DETROIT – AutoNation Inc. doubled CEO Mike Jackson’s compensation in 2009, to $5.16 million, reported Automotive News.

Jackson’s $1.15 million base salary was unchanged, but he received a $1.7 million bonus for 2009, the company said in its annual proxy filing today.

AutoNation had awarded no executive bonuses in the prior two years. Despite posting profits for those years, the company missed predetermined targets established for 2007 and 2008. AutoNation, however, exceeded financial targets set for 2009.

The value of stock option awards to Jackson also rose in 2009, to $2.09 million. Jackson’s $5.16 million package compares with total compensation of $2.58 million in 2008.

AutoNation COO Michael Maroone earned total compensation of $3.98 million in 2009, up from $2.26 million in 2008. Maroone’s $1 million salary was unchanged. He received a $1.11 million bonus and stock option awards higher in value than his 2008 option awards.

AutoNation’s annual shareholder meeting is May 5.

AutoNation’s board of directors is urging a vote of no on two shareholder proposals. One would allow holders of 10 percent of common stock to call special shareholder meetings; the second would require an independent director to serve as chairman of AutoNation’s board of directors. CEO Jackson is AutoNation’s current chairman.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — AutoNation Inc. reported a profit of $65 million from continuing operations for the third quarter 2009, compared to a net loss of $1.40 billion in the year-ago period.

AutoNation’s third quarter 2009 revenue totaled $2.9 billion, compared to $3.4 billion in the year-ago period, driven primarily by lower vehicle sales.

The nation’s largest automotive retailer also reported revenue of $95.7 million in the finance and insurance segment, down 16 percent from $113.9 million posted in the year-ago period. On a year-over-year basis, the company reported F&I revenue of $261.9 million, down 31 percent from $379.6 million in 2008.

“Our third quarter profitability improved from third quarter 2008 despite substantially lower new-vehicle industry volume compared to last year. Cash for Clunkers was a highly effective stimulus program that provided a much needed lift in auto sales and has set the stage going forward for a gradual recovery of new-vehicle sales,” said Mike Jackson, AutoNation’s chairman and CEO.

For the nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 2009, AutoNation reported net income from continuing operations of $172 million, compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $1.29 billion in the prior year. The auto retailer’s revenue for the nine-month period ended totaled $7.9 billion, down 26 percent compared to $10.8 billion in the prior year.