automobile it

What automobile it does

automobile.it is an Italian online automotive marketplace that connects private car buyers and sellers with professional dealers and concessionaries across Italy. The platform hosts classified listings across multiple vehicle categories — used cars, new cars, nearly-new (KM 0) vehicles, long-term rentals, classic/vintage cars, motorcycles and scooters, campers, and commercial vehicles — with nationwide coverage and city-level targeting across major Italian metros. Buyers can browse listings for free and apply advanced filters (price, mileage, fuel type, emissions standard, body type, transmission, equipment), while sellers publish listings through a dedicated portal.

The underlying platform is a web-based classifieds marketplace with Google-powered search and reCAPTCHA, location/mapping services, and integrations with Carfax (vehicle history reports accessed by license plate) and Diogene (kilometer certification with tamper detection). A distinguishing layer is the "Usato Garantito" certified used car program that aggregates seven manufacturer-certified pre-owned schemes — BMW Premium Selection, Spoticar (Stellantis), Volkswagen, Mini Next, Lexus Select, Toyota Approved, and Maserati Approved — and a free in-house valuation tool (Valutazione Auto). An editorial Automobile.it Magazine supplies car reviews, road tests, buying guides, and news to support organic search and buyer engagement.

The business model is a freemium two-sided marketplace: buyers transact for free, while revenue is generated from professional dealers via recurring subscriptions to list inventory, transaction fees for premium/featured placements in search results, and advertising services. Go-to-market is product-led and self-serve, with both consumer-side browsing and a dedicated dealer registration/management portal for B2B inventory management. The company is privately held and operates within the Adevinta group, with immediate parent Marktplaats B.V. (Netherlands) and sister marketplaces Subito.it (Italy) and Mobile.de (Germany).

Name

automobile it

Legal name

Marktplaats B.V.

Website

https://automobile.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

automobile.it is an Italian online automotive marketplace operated within the Adevinta group, connecting private buyers with professional dealers and concessionaries across Italy via classified listings for new, used, KM 0, rental, vintage, motorcycle, camper, and commercial vehicles, monetizing through dealer subscriptions and premium placements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Automotive Classifieds

NAICS

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441), Automobile Dealers (4411), Used Car Dealers (44112)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)

Keywords

• Online automotive marketplace
• Used car listings
• Vehicle classifieds platform
• Certified pre-owned cars
• Dealer portal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Dealer Subscriptions and Listings: Professional car dealers and concessionaries pay for listings on the platform. The dealer registration page indicates a dedicated B2B portal for dealers to manage their inventory and listings.
2. Premium Listing Placements: Dealers can pay for enhanced visibility of their listings through featured/promoted placements in search results
3. Advertising Services: Dealer advertising and promotional services within the platform

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

automobile.it operates an Italian online automotive classifieds marketplace connecting private sellers and professional dealers with car buyers across all vehicle categories (new, used, km-0, classic, motorcycles, campers, commercial vehicles). The platform enables free browsing and search with advanced filters, while monetizing through dealer subscriptions, premium listing placements, and advertising. It integrates vehicle history reports (Carfax), kilometer certification (Diogene), and manufacturer-certified pre-owned programs (BMW, Spoticar, VW, Toyota, Lexus, Maserati, Mini) to provide transparency and warranty assurance.

Product overview

automobile.it is a comprehensive online automotive marketplace operating as a single unified platform. The core offering consists of vehicle classified listings (Annunci) covering multiple categories: new cars (Auto Nuove), used cars (Auto Usate), nearly-new vehicles (Auto Km 0), long-term rentals (Noleggio a Lungo Termine), classic cars (Auto d'Epoca), motorcycles (Moto e Scooter), campers (Caravan e Camper), and commercial vehicles (Veicoli Commerciali). The platform integrates a dealer directory (Concessionari), an automotive editorial magazine with news and buying guides, and a free car valuation tool (Valutazione Auto). The Usato Garantito certification program aggregates manufacturer-certified used car programs including BMW Premium Selection, Spoticar, VW Approved, Mini Next, Lexus Select, Toyota Approved, and Maserati Approved, offering buyers warranty and quality assurance options. The Vendi (Sell) service enables both private sellers and professional dealers to publish vehicle listings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annunci Auto (Vehicle Listings Marketplace) Core online automotive classifieds marketplace where private sellers and professional dealers list new, used, km-0, long-term rental, and classic vehicles. Buyers browse, filter by criteria (price, mileage, fuel type, emissions, body type, equipment, location), view vehicle details, and contact sellers directly.
• Moto e Scooter Listings Dedicated motorcycle and scooter listings section of the marketplace, separated from automobile listings. Targets buyers and sellers of two-wheeled vehicles across Italy.
• Caravan e Camper Listings Recreational vehicle and camper listings section of the marketplace for buyers and sellers of motorhomes, caravans, and camper vans.
• Veicoli Commerciali (Commercial Vehicles) Commercial vehicle listings section for businesses and individuals buying or selling vans, light trucks, and other commercial vehicles.
• Concessionari (Dealer Directory) Dealer directory and registration portal enabling professional car dealers and concessionaries to list inventory on the platform, manage their presence, and reach buyers across Italy.
• Vendi (Sell Portal) Vehicle listing/selling portal enabling private sellers and professional dealers to publish advertisements on the platform. Includes step-by-step ad creation workflow.
• Valutazione Auto (Car Valuation Tool) Free car valuation tool that estimates the market value of a vehicle for users who are buying or selling. Available to all visitors at no charge.
• Automobile.it Magazine Editorial content section of the platform featuring automotive news, car reviews, road tests, buying guides, and car maintenance tips to help buyers make informed purchase decisions.
• Noleggio a Lungo Termine (Long-Term Rental Listings) Long-term vehicle rental / leasing listings section offering extended-period rental options from dealers and rental companies on the platform.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and important.

• AdevintacoreOthersAdevinta is the parent company of automobile.it. The platform is part of Adevinta's portfolio of digital marketplaces, which includes other automotive and general classifieds platforms across Europe.
• Marktplaats B.V.coreOthersDutch parent company of automobile.it. Copyright holder (2023 Marktplaats B.V.). Part of the Adevinta group.
• Subito.itminorOthersSister company under Adevinta, Italy's leading classifieds platform. Both operate under the Adevinta group.
• Mobile.deminorOthersSister company under Adevinta, Germany's leading automotive marketplace. Both operate under the Adevinta group.
• CarfaximportantTechnology or IntegrationIntegration for vehicle history reports. Buyers can access detailed vehicle history information including accident records, ownership history, and service records using the vehicle's license plate number.
• DiogeneimportantTechnology or IntegrationKilometer certification service that verifies actual vehicle mileage through devices that detect any tampering, providing authenticity assurance for buyers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• CarVertical: Vehicle history and mileage verification provider operating across Europe. Comparable to automobile.it's Carfax/Diogene integrations and represents an adjacent trust layer that could either partner with or compete with automobile.it's certification stack.

Direct peers

• AutoScout24: Pan-European online automotive marketplace operating in Italy as autoscout24.it. Directly competes head-to-head with automobile.it for private-seller and dealer vehicle listings across new, used, and km0 categories with similar monetization on dealer subscriptions and premium placements.
• Subito.it: Italy's leading general classifieds platform owned by Adevinta (sister company to automobile.it). Competes directly in the automotive listings category with similar dealer subscription and listing-fee monetization, plus a broader general-merchandise marketplace offering.
• Mobile.de: Germany's largest automotive marketplace, also under the Adevinta group. Operates the same marketplace business model (dealer subscriptions, premium placements) and shares technology and product roadmap with automobile.it — making it the closest internal benchmark for unit economics and product strategy.
• Marktplaats: Netherlands' largest general classifieds platform and the immediate legal parent of automobile.it. Operates the same marketplace model with strong automotive listings, providing a template for how automobile.it's product could evolve within the Adevinta family.
• Quattroruote: Italian automotive media and marketplace platform combining editorial content (reviews, news, technical data) with vehicle listings. Directly comparable to automobile.it's editorial-plus-classifieds hybrid model and competes for the same Italian car-buyer audience.

Broad incumbents

• Cars.com: US-listed automotive marketplace platform with comparable dealer subscription and advertising revenue model. Useful as a public-market benchmark for digital automotive classifieds at scale, though not a direct Italian competitor.
• Auto Trader UK: UK's largest automotive marketplace and a benchmark for European automotive classifieds at scale. Comparable business model and dealer-monetization mechanics, but geographically separate; useful as a public-comparable proxy for marketplace economics.

Emerging players

• CarGurus: Data-driven automotive marketplace operating in multiple European markets including Italy. Competes via transparency-focused search rankings and dealer pricing tools, increasingly pressuring traditional classified platforms like automobile.it on dealer ROI.
• AutoUncle: European vehicle search and price-comparison engine active in Italy. Aggregates listings from multiple sources and provides price-evaluation tools, positioning it as a partial competitor for buyer traffic and a complementary lead source for dealers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Automobileit
• Facebookfacebook.com/www.automobile.it
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/automobile-it
• Instagraminstagram.com/automobile.it

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 automobile it