Auto Parts City
Auto Parts City is a family-owned auto salvage and recycling facility in Gurnee, Illinois that purchases junk vehicles, harvests and resells used auto parts under a 60-day warranty, and runs a car donation program serving consumers across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1930
- HeadquartersGurnee, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Auto Parts City does
Auto Parts City is a privately held, family-owned auto salvage and recycling business with roots dating to the 1930s, currently operating from a single facility at 3535 Washington St in Gurnee, Illinois (grand opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2011). The company's core operations involve acquiring end-of-life, junk, and used vehicles; harvesting reusable components including tires, batteries, radiators, alternators, starters, engines, and transmissions; and reselling those parts to consumers under a 60-day warranty through walk-in sales, telephone quotes (847-244-7171), and two eBay storefronts (apcity and autopartscitygurneeillinois). Supporting revenue lines include a "Cash for Vehicles" purchasing service with free pickup across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, a charitable vehicle donation program routed through Lambs Farm, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and veterans organizations, retail vehicle sales under the City Auto Sales division, and a specialty classic-vehicle subsidiary branded Classic Car City.
The underlying physical infrastructure is the primary "technology" stack: a fluid reclamation system that drains, recycles, and reuses oil and gas (heating facilities and fueling tow trucks); an Underground Triple Trap Catchment filtration system; a multi-stage stormwater treatment train (First Flush rainwater filtration, oil-eating enzymes, and sequential pond/meadow filtering) designed to prevent watershed contamination; and yearly third-party environmental audits performed by VET Environmental. Pricing across all lines is quote-based and pay-as-you-go; no subscription, recurring, or contracted-revenue model exists. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer and regional, with global reach only via eBay marketplace listings, and acquisition channels consist of organic search (apcity.com), eBay, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. The business has no disclosed external capital, no parent company, and no institutional investor footprint; all available evidence points to an independently operated, owner-managed small business of 11-50 employees serving a fragmented long-tail of individual vehicle owners, DIY mechanics, vehicle sellers, and charitable donors.
Auto Parts City firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Auto Parts City
- Legal name
- Auto Parts City
- Website
- https://apcity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1930
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Auto Parts City is a family-owned auto salvage and recycling facility in Gurnee, Illinois that purchases junk vehicles, harvests and resells used auto parts under a 60-day warranty, and runs a car donation program serving consumers across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Auto Parts City industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Used Auto Parts Retail
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Parts (Used) Merchant Wholesalers (42314), Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Used Auto Parts Recovery & Resale (Salvage/Yard Parts, Rebuilders) (EUAIAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling, Dismantling & Parts Recovery (TLABAKAI)
Keywords
Where Auto Parts City is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gurnee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Auto Parts City business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Used Auto Parts Sales: Sale of salvaged vehicle components including tires, batteries, radiators, alternators, starters, engines, and transmissions. Revenue generated from direct sales to consumers visiting the facility or through eBay marketplace listings.
- Vehicle Purchasing and Resale: Auto Parts City purchases used and junk vehicles from sellers at competitive prices, then resells vehicles or recycles them for parts. Services include free pickup of vehicles in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
- Vehicle Donation Processing: Facilitates car donations for customers who want to support charitable causes. Proceeds from vehicle recycling or resale are donated to partner charities including Lambs Farm, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and veterans organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for vehicles and parts |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | 60-day warranty on auto parts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Auto Parts City product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Auto Parts City operates an auto salvage and recycling facility in Gurnee, Illinois, purchasing junk and used vehicles and reselling salvaged auto parts—including tires, batteries, radiators, alternators, starters, engines, and transmissions—to individual vehicle owners and mechanics. The business also runs a cash-for-junk-vehicles buying program, a car donation program, and affiliated used car and classic car sales operations.
Product overview
Auto Parts City is an auto salvage and recycling facility (founded in the 1930s) that operates as a single integrated business with multiple service divisions. The core product is the Parts Division selling used auto parts including tires, batteries, radiators, alternators, starters, engines, and transmissions—all backed by a 60-day warranty with delivery available. Supporting divisions include a vehicle purchasing service (Cash for Vehicles) that buys junk and used cars with free pickup, a car donation program that routes vehicle proceeds to charity partners, and vehicle sales through City Auto Sales and Classic Car City divisions. The company emphasizes environmentally responsible recycling practices, draining and recycling all vehicle fluids.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Classic Car City: Specialty vehicle sales operation offering classic cars and special interest vehicles for sale
Products and services
- Used Auto Parts
- Cash for Junk Vehicles
- Car Donation Program
- City Auto Sales
- Classic Car City
Quantifiable outcome
- All fluids removed from vehicles using state-of-the-art reclamation system
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Auto Parts City
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Auto Parts City technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Auto Parts City partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Lambs FarmminorCharitable partner for vehicle donations. Lambs Farm is dedicated to helping people with developmental disabilities lead productive, happy lives and connecting with the human spirit. Auto Parts City donates proceeds from donated vehicles to this organization.
- Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyminorCharitable partner receiving proceeds from donated vehicles. Dedicated to conquering all blood cancers. Auto Parts City facilitates vehicle donations that result in contributions to this organization.
- Veterans OrganizationsminorCharitable partners supporting veterans and their families. Auto Parts City donates vehicle proceeds to connect Veterans with benefits and resources they've earned, through professionally trained and certified combat Veteran Peer Support Specialists.
- Local FirefightersminorCommunity partnership where Auto Parts City donates cars to local firefighters for practicing emergency procedures and training.
- Foundations Providing Vehicles to Those in NeedminorPartnership with foundations that give cars to people in need of transportation. Donated vehicles are recycled or resold, with proceeds supporting these transportation assistance programs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Auto Parts City competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pick-n-Pull: Self-service auto salvage chain with multiple U.S. yards selling used parts from end-of-life vehicles; competes with Auto Parts City in the same used auto parts retail/recovery category.
- Car-Part.com: Online marketplace aggregating inventory from thousands of salvage yards for used parts search and quoting; directly competes for online demand that Auto Parts City also serves through its eBay storefronts.
- Pull-A-Part: National self-service used auto parts retailer operating large salvage yards across the U.S. Closely comparable to Auto Parts City's core model of buying end-of-life vehicles and reselling used components to consumers.
- BABA Auto Parts / BAPS Auto: Used auto parts retailer with both physical locations and a strong online shipping model offering engines, transmissions, and other used components — closely comparable to Auto Parts City's parts catalog and 60-day warranty positioning.
- U-Pull-&-Pay: Self-service salvage yard operator with locations across multiple U.S. states, directly competing on used parts sales from end-of-life vehicles and parallel to Auto Parts City's Gurnee operation.
Broad incumbents
- IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): Major salvage auction operator selling total-loss vehicles to recyclers and buyers; an upstream competitor/supplier relative to Auto Parts City's vehicle purchasing pipeline.
- LKQ Corporation: Largest North American provider of recycled and aftermarket auto parts; competes with Auto Parts City across salvage parts, recycled engines, transmissions, and collision-parts distribution at a far broader scale.
- Copart: Leading online vehicle auctioneer that sells salvage and used vehicles to dismantlers and dealers; competes with Auto Parts City's vehicle purchasing and resale flow at scale, even though end customers differ.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Auto Parts City social profiles
Digital presenceAuto Parts City financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Auto Parts City leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Auto Parts City subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Auto Parts City funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Auto Parts City 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 Auto Parts City
What does Auto Parts City do?
Auto Parts City operates an auto salvage and recycling facility in Gurnee, Illinois, purchasing junk and used vehicles and reselling salvaged auto parts—including tires, batteries, radiators, alternators, starters, engines, and transmissions—to individual vehicle owners and mechanics. The business also runs a cash-for-junk-vehicles buying program, a car donation program, and affiliated used car and classic car sales operations.
Is Auto Parts City a public or private company?
Auto Parts City is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Auto Parts City founded?
Auto Parts City was founded in 1930. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Auto Parts City based?
Auto Parts City is headquartered in Gurnee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Auto Parts City make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Used Auto Parts Sales are the primary driver. The others are vehicle Purchasing and Resale and vehicle Donation Processing.
Who are Auto Parts City's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pick-n-Pull, Car-Part.com, Pull-A-Part, BABA Auto Parts / BAPS Auto and U-Pull-&-Pay. Broad incumbents are IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions), LKQ Corporation and Copart.
Does Auto Parts City have an API?
No public API is recorded for Auto Parts City.
What industry is Auto Parts City in?
Auto Parts City's product category is Used Auto Parts Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAJAF, Used Auto Parts Recovery & Resale (Salvage/Yard Parts, Rebuilders), with a secondary code of TLABAKAI, End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling, Dismantling & Parts Recovery. Its NAICS code is 42314 and its SIC code is 5010.