Car Group
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.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersRichmond, Australia
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
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.
Car Group firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Car Group industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Car Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Car Group business model
Business model- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Car Group product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Car Group
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Car Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Car Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- StellantisminorCarsales 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
Car Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Car Group social profiles
Digital presenceCar Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Car Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Car Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Car Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Car Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Car Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Car Group
What does Car Group do?
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.
Is Car Group a public or private company?
Car Group is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Car Group founded?
Car Group was founded in 1990. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Car Group based?
Car Group is headquartered in Richmond, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Car Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Automotive Advertising is the primary driver. The others are dealer Services and Subscriptions and marketplace Commissions and Listings.
Does Car Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Car Group.
What industry is Car Group in?
Car Group's product category is Online Automotive Marketplaces. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAIAF, Car Rental & Car-Sharing Booking Platforms, with a secondary code of CRAFABAJ, Automotive Parts, Tools & Accessories Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 4411 and its SIC code is 5500.