Automobil Industrie

What Automobil Industrie does

Automobil Industrie is a German-language B2B trade media brand covering the automotive industry, founded in 1954 and operated as part of Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Würzburg, Germany. The publication targets automotive manufacturers, Tier 1-3 suppliers, engineers, production and logistics professionals, and industry executives primarily in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Its editorial taxonomy is organized into four core sections: Hersteller & Zulieferer (OEMs and Suppliers), Technik & Entwicklung (Technology & Development), Produktion & Logistik (Production & Logistics), and Werkstoffe & Nachhaltigkeit (Materials & Sustainability).

The core product is the Automobil Industrie magazine, available in both print and digital formats, supplemented by an AI+ premium subscription tier (€17.90/month digital or €15.90/month billed annually; €16.90/month for combined print+digital annual), a digital E-Paper archive with issues dating back to 2015, a daily email newsletter, on-demand webinars, sponsored whitepapers, and industry events including the Best of Industry Award. The underlying technology is a standard digital publishing stack: a content management system, E-Paper delivery, webinar platform, and email newsletter infrastructure.

Revenue is generated through three subscription tiers (recurring monthly or annual billing), event ticket sales and sponsorships, and whitepaper lead-generation and licensing deals. Distribution is digital-first via the website and self-serve subscriptions, with a direct sales corporate accounts program for enterprise customers. Marketing is content-led: organic and social content, daily newsletters, hosted webinars, whitepapers, and industry events including the recurring Best of Industry Award (entering its 11th edition in 2026). The publication operates at a stable, mature scale consistent with a long-tenured niche B2B media brand embedded within a larger media group.

Name

Automobil Industrie

Legal name

Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://automobil-industrie.vogel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Automobil Industrie is a 70-year-old German-language B2B trade media brand for the DACH automotive industry, covering OEMs, suppliers, engineering, and production. It operates subscription print+digital magazines, an AI+ premium tier, E-Paper archive, newsletter, webinars, whitepapers, and the Best of Industry Award.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Würzburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Monthly and annual digital subscriptions providing access to premium content, e-paper archive since 2015, ad-free reading, and exclusive event discounts.
2. Print + Digital Subscriptions: Combined print and digital subscription with monthly billing, including physical magazine delivery and full digital access.
3. Events and Webinars: Hosting of industry events, webinars, and conferences for automotive professionals with ticket sales and sponsorships.
4. Whitepapers: Sponsored and premium whitepaper content generating revenue through lead generation and content licensing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Automobil Industrie is a B2B trade media brand for the DACH automotive industry, publishing a flagship magazine in print and digital formats alongside an e-paper archive, daily newsletter, premium AI+ content tier, webinars, sponsored whitepapers, and industry events including the Best of Industry Award. Its editorial scope covers automotive manufacturers and suppliers, technology and development, production and logistics, and materials and sustainability. The publication serves automotive professionals across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as part of Vogel Communications Group.

Product overview

Automobil Industrie is a B2B trade media publication by Vogel Communications Group covering the German and European automotive industry. The offering consists of the core Automobil Industrie magazine available in print and digital formats, supplemented by the AI+ premium subscription tier for exclusive content, the E-Paper digital archive, a daily newsletter, whitepapers, webinars, and industry events. The publication is organized into editorial sections covering manufacturers & suppliers, technology & development, production & logistics, and materials & sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AI+: Premium subscription service offering exclusive content access, ad-free reading, and additional digital benefits.

Products and services

• Automobil Industrie Subscription (Print + Digital) Primary B2B trade publication covering the German automotive industry with news, analysis, and expert commentary on manufacturers, suppliers, technology, production, and sustainability topics, delivered as a combined print and digital monthly subscription at €16.90/month.
• E-Paper Digital Edition Digital version of the Automobil Industrie magazine for reading on electronic devices, including full archive access back to 2015 for subscribers.
• Whitepaper Reports In-depth research reports and technical documents on automotive industry topics available for download, often sponsored by industry partners; served as a lead-generation and content-licensing revenue stream.
• Webinars Online seminars covering automotive industry topics featuring expert speakers, offering subscriber discounts for AI+ subscribers and supporting the publication's professional services revenue stream.
• Industry Events and Best of Industry Award Industry events and trade shows organized or featured by Automobil Industrie, including the Best of Industry Award reader-choice program recognizing innovations across 16 categories.
• AI+ (Plus-Artikel) Premium Subscription Premium subscription tier providing exclusive access to in-depth PLUS articles and analysis requiring a paid subscription, plus ad-free reading and 25% event discounts; offered via monthly (€17.90) and annual (€15.90) billing.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• kfz-betrieb: Vogel Communications Group's sister B2B title covering automotive workshops, dealers, and aftermarket service. Direct sister-brand peer: same parent publisher, same Vogel subscription infrastructure, overlapping DACH automotive audience with a workshop/retail focus.
• AUTOHAUS: Established German B2B trade magazine for automotive retail, dealership management, and aftermarket. Part of Springer Fachmedien; comparable trade media model serving automotive professionals in the DACH region.
• Automobilwoche: Leading German weekly B2B publication covering automotive business, strategy, and management. Part of Handelsblatt Media Group; targets the same DACH automotive executives and complements Automobil Industrie's coverage from a business angle.
• Springer Automotive Media: Springer's automotive publishing portfolio bundling titles such as ATZ, MTZ, and Springer Automotive Business. Operates a similar B2B trade media model with events, awards, and subscription products targeting the German automotive industry.
• Automotive News Europe: Crain Communications' European edition of Automotive News, covering OEM strategy, supplier news, and regulation across Europe. Directly competes for the same European automotive professional audience with a broader geographic lens.
• ATZ / MTZ (Springer Vieweg): Springer Vieweg publishes ATZ (Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift) and MTZ, long-established German-language B2B trade journals for automotive engineering and drivetrain technology. Closest direct competitor: same German audience of automotive engineers and OEMs, same subscription/print+digital model.
• carIT: German-language B2B publication focused on connected car, automotive IT, and software-defined vehicle topics. Competes with Automobil Industrie for the same OEM and supplier technology readership, but with a narrower connected-car niche.

Broad incumbents

• Heise Verlag: Leading German technology media publisher covering IT, digital business, and technology policy. Not automotive-focused but competes for the same German professional readership on adjacent topics such as software-defined vehicles and Industry 4.0, with a much larger digital footprint.
• Computerwoche: IDG/Foundry Germany's flagship IT business publication with growing automotive IT and digitalization coverage. Broad incumbent in German B2B tech media with overlapping automotive-IT content that competes for engineering and IT decision-makers' attention.
• Handelsblatt Mobility: Handelsblatt's mobility and automotive coverage targeting German business executives and decision-makers. Broad-incumbent business publication with substantial automotive reporting depth that competes for senior executive readership and premium advertising budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/automobil-industrie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Automobil Industrie