Auto Illustrierte

What Auto Illustrierte does

Auto Illustrierte, legally Auto Illustrierte Medien AG, is a privately held Swiss automotive publishing house headquartered in Urdorf (Zurich canton). It operates a bilingual automotive magazine — auto-illustrierte in German and auto-illustré in French — serving Swiss automotive enthusiasts with editorial coverage spanning news, vehicle tests and technology, e-mobility, classic cars, tuning, motorsport, industry/business reporting, and driver services. The company is led by Verleger/CEO Serge Schilov and runs with a lean staff of approximately eight employees, supported by a roster of editors, correspondents, photographers, and proofreaders listed on the masthead.

The product portfolio is anchored in a monthly print magazine (12 issues per year) sold via subscription (Abo), standalone e-paper editions, and an online content platform organized into nine editorial categories. The core technology is a digital publishing platform with e-paper delivery and authenticated subscriber access; no proprietary AI, API, or mobile app is disclosed. The content pipeline is supplemented by a syndication partnership with Motor Presse Stuttgart's auto motor und sport, and by original Swiss automotive journalism produced in-house. Ancillary offerings include a newsletter, a Mediadaten media kit for advertisers, an online shop for merchandise, and advisory services such as Robin Road (road-related guidance) and ai Rechtsberatung / ai Conseil juridique (legal consultation for automotive and traffic matters).

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring print and e-paper subscriptions, display advertising and branded content (sold to automotive manufacturers and related brands via the Mediadaten), merchandise sales through the online shop, and ancillary service monetization. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via website, e-paper login, subscription phone/email, newsstand/bookstore channels, and an active social presence across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter/X. The business operates with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no evidence of external institutional ownership.

Name

Auto Illustrierte

Legal name

Auto Illustrierte Medien AG

Website

https://auto-illustrierte.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Auto Illustrierte Medien AG is a privately held Swiss publisher of a bilingual (German/French) monthly automotive magazine, e-paper, and web platform, serving Swiss automotive enthusiasts with news, reviews, motorsport, classic cars, tuning, and e-mobility coverage, monetized via subscriptions, advertising, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive & Transportation Magazines (MPAJAEAI)

Keywords

• Automotive journalism
• Automobile magazine
• Vehicle reviews
• Digital publishing
• Motor sports media

Headquarters

HQ city

Urdorf

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Physical and digital magazine subscription sales (Abo) to Swiss automotive enthusiasts. The publication is monthly, appearing 12 times per year.
2. E-Paper Sales: Digital e-paper editions sold separately from print subscriptions, targeting readers who prefer digital consumption.
3. Advertising: Display advertising and branded content sold to automotive manufacturers and related brands, with detailed advertising media kit (Mediadaten) available for potential advertisers.
4. Shop/Merchandise: Sale of merchandise through the online shop, including automotive-related products alongside subscriptions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Auto Illustrierte publishes a Swiss automotive magazine and accompanying digital platforms delivering automotive journalism, including news, vehicle tests, e-mobility coverage, classic car features, tuning, motorsport, and service content. It monetizes through print subscriptions, e-paper digital subscriptions, advertising, and a merchandise shop, serving Swiss automotive enthusiasts across German and French language editions.

Product overview

Auto Illustrierte is a Swiss automotive magazine operating as a multi-platform publication. The core offering consists of the German-language online magazine (auto-illustrierte.ch) delivering comprehensive automotive journalism across nine main editorial categories: News, Test und Technik (Tests & Technology), E-Mobility, Classic, Tuning, Motorsport, Wirtschaft (Business), and Service. Supporting products include the E-Paper digital edition, print subscription (Abo) with 12 annual issues, and a newsletter service. Additional service offerings encompass Robin Road (road-related advisory content), ai Rechtsberatung/ai Conseil juridique (legal consultation services), a media kit (Mediadaten) for advertisers, and an e-commerce shop. The publication covers automotive news, vehicle tests, industry analysis, motorsport events, classic cars, tuning, and electric mobility topics, with content sourced from both its own editorial team and syndicated material from the German magazine auto motor und sport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Illustrierte Online Magazin The primary digital publication delivering automotive journalism including news, vehicle tests, industry analysis, and opinion pieces across multiple categories in German.
• E-Paper Digital edition of the magazine providing readers with a formatted electronic version of the print publication accessible online.
• Print-Abonnement (Abo) Print subscription service delivering the physical magazine to subscribers, with 12 issues annually.
• Shop / E-Commerce Online shop for purchasing magazine merchandise, back issues, or related automotive products.
• ai Rechtsberatung / ai Conseil juridique Legal advice service provided in collaboration with legal professionals, offering consultation on automotive and traffic-related legal matters.
• AICA 2026 Auto Awards Annual automotive awards recognizing excellence across multiple categories.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Auto Moto: French automotive magazine (now part of the Prismedia-Monde group) with print + digital editions and a similar monthly format covering tests, news, and motorsport. Comparable to Auto Illustrierte's Romandie-facing French edition.
• Auto Bild: Mass-market German automotive magazine from Axel Springer with print, e-paper, and a heavily-trafficked website. Competes for the same DACH automotive enthusiast audience and OEM advertising budgets that Auto Illustrierte serves in the Swiss German-speaking market.
• Auto Zeitung: German automotive magazine covering vehicle tests, motorsport, and tuning. Similar editorial categories (Test, Tuning, Motorsport, E-Mobility) and recurring subscription/e-paper model make it a strong product-format peer.
• L'Automobile Magazine: Leading French automotive magazine with print + digital editions. Directly comparable to Auto Illustrierte's French-language edition (auto-illustré) in editorial scope, subscriber model, and target enthusiast reader.
• auto motor und sport: Germany's flagship automotive magazine published by Motor Presse Stuttgart. It is Auto Illustrierte's explicit content-sharing partner and the closest comparable in format (monthly print + e-paper + website) and editorial scope (vehicle tests, motorsport, e-mobility).
• CAR Magazine: UK-based enthusiast automotive magazine with print + digital editions. Comparable in scale (specialist monthly) and editorial mix (tests, features, motorsport), though serving a UK rather than Swiss audience.

Broad incumbents

• Top Gear: Global automotive media brand (print, website, video, YouTube). A broader incumbent in the automotive enthusiast space; competes for the same Swiss reader attention and OEM sponsorship pool, though it is a multi-territory platform rather than a Swiss-localized publication.

Others

• AutoScout24: Leading Swiss automotive marketplace owned by Scout24. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct publisher competitor, but it monetizes the same Swiss automotive enthusiast audience and competes for the same OEM and dealer advertising spend.
• Radio BeO / Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) Auto coverage: Swiss public broadcaster with automotive editorial coverage. Not a print/periodical peer, but a domestic Swiss media outlet that competes for the same reader/listener attention and a relevant ecosystem comparator for Swiss-localized automotive content.

Regional players

• Quattroruote: Italy's leading automotive magazine from Editoriale Domus. Operates a similar monthly print + e-paper + web platform model and covers the same editorial categories, but serves the Italian market rather than Switzerland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aischweiz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj-G2XVZtL6mWoWmFQeKtFw
• Facebookfacebook.com/autoillustrierte
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auto-illustrierte
• Instagraminstagram.com/autoillustrierte/?hl=de
• TikToktiktok.com/@autoillustrierte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Auto Illustrierte