Car Group

What Car Group does

CAR Group Limited is a publicly traded ASX 50 digital marketplace operator headquartered in Richmond, Australia, connecting automotive dealers with vehicle buyers and sellers across Oceania, Asia, and the Americas. Originally founded as carsales.com.au in the 1990s and listed on the ASX in 2009, the company operates five regional brands: wholly owned carsales (Australia), Encar (South Korea, fully acquired in 2023), Trader Interactive (US), chileautos (Chile), and majority-owned webmotors (Brazil, fully acquired in 2023). The portfolio was rebranded from carsales.com Ltd to CAR Group in 2025, reflecting a deliberate repositioning as a global marketplace operator rather than an Australian classifieds business, with 59% of FY24 revenue sourced from international markets.

The company generates revenue through three primary streams: automotive advertising on its marketplace platforms, recurring dealer subscriptions and services, and marketplace commissions/listings. As of FY24 the business reported AUD 1.2 billion (USD 1,099 million proforma) in revenue, up 41% year-on-year, with over 72% of group revenue attributable to its owned flagship websites. CAR Group serves 72,000+ subscribed dealers globally and attracts 13 million monthly unique visitors, leveraging a proprietary first-party Customer Data Platform, AI and machine learning capabilities in use for nearly a decade, and security frameworks aligned with ISO 27001, NIST, and PCI DSS. Marketing investment reached AUD 290 million in FY24, with over 70% allocated to performance channels.

The platform architecture combines recommendation engines, generative AI for content and trust/safety, and process automation across dealer and consumer experiences. Distribution is exclusively digital through owned websites and mobile channels, with regional CEOs operating each marketplace brand. CAR Group's go-to-market is product-led growth: dealers self-serve onto the platforms, conversion is driven by hyper-localized data assets, and the company monetizes through advertising and subscription tiers. Recent strategic moves include the AUD 1.7 billion consolidation of Webmotors and Encar (2023), the acquisition of Machines4U into industrial machinery (2025), a Stellantis-led 'Electric Avenue' EV initiative on carsales, and a leadership transition appointing William Elliott as CEO in August 2025.

Name

Car Group

Legal name

CAR Group Limited

Website

https://cargroup.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

CAR Group Limited operates a global portfolio of digital automotive marketplaces connecting 72,000+ subscribed dealers with vehicle buyers across Australia, South Korea, the US, Chile, and Brazil, generating revenue primarily through dealer advertising, subscriptions, and marketplace commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Automotive Marketplaces

NAICS

Automobile Dealers (4411), Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Car Rental & Car-Sharing Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Automotive Parts, Tools & Accessories Marketplaces (CRAFABAJ)

Keywords

• Online vehicle marketplaces
• Automotive classifieds platforms
• Dealer advertising solutions
• Vehicle listing marketplaces
• Digital automotive advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Automotive Advertising: Revenue driven by automotive advertising services provided to dealers and vehicle sellers on marketplace platforms, leveraging 13 million monthly unique visitors and proprietary first-party data to deliver higher conversion rates.
2. Dealer Services and Subscriptions: Revenue generated from dealer subscriptions and services, with a 17% year-on-year increase in dealer revenue driven by platform performance and network effects. Over 72% of group revenue from owned flagship websites.
3. Marketplace Commissions and Listings: Revenue from automotive listings and marketplace transactions across carsales (Australia), Encar (South Korea), Trader Interactive (US), chileautos (Chile), and webmotors (Brazil majority stake).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CAR Group operates digital automotive marketplaces that connect vehicle dealers and individual buyers/sellers through wholly owned regional platforms (carsales in Australia, Encar in South Korea, Trader Interactive in the United States, chileautos in Chile) and a majority stake in webmotors in Brazil. The platforms monetize primarily through dealer advertising, dealer subscriptions, and marketplace listing/commission services, supported by AI/ML technology, a Customer Data Platform, and proprietary first-party data assets serving 13 million monthly unique visitors.

Product overview

CAR Group operates a diversified portfolio of digital automotive marketplaces across Oceania, Asia, and The Americas. The core offering consists of five regional marketplace brands: carsales (Australia), Encar (South Korea), Trader Interactive (USA), chileautos (Chile), and webmotors (Brazil) — each serving as a platform for vehicle buyers and sellers with advertising solutions and dealer services. These marketplaces are united by shared technology, data capabilities, and AI/ML technology. The company also offers product extensions such as Electric Avenue for EV promotion on the carsales platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• carsales: Digital automotive marketplace in Australia
• Encar
• Trader Interactive
• chileautos
• webmotors

Products and services

• carsales

Quantifiable outcome

• 17% year-on-year increase in dealer revenue driven by platform performance
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StellantisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Carsales launched an 'Electric Avenue' section to promote electric vehicles in Australia, in partnership with automotive group Stellantis. The initiative aims to increase EV visibility and sales on the carsales platform, supporting the transition to electric vehicles in the Australian market.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/car-group

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries6 records

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 Car Group