Franz

What Franz does

Franz AG is a Swiss multi-brand automobile dealership founded in 1913, headquartered at Badenerstrasse 329, Zürich (Handelsregister-Nummer CH02030245572, UID CHE-105.951.848). It operates a unified retail and service platform representing Peugeot, Volvo, Mazda, and Subaru for the Greater Zürich area, with a secondary location historically at Winterthur. The legal entity is a private Swiss corporation (FRANZ AG) with 101–250 employees and no parent company, subsidiaries, or public listing disclosed.

Its core offering is a one-stop-shop for vehicle ownership across four brands: new vehicle sales, authorized scheduled servicing, repairs, genuine parts, and 24-hour accident and breakdown assistance (with dedicated Peugeot and Volvo assistance hotlines and a 24h Unfall- & Pannendienst number). Product portfolio is organized into six offerings — brand-authorized sales and service for each of Peugeot, Volvo, Mazda, and Subaru; an online service and repair appointment system; and the 24h emergency/roadside assistance program. Ancillary paid services (replacement vehicle rental at CHF 65/day, standard vehicle cleaning at CHF 29, premium vehicle cleaning at CHF 169, wiper-blade replacement) are presented through the online booking workflow.

The business model combines one-time new-vehicle sales with recurring service and parts revenue, complemented by ancillary unit-priced aftermarket services, paid for on a pay-as-you-go basis. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through physical showrooms and a basic online service-appointment channel; distribution is entirely domestic (Switzerland), with no delivery channels beyond the Zürich-area footprint. The primary customer segment is private individual vehicle owners in the Greater Zürich area seeking purchase, maintenance, repair, or emergency breakdown support. The company has recently narrowed its Winterthur footprint via a divestiture: Franz AG transferred its Peugeot and Volvo representation at the Winterthur location to Engeler Automobile AG, which now operates from the same address (St. Gallerstrasse 106, 8404 Winterthur), while Franz AG retains Mazda and Subaru at group level.

Name

Franz

Legal name

FRANZ AG

Website

https://franz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Franz AG is a Swiss private multi-brand automobile dealership headquartered in Zürich, representing Peugeot, Volvo, Mazda, and Subaru in the Greater Zürich area, providing new-vehicle sales, authorized servicing, parts, and 24/7 roadside assistance to individual vehicle owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales: Sale of new vehicles including Peugeot, Volvo, Mazda, and Subaru automobiles through dealership locations

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Franz AG is an authorized multi-brand automotive dealership in the greater Zürich area selling Peugeot, Volvo, Mazda, and Subaru vehicles. The company also provides scheduled maintenance, repair services, replacement vehicle rental, vehicle cleaning, and 24/7 emergency breakdown and accident assistance for its represented brands. Franz AG has transferred its Peugeot and Volvo representation at the Winterthur location to Engeler Automobile AG, while continuing to represent Mazda and Subaru.

Product overview

Franz AG is an authorized automotive dealership operating in the Winterthur and Zurich area. The company operates as a unified multi-brand dealership offering sales and service for four vehicle brands (Peugeot, Volvo, Mazda, and Subaru) through a centralized service platform. Core offerings include new vehicle sales, scheduled maintenance and repairs, 24-hour roadside assistance, and ancillary services such as replacement vehicle rentals and vehicle cleaning. The company has transitioned its Peugeot and Volvo representation at the Winterthur location to Engeler Automobile AG, though service operations continue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peugeot Sales & Service Authorized Peugeot dealership offering new vehicle sales, scheduled maintenance, repairs, and genuine Peugeot parts for customers in the Greater Zürich area.
• Volvo Sales & Service Authorized Volvo dealership providing new Volvo vehicle sales, scheduled servicing, and Volvo-specific repairs and maintenance.
• Mazda Sales & Service Authorized Mazda dealership offering Mazda vehicle sales and comprehensive maintenance services.
• Subaru Sales & Service Authorized Subaru dealership providing Subaru vehicle sales and maintenance services in the Greater Zurich region.
• Vehicle Service & Repair Appointments Online service scheduling system allowing customers to book maintenance and repair appointments, with options for replacement vehicles and additional services such as wiper blade replacement and vehicle cleaning.
• 24h Emergency & Roadside Assistance Round-the-clock accident and breakdown recovery services for Peugeot and Volvo vehicles, including dedicated assistance hotlines (Peugeot: 0800 55 50 05; Volvo: 0844 300 100) and 24-hour emergency dispatch (0800 00 24 20).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Engeler Automobile AGminorOthersFranz AG at the Winterthur location has transferred its Peugeot and Volvo vehicle representation to Engeler Automobile AG. The new partner operates from St. Gallerstrasse 106, 8404 Winterthur. This appears to be a business transition rather than an ongoing partnership. Engeler Automobile AG now handles Peugeot and Volvo sales and service for the Winterthur area.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• AutoScout24 Schweiz: Switzerland's leading online vehicle marketplace connecting buyers and dealers. Comparable as part of the same Swiss auto retail ecosystem where Franz AG lists and competes for consumer attention; does not directly retail vehicles but materially shapes dealer demand.

Broad incumbents

• AutoNation Inc. One of the largest US automotive dealership groups operating franchised stores across multiple OEMs with full service and parts operations. Comparable in business model (franchised multi-brand retailer with service attach), but at vastly larger scale and US-only geography.
• Inchcape PLC: Global automotive distributor and retailer with multi-brand representation across Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, including distribution partnerships for several OEMs. Comparable to Franz AG on multi-brand representation and aftersales franchise model; far larger and global footprint.
• Hedin Automotive Group: Large European multi-brand automotive retailer with dealership operations across Switzerland and other countries. Comparable in multi-brand authorized sales, service, and parts model; broader incumbency at European scale.
• AMAG Group AG: Switzerland's largest automotive retail and import group, operating the country's Volkswagen, Audi, and other dealer networks plus own-brand retail outlets. Comparable as a broad Swiss incumbent with multi-brand authorized dealerships and full-scale service operations, but far larger in revenue, brand count, and geographic reach.
• Pendragon PLC: UK-listed multi-brand automotive retailer operating franchised dealerships across premium and volume brands with aftersales services. Comparable structure to Franz AG's authorized franchise + workshop model; much larger scale and UK-only footprint.
• Group 1 Automotive Inc. US-based Fortune 500 automotive retailer with 200+ dealerships across new and used vehicle brands plus collision and service operations. Comparable as multi-franchise dealer group with integrated service; far larger and geographically distinct from Franz AG.

Direct peers

• Engeler Automobile AG: Swiss authorized Peugeot and Volvo dealer that recently took over Franz AG's Winterthur representation. Headquartered at St. Gallerstrasse 106 in Winterthur, it operates the same franchise set and service model in the same micro-market as Franz AG.
• Emil Frey AG: Switzerland's largest privately held multi-brand automotive dealer group, authorized for several import brands and operating multiple full-service dealerships across Swiss German-speaking regions. Directly comparable to Franz AG in business model (authorized multi-brand sales + service) and Swiss market footprint.

Regional players

• AVAG Holding AG: Swiss automotive group operating multiple authorized dealerships across German-speaking Switzerland, including service and parts operations. Comparable multi-brand Swiss dealership model but with broader regional coverage than Franz AG's two-store Zürich footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Franz