WardsAuto
WardsAuto is a B2B automotive industry media publication operated by Informa TechTarget, delivering daily news, in-depth analysis, and the Wards 10 Best awards to automotive industry professionals across global markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1924
- HeadquartersSouthfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What WardsAuto does
WardsAuto is a B2B automotive industry news and media publication serving auto industry executives, managers, and professionals with daily news, analysis, and forecasting. It operates as a publication brand within Informa TechTarget's network of vertical industry publications, alongside Manufacturing Dive, Smart Cities Dive, Supply Chain Dive, and Trucking Dive. The publication covers six primary topic verticals — Automakers, Dealers, Operations, Regulations, Technology, and Vehicles — addressing the full automotive value chain including OEMs, suppliers, dealers, regulators, and emerging technology areas such as electrification, autonomous driving, and AI-assisted vehicle systems.
The publication's core products include the WardsAuto Daily Edition newsletter delivered Monday through Friday, a Wednesday-focused WardsAuto: Dealer newsletter, Deep Dive analytical articles, Opinion thought leadership pieces, a Library of playbooks, webinars, and trendlines, a Press Releases distribution platform, and the Wards 10 Best award programs recognizing vehicle interiors/UX and engines/propulsion systems. Distribution occurs through the wardsauto.com website, free email newsletters, RSS feeds, and social media channels on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. The Wards 10 Best awards have run for multiple decades and remain a recognized industry authority signal for OEMs and suppliers.
WardsAuto monetizes through advertising (sponsored content, company announcements, branded content) and content/article licensing services. Newsletters are offered free to subscribers, and specific advertising rates and licensing fees are not publicly disclosed. The publication operates as a privately held subsidiary with no independent listing, owned through Industry Dive's acquisition by TechTarget (now part of Informa PLC). Geographic scope is global, with editorial coverage spanning North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
WardsAuto firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WardsAuto
- Legal name
- WardsAuto
- Website
- https://wardsauto.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1924
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WardsAuto is a B2B automotive industry media publication operated by Informa TechTarget, delivering daily news, in-depth analysis, and the Wards 10 Best awards to automotive industry professionals across global markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where WardsAuto is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Southfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
WardsAuto business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Advertising: The publication generates revenue through advertising, with sponsored content, company announcements, and branded content visible throughout the site.
- Content Licensing: The site offers article licensing and content licensing services for companies seeking to republish WardsAuto journalism.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
WardsAuto product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WardsAuto is a B2B automotive industry media publication that publishes daily news articles, in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, newsletters, and industry resources covering automakers, dealers, suppliers, technology, regulations, and vehicles. It also runs the Wards 10 Best annual awards programs recognizing excellence in vehicle interiors/UX and engines/propulsion systems, and distributes press releases for automotive companies.
Product overview
WardsAuto is a B2B automotive industry news and media publication providing daily news coverage, in-depth analysis, and industry-specific content. The publication operates primarily as a web-based platform offering multiple content products including a daily newsletter (WardsAuto Daily Edition), a Wednesday dealer-focused newsletter (WardsAuto: Dealer), Deep Dive analytical articles, Opinion thought leadership pieces, Library resources (playbooks, webinars, whitepapers), and the Wards 10 Best Awards program recognizing excellence in vehicle interiors, UX, engines and propulsion systems. WardsAuto is published by Informa TechTarget.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Deep Dive: In-depth analysis and investigative reports on automotive industry topics
- Opinion
- Library
- 10 Best Awards
Products and services
- WardsAuto Daily Edition Newsletter
- WardsAuto: Dealer Newsletter
- Deep Dive
- Opinion
- Library Resources
- Wards 10 Best Awards
- Press Releases
Companies that use WardsAuto
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
WardsAuto technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WardsAuto partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Cox AutomotivecoreWardsAuto features Test Drive to Go announcement about integration with Cox Automotive benefiting customers nationwide. Cox Automotive provides automotive retail, car rental, and fleet management technology solutions.
- Informa TechTargetcoreWardsAuto is owned and operated by Informa TechTarget, a global network that informs, influences and connects the world's technology buyers and sellers. WardsAuto is one of several industry-specific publications under this umbrella.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WardsAuto competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Automotive News: The leading U.S. B2B automotive trade publication covering automakers, dealers, suppliers, and policy. Operated by Crain Communications, it is the most direct comparable in target audience and editorial scope to WardsAuto.
- Automotive World: B2B automotive industry publication covering OEMs, suppliers, technology, and regulations — a close functional peer to WardsAuto in serving auto executives with news, analysis, and trends.
Broad incumbents
- MotorTrend: Long-established automotive media brand (MotorTrend Group) spanning enthusiast and trade content, including reviews, news, and industry analysis. Comparable in automotive editorial depth and awards heritage, though broader consumer-leaning.
- Car and Driver: Hearst-owned automotive media brand covering news, reviews, and industry developments. Comparable in automotive editorial coverage and awards (e.g., 10Best), though oriented toward enthusiast consumers rather than trade executives.
- Autoweek: MotorTrend Group's weekly auto enthusiast publication covering industry news, reviews, and motorsport. Comparable editorial overlap with WardsAuto in automaker and OEM coverage, with a broader consumer audience.
Emerging players
- Road & Track: MotorTrend Group performance and enthusiast auto publication covering vehicles and technology. Partial overlap with WardsAuto's technology and vehicles verticals.
- Just-Auto / Just Food (Automotive Industry analyst network): Industry analyst and news platform focused on the global automotive value chain, comparable in B2B intelligence service to WardsAuto's analyst-style coverage.
- Automotive Logistics: B2B publication covering automotive supply chain, logistics, and manufacturing. Adjacent to WardsAuto's coverage of operations, dealers, and supply chain-related automaker decisions.
Others
- Cars.com: Digital automotive marketplace and editorial platform covering news and reviews. Comparable on the consumer-news intersection but operating a marketplace model rather than trade B2B publishing.
- Edmunds: Automotive research, reviews, and editorial platform serving consumers and dealers. Comparable on automotive editorial and pricing intelligence, though not directly B2B trade-publishing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WardsAuto social profiles
Digital presenceWardsAuto financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WardsAuto leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
WardsAuto funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WardsAuto M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WardsAuto
What does WardsAuto do?
WardsAuto is a B2B automotive industry media publication that publishes daily news articles, in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, newsletters, and industry resources covering automakers, dealers, suppliers, technology, regulations, and vehicles. It also runs the Wards 10 Best annual awards programs recognizing excellence in vehicle interiors/UX and engines/propulsion systems, and distributes press releases for automotive companies.
Is WardsAuto a public or private company?
WardsAuto is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WardsAuto founded?
WardsAuto was founded in 1924. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WardsAuto based?
WardsAuto is headquartered in Southfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does WardsAuto make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are content Licensing.
Who are WardsAuto's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Automotive News and Automotive World. Broad incumbents are MotorTrend, Car and Driver and Autoweek. Emerging players are Road & Track, Just-Auto / Just Food (Automotive Industry analyst network) and Automotive Logistics. Others are Cars.com and Edmunds.
Does WardsAuto have an API?
No public API is recorded for WardsAuto.