Exhibit 31.1

                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
         RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                             AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


         I, Kenneth B. Gilman, certify that:

 1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Asbury
          Automotive Group, Inc.;

 2.       Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any
          untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
          necessary to make the statements made, in light of circumstances under
          which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the
          period covered by this quarterly report;

 3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
          information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
          material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
          cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
          this quarterly report;

 4.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
          establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
          defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
          registrant and we have:

          (a)      Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or
                   caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be
                   designed under our supervision to ensure that
                   material information relating to the registrant,
                   including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
                   known to us by others within those entities,
                   particularly during the period in which this annual
                   report is being prepared;

          (b)      Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                   controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                   conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
                   controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
                   by this report based on such evaluation; and

          (c)      Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
                   internal control over financial reporting that occurred
                   during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has
                   materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
                   affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
                   reporting;

 5.       The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
          on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
          reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
          registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
          function):

          (a)     All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design or operation of internal control over financial
                  reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
                  registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
                  financial information; and

         (b)      Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                  or other employees who have a significant role in the
                  registrant's internal control over financial reporting.



/s/ KENNETH B. GILMAN
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Kenneth B. Gilman
Chief Executive Officer
May 10, 2004