EDMONTON, Feb. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - AutoCanada Inc. ("AutoCanada") (TSX:ACQ) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly eligible dividend of $0.18 per common share, an increase of 5.8% from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.17 per common share.  The dividend is payable on March 15, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 28, 2013.  The declared dividend represents a rate of $0.72 per share on an annualized basis.

"The Company is pleased to announce a further increase in the quarterly dividend which reflects the Company's continued confidence in the Canadian automotive retail environment." stated Pat Priestner, Chief Executive Officer of AutoCanada.

Eligible dividend designation

For purposes of the enhanced dividend tax credit rules contained in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "ITA") and any corresponding provincial and territorial tax legislation, all dividends paid by AutoCanada or any of its subsidiaries in 2010 and thereafter are designated as "eligible dividends" (as defined in 89(1) of the ITA), unless otherwise indicated.  Please consult with your own tax advisor for advice with respect to the income tax consequences to you of AutoCanada Inc. designating dividends as "eligible dividends".

About AutoCanada

AutoCanada is one of Canada's largest multi-location automobile dealership groups, currently operating 27 franchised dealerships in six provinces and has over 1,100 employees.  AutoCanada currently sells Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, Mitsubishi, and Volkswagen branded vehicles.  In 2011, our dealerships sold approximately 28,000 vehicles and processed approximately 300,000 service and collision repair orders in our 333 service bays during that time.

Additional information about AutoCanada Inc. is available at www.sedar.com and the Company's website at www.autocan.ca.

SOURCE: AutoCanada Inc.