Cars Ireland

What Cars Ireland does

Cars Ireland operates CarsIreland.ie, an online automotive marketplace headquartered in Dublin that connects used car and van buyers with dealers and private sellers across Ireland. The platform lists more than 71,643 vehicles — roughly 65,696 cars and 5,724 vans — and serves a base of approximately 1,195 verified car dealers alongside private sellers. The site organizes inventory into category browsing (used cars, used vans, electric cars) and supplements listings with a free car valuation tool, a "Sell My Car" workflow, a dealer directory, editorial reviews and news, and a car insurance landing page. Monthly traffic exceeds 500,000 visitors, indicating an established demand-side audience within the Irish domestic market.

The core product is a listing and discovery platform built around standardized vehicle inventory records, with integrations to third-party services that add transactional and informational value to each listing. These include Cartell vehicle history checks (€20 per listing add-on) and Cartell-powered free car valuation, AA Approved dealer accreditation, SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) affiliation, cross-listing syndication to Carzone at €19.95, and embedded buyer-side referrals to RedClick and KennCo Insurance plus PTSB Asset Finance. The company also runs the CarsIreland Dealership Awards as an annual brand and content property, with a 2025 edition and a planned 2026 Q1 edition.

The business model is primarily transaction-based listing fees charged to dealers and sellers, with incremental revenue per listing from add-on services such as Carzone cross-listing and Cartell history checks, and referral economics from insurance and finance partners. The company operates with 11-50 employees and is privately held, with no disclosed funding rounds or external investors. The technology stack described in available material is a standard web marketplace — no proprietary AI/ML, computer vision, or advanced recommendation systems are referenced — and the company's strategic emphasis appears to be deepening ancillary services and partner integrations rather than building a vertically integrated automotive commerce platform.

Name

Cars Ireland

Legal name

CarsIreland.ie

Website

https://carsireland.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cars Ireland operates CarsIreland.ie, an Irish online automotive marketplace listing more than 71,000 used cars and vans from approximately 1,195 verified dealers, serving 500,000+ monthly visitors and monetizing via listing fees and embedded insurance and finance referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Automotive Marketplace

NAICS

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)

Keywords

• Used car marketplace
• Automotive classifieds
• Vehicle listing platform
• Dealer directory
• Car valuation tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listing Fees: CarsIreland charges sellers for placing vehicle advertisements on the platform. Standard listing fee is €15 for private sellers, with premium options to include additional visibility on Carzone (€19.95 extra) and Cartell history checks (€20 extra). Listings remain live until the vehicle is sold, with no time limit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CarsIreland is an Irish online automotive marketplace that connects used car buyers with private sellers and car dealers. The platform hosts over 71,000 vehicle listings searchable by make, model, year, price, fuel type, mileage, and location. Sellers pay listing fees to advertise their vehicles, while buyers can browse and contact sellers for free, with integrated tools for car valuation, vehicle history checks, and insurance quotes.

Product overview

CarsIreland is an Irish online automotive marketplace operating as a single integrated platform that connects car buyers with private sellers and dealerships. The core product is the Used Cars Marketplace (71,643 vehicles), complemented by specialized sections for Used Vans (5,173 vehicles) and Electric Cars (5,904 vehicles). Additional services include a Free Car Valuation tool powered by Cartell.ie, a paid Sell My Car advertising service (starting at €15), a Car Dealers Directory (1,195 verified dealers), and an editorial Reviews & News hub with car reviews, industry news, and motoring advice. A car insurance referral service through RedClick is also offered. The platform generates revenue from seller advertising fees and referral partnerships rather than from buyer transactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Cars Marketplace Online marketplace for buying and selling used cars in Ireland, featuring over 71,000 vehicles with search filters for make, model, year, price, fuel type, county, transmission, mileage, and body type. Targets Irish car buyers and sellers nationwide.
• Used Vans Marketplace Dedicated section for commercial vehicles and vans with over 5,000 vehicles listed, filtering by make, fuel type, body type, county, and transmission. Targets commercial buyers and van sellers in Ireland.
• Electric Cars Section Specialized marketplace for used electric vehicles with over 5,900 listings, featuring battery range filters and popular EV makes including Kia, Volkswagen, Hyundai, BMW, and BYD. Targets EV buyers in Ireland.
• Free Car Valuation Free car valuation tool powered by Cartell.ie that calculates estimated market value based on registration number and odometer reading, providing guidance on vehicle worth to Irish consumers.
• Sell My Car Paid advertising service for private car sellers with tiered pricing: €15 standard listing, €19.95 add-on for cross-listing on Carzone.ie, and €20 for Cartell history check. Listings stay live until the vehicle is sold.
• Car Dealers Directory Directory of 1,195 verified car dealerships across Ireland, searchable by name, county, and franchise brand, with stock counts and contact information for buyers.
• Reviews & News Editorial Hub Editorial content hub featuring 372 expert car reviews, 996 industry news articles, and 52 motoring advice articles covering topics from first-time car buying to electric vehicle guides.
• Car Insurance Referral Service Car insurance comparison and quote service powered by RedClick, offering customizable policies with various coverage options for Irish drivers purchasing or owning vehicles.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• KennCo InsurancemoderateGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 November 2025KennCo Insurance partnered with CarsIreland for a video series featuring young driver ambassador Brendan Tierney to promote road safety. The initiative represents a content marketing and brand awareness campaign, with CarsIreland producing content for KennCo's social media channels.
• CartellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCartell.ie provides vehicle history check services and powers the free car valuation tool on CarsIreland. The partnership enables buyers to access vehicle history information including import status, write-off history, and number of owners. Cartell logo appears on listings with Cartell-checked badges.
• RedClick (Car Insurance)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRedClick provides car insurance quotes through CarsIreland's car insurance section. The partnership offers CarsIreland users bundled insurance options when browsing or purchasing vehicles, creating a one-stop-shop experience for car buyers.
• SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry)moderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSIMI is the industry body for motor traders in Ireland. CarsIreland displays SIMI-approved dealer badges, helping buyers identify reputable dealers who are members of the professional automotive trade association.
• CarzonecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarsIreland offers cross-listing on Carzone.ie as a premium add-on service (€19.95 extra) for sellers. This partnership expands the reach of vehicle listings to Carzone's audience, helping sellers connect with additional in-market buyers.
• PTSB Asset FinanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPTSB Asset Finance sponsors the CarsIreland Dealership Awards, providing financial backing for the annual industry recognition program for car dealerships in Ireland.
• AA ApprovedmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAA Ireland provides approved dealer certification that appears on vehicle listings. CarsIreland shows AA-approved dealer badges, helping buyers identify dealers who meet AA standards for vehicle quality and service.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cars.com: US-focused automotive marketplace combining classified listings, dealer reviews, and editorial content; highly comparable on platform composition and integrated services stack.
• Auto Trader (Ireland/UK): UK-listed Auto Trader Group operates an Irish portal and is the dominant automotive marketplace in the UK; competes for dealer inventory and consumer intent in Ireland while operating a much larger platform.
• Mobile.de: Germany's leading automotive marketplace, owned by Adevinta; serves as a comparable on dealer subscriptions, private listings, and vehicle valuation integration in a single European market.
• CarGurus: US-listed car comparison and marketplace platform with a UK/Ireland-facing presence; analogous marketplace model with pricing transparency and dealer lead-generation, with growing penetration into Ireland.
• AutoScout24: Europe's largest online car marketplace, operating across multiple countries; serves as a comparable on marketplace model, dealer tooling, and multi-country scale, though it does not specifically dominate Ireland.

Direct peers

• Carzone.ie: Ireland's other major online automotive marketplace operated by Mediahuis/Independent News & Media; directly competes with CarsIreland for dealer and private-seller listings in the Republic of Ireland and is also a cross-listing partner.
• DoneDeal: Irish horizontal classifieds platform with a large motors vertical. Overlaps with CarsIreland in private-seller and dealer vehicle listings and competes for Irish automotive search demand.

Others

• Cartell.ie: Irish vehicle history check and valuation provider; partner to CarsIreland but adjacent — both firms operate in Irish used-car buyer trust services and Cartell's valuation tool could be considered competitive infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carsireland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIgiQVVLG7ELBl8tVkdOggw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CarsIreland.ie
• Instagraminstagram.com/carsireland.ie/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carsireland-ie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cars Ireland