Automobile Review

What Automobile Review does

Automobil Revue (legal entity: Automobil Revue AG) is a privately held Swiss automotive media company founded in 1906 and headquartered in Switzerland. It operates Switzerland's oldest continuously published automobile magazine, producing monthly print editions, a bilingual (German/French) digital news and E-Paper platform, and annual reference products including yearbooks (Jahrbuch) and vehicle catalogs (Katalog) that document 96-106 vehicle test reports per year and technical specifications for over 3,500 vehicles. The publication serves Swiss automotive enthusiasts and premium lifestyle readers through a horizontal segmentation approach, with editorial coverage spanning new vehicles, technology, motorsport, classics, traffic policy, and lifestyle content. Content is produced via a workflow that evaluates 100+ new vehicle models annually.

Name

Automobile Review

Legal name

Automobil Revue AG

Website

https://automobilrevue.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Automobil Revue is Switzerland's oldest automotive magazine (founded 1906), publishing monthly print editions, digital subscriptions, E-Paper, yearbooks, and vehicle catalogs for Swiss automotive enthusiasts in German and French.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive & Transportation Magazines (MPAJAEAI)

Keywords

• Automotive magazine publishing
• Vehicle test reports
• Print and digital subscriptions
• Automotive yearbooks
• Motor journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Magazine Subscriptions: Premium print subscriptions (Premium Abo) providing monthly print magazine delivery with included supplements and special editions. Available in 6-month and annual terms.
2. Digital Subscriptions: Digital subscriptions providing daily news updates, full platform access, and included E-Paper of the print edition. Available as monthly or annual subscriptions.
3. Magazine Single Issues: Individual magazine issues sold at CHF 39.00 per copy, covering current automotive news, tests, and features.
4. Yearbooks: Annual yearbooks documenting test reports, Car of the Year awards, price lists, and vehicle specifications. Published in A4 format with 400+ pages.
5. Vehicle Catalogs: Annual vehicle catalogs published in book form, documenting automotive novelties, test reviews, price lists, and market trends.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Automobil Revue is a Swiss automotive magazine publisher producing a monthly print magazine with detailed vehicle test reports, automotive technology coverage, motorsport journalism, and lifestyle content for Swiss car enthusiasts. The company sells print and digital subscriptions, single magazine issues, annual yearbook compendiums, and vehicle catalogs, supported by an E-Paper platform and weekly newsletter in German and French.

Product overview

Automobil Revue is Switzerland's oldest and most prestigious automotive magazine, offering a multi-platform publishing portfolio centered on its flagship print and digital magazine. The core product is the monthly Automobil Revue magazine featuring comprehensive test reports, vehicle photography, and editorial coverage of automotive technology, motorsport, and lifestyle. This is supplemented by digital subscription services (Digital-Abo and Premium-Abo combining print and digital access), annual yearbooks (Jahrbuch) compiling the year's test reports and Car of the Year coverage, and vehicle catalogs (Katalog). Additional offerings include E-Paper digital editions and a weekly newsletter. Content categories span Neuheiten (new vehicles), Aktuell (current news), Fahrberichte (road tests), Tests (comparisons), Classics (vintage cars), Technik (automotive technology), Sport (motorsport), and lifestyle features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Automobil Revue Magazin (Print Magazine) The flagship Swiss automotive magazine offering in-depth test reports, vehicle reviews, and comprehensive photography for current and classic vehicle models, along with articles on automotive technology, motorsport, traffic policy, and lifestyle. Available as single issues or via subscription.
• Digital-Abo (Digital Subscription) Monthly or annual digital subscription providing daily automotive news updates, free access to all digital platform content, and included E-Paper access to the print magazine.
• Premium-Abo (Print & Digital Subscription) Combined print and digital subscription delivering the monthly magazine to the mailbox with all supplements and special editions, plus digital access to all platform content. Available in 6-month and annual terms.
• Jahrbuch (Yearbook) Annual reference compendium collecting all test reports from the previous year, Car of the Year finalists coverage, new car price lists, and vehicle segment/brand indexes.
• Katalog (Vehicle Catalog) Annual printed vehicle catalog featuring comprehensive overviews of new car releases with test reports, price lists, and market trend analyses.

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tour de SuissecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomobil Revue is a key partner and media sponsor of the Tour de Suisse cycling event. The homepage prominently features 'Tour de Suisse 2026' with 'Dabei sein!' (Be part of it!) call-to-action, indicating strong editorial and promotional partnership.
• European Jury (Car of the Year)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomobil Revue serves as co-organizer of the prestigious 'The Car of the Year' award, deciding annually with jury members from across Europe which new model is the best car of the year. Yearbook 2022 features exclusive coverage from Jury President Frank Janssen.
• Swiss Historic Vehicle Federation (SHVF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHVF partners with Automobil Revue for the 'Old Cars for Young People' competition at Swiss Classic World event, supporting youth engagement in classic vehicle hobby.
• Young4VintageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth initiative project partnering with Automobil Revue for vintage vehicle education and engagement programs.
• Oldtimergalerie ToffenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuction house partner featured at Swiss Classic World event, conducting classic vehicle auctions with Automobil Revue coverage.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Auto Zeitung: German automotive magazine with subscription, test reports, and yearbook products. Closely comparable product mix and recurring-revenue model to Automobil Revue in the broader DACH market.
• Auto Motor und Sport: Germany's flagship weekly automotive magazine with test reports, motorsport coverage, and subscription model. Most direct competitor in the German-speaking automotive magazine category served by Automobil Revue.
• Car Magazine: UK-based premium automotive magazine with long-form test reports, motorsport coverage, and subscription model. International comparable in editorial positioning and premium print format.
• Road & Track: US premium automotive magazine with heritage (est. 1947), print + digital subscriptions, and motorsport/test-report editorial focus. Comparable premium-positioning peer in the international automotive press category.
• Auto Illustrierte: Direct Swiss-domestic competitor automotive magazine; targets the same Swiss automotive enthusiast segment with test reports and motorsport coverage, competing head-to-head for subscriptions.

Broad incumbents

• Top Gear: Global automotive entertainment brand (BBC/Disney) with print magazine, digital platform, and video. Adjacent competitor for enthusiast attention and subscription budget in the automotive media category.
• AUTO BILD: Largest-circulation automotive magazine in Europe, published by Axel Springer. Comparable print + digital subscription model, yearbook products, and broad automotive news/test coverage across DACH.

Regional players

• Auto Revue: Austrian automotive magazine with similar test-report, motorsport, and classic-car editorial focus. Regional DACH peer with comparable positioning that could overlap if Automobil Revue expanded into Austria.
• Auto, Motor und Sport (Switzerland / Swiss edition): Swiss edition of Auto Motor und Sport, offering localized automotive content to the same Swiss market. Regional peer competing for the same advertising and subscription wallet share.

Emerging players

• Oldtimer Praxis: German specialty magazine focused on classic and vintage cars with subscription and reference products. Comparable niche overlap with Automobil Revue's Classics content category and Jahrbuch reference offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Automobil_Revue
• Facebookfacebook.com/automobilrevue.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/automobil-revue-revue-automobile

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 Review