But the third party in the dispute is also a central player — Asbury Automotive Group. Based in Stamford, CT, Asbury thought it was acquiring Bob Baker Ford with the entire Baker group last summer for $88 million only to be denied the Ford store by the auto maker. In a letter to Asbury, Ford Div. General Sales Manager Thomas J. Gorman says only three of Asbury's 10 Ford dealerships "met our criteria to acquire additional franchises during 2002." Gorman says market shares at Asbury's seven other Ford stores were below regional averages, while customer satisfaction scores trailed group averages. He asserts market share losses had occurred at "nearly every dealership since the date that Asbury purchased the dealerships." The Baker Group's franchises are distributed among six dealerships and include Toyota, Lexus, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Jeep, Mitsubishi and Subaru.