88,500 – $162,500 | $12,000 |
The remaining 156 automotive brands disclose only partial figures. Browse all 192 in the directory, honest gaps included.
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Compare automotive brands against every budget band — filed minimums, honest "not disclosed" included.