Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
LAMPERT EDWARD S
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
AUTONATION, INC. [AN]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director __X__ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
200 GREENWICH AVENUE
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/29/2011
(Street)

GREENWICH, CT 06830
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 12/30/2011   J(1)   5,560,368 (1) D $ 0 (1) 36,630,644 I See Footnotes (2) (3)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 12/29/2011   J(4)   190,285 (4) D $ 0 (4) 12,692,116 I See Footnotes (3) (5)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 12/29/2011   J(6)   190,285 (6) A $ 0 (6) 190,285 I See Footnotes (3) (7)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 12/29/2011   J(8)   190,285 (8) D $ 0 (8) 0 I See Footnotes (3) (7)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share               6,526 I See Footnotes (3) (9)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share               5,080,682 I See Footnotes (3) (10)
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 12/29/2011   J(11)   186,939 (11) A $ 0 (11) 18,627,332 D (3) (12)  

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
LAMPERT EDWARD S
200 GREENWICH AVENUE
GREENWICH, CT 06830
    X    
ESL INVESTMENTS INC
200 GREENWICH AVENUE
GREENWICH, CT 06830
    X    
RBS PARTNERS L P /CT
200 GREENWICH AVENUE
GREENWICH, CT 06830
    X    
ESL PARTNERS, L.P.
200 GREENWICH AVENUE
GREENWICH, CT 06830
    X    
ESL INVESTORS LLC
200 GREENWICH AVENUE
GREENWICH, CT 06830
    X    

Signatures

 /s/ Edward S. Lampert   01/03/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 ESL INVESTMENTS, INC., /s/ Adrian J. Maizey, Chief Financial Officer   01/03/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 RBS PARTNERS, L.P., By: ESL Investments, Inc., as its general partner, By: /s/ Adrian J. Maizey, Chief Financial Officer   01/03/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 ESL PARTNERS, L.P., By: RBS Partners, L.P., as its general partner, By: ESL Investments, Inc., as its general partner, By: /s/ Adrian J. Maizey, Chief Financial Officer   01/03/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 ESL INVESTORS, L.L.C., By: RBS Partners, L.P., as its manager, By: ESL Investments, Inc., as its general partner, By: /s/ Adrian J. Maizey, Chief Financial Officer   01/03/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) ESL Partners, L.P. ("Partners") distributed these shares of common stock of AutoNation, Inc. (the "Issuer"), par value $0.01 per share (each, a "Share"), on a pro rata basis to limited partners that elected in 2011 to redeem all or a portion of their interest in Partners.
(2) These Shares are held by Partners.
(3) This Form 4 is filed on behalf of Mr. Lampert, ESL Investments, Inc. ("Investments"), RBS and Partners. RBS is the general partner of Partners and the managing member of Investors. RBS Investment Management, L.L.C. ("RBSIM") is the general partner of Institutional. Investments is the general partner of RBS and CBL and the manager of RBSIM. Mr. Lampert is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Investments.
(4) ESL Investors, L.L.C. ("Investors") distributed these Shares on a pro rata basis to the managing member of Investors in connection with the restructuring of Investors and the termination of the managing member's pecuniary interest in the Shares held by Investors.
(5) These Shares are held in an account established by the investment member of Investors.
(6) RBS Partners, L.P. ("RBS"), the managing member of Investors, acquired these Shares in a pro rata distribution from Investors in connection with the restructuring of Investors and the termination of its pecuniary interest in the Shares held by Investors.
(7) These Shares are held by RBS.
(8) RBS distributed these Shares, which were received in connection with the termination of its pecuniary interest in the Shares held by Investors, on a pro rata basis to its partners.
(9) These Shares are held by ESL Institutional Partners, L.P. ("Institutional").
(10) These Shares are held by CBL Partners, L.P. ("CBL").
(11) These Shares were received in a pro rata distribution from RBS to its partners.
(12) These Shares are held by Edward S. Lampert, and include 18,133 Shares that were originally reported as owned indirectly through a grantor retained annuity trust, which distributed the 18,133 Shares on January 3, 2012 to Mr. Lampert.
 
Remarks:
Pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(2)(ii)(B) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Act"), each of the Reporting Persons may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the securities reported herein only to the extent of his or its pecuniary interest therein. Pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(4) under the Act, this filing shall not be deemed an admission that any of the Reporting Persons is, for purposes of Section 16 of the Act or otherwise, the beneficial owner of any securities reported herein in excess of such amount.

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