Drive Chicago
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCountryside, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Drive Chicago firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Drive Chicago
- Legal name
- DriveChicago.com (operated by Chicago Automobile Trade Association)
- Website
- https://drivechicago.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Drive Chicago industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Automotive Marketplace
- NAICS
- Automobile Dealers (4411)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)
Keywords
Where Drive Chicago is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Countryside
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Drive Chicago business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Dealer Advertising & Listings: DriveChicago.com appears to generate revenue by providing online listing and promotional services to Chicagoland automobile dealers, supported by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). The platform explicitly states it will never charge consumers a fee for purchasing a vehicle.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Drive Chicago product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DriveChicago.com is a digital automotive marketplace platform serving the Chicagoland area, owned and operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). The platform enables consumers to search new and used vehicle inventories, browse dealer directories, access expert vehicle reviews, use a finance calculator, check recall information, and view a calendar of local car shows and cruise nights. Dealers connect with local buyers through listings, advertising, and a 'Best Deal' lead-submission service that solicits competitive bids from multiple local dealers.
Product overview
DriveChicago.com is a consumer-facing automotive marketplace platform for the Chicagoland area, operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). The platform provides a unified marketplace connecting vehicle buyers with dealers through multiple integrated services: a vehicle listings search (new/used), a dealer directory, a Best Deal competitive bidding service, vehicle reviews authored by professional automotive journalists, a finance calculator using Experian-based rates, a recall check tool, and a comprehensive car shows/cruise nights community calendar. The site also promotes the annual Chicago Auto Show.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DriveChicago.com Automotive Marketplace
- Best Deal Service
- Vehicle Reviews Library
Quantifiable outcome
- Access to thousands of vehicles in Chicagoland area
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Drive Chicago
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Drive Chicago technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Drive Chicago partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ComEdcoreComEd (Commonwealth Edison) is serving as the presenting sponsor for the fourth annual 'Chicago Drives Electric' event, an EV test drive and education experience hosted by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association. DriveChicago.com is among the event sponsors, with the event taking place October 2-5, 2025 at the ComEd Building at 3 Lincoln Center in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
- Cars.comminorCars.com is listed as an event sponsor for the 'Chicago Drives Electric' EV test drive and education experience.
- StellantisminorStellantis is listed as an event sponsor for the 'Chicago Drives Electric' EV test drive and education experience.
- Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA)coreDriveChicago.com is owned and operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), the organization representing Chicagoland automobile dealers. CATA also hosts the Chicago Auto Show and organizes automotive community events.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Drive Chicago competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AutoTrader: Large national automotive marketplace owned by Cox Automotive, offering vehicle search, reviews, and dealer connections nationwide including the Chicago market. Closest functional analog to DriveChicago at national scale.
- TrueCar: Online automotive marketplace that connects buyers to certified dealers for upfront pricing. Comparable in offering transparent pricing and dealer lead competition similar to DriveChicago's Best Deal tool.
- Cars.com: National automotive marketplace connecting buyers to dealers with vehicle search, reviews, and lead submission. Cars.com is even a sponsor of Drive Chicago's Chicago Drives Electric event, making it a direct comparator operating at much larger scale.
- CarGurus: Online automotive marketplace focused on price transparency and dealer ratings, with new and used vehicle search across the US including Chicagoland inventory. Directly comparable product offering to DriveChicago's core listing and Best Deal tools.
- Edmunds: National automotive research and listings site combining expert vehicle reviews, pricing tools, and dealer connections. Highly comparable to DriveChicago's mix of editorial reviews plus finance and inventory tools.
Broad incumbents
- AutoNation: Large US auto retailer with its own digital storefront covering the Chicagoland area. Represents the dealer-side counterpart that DriveChicago aggregates, illustrating vertical integration risk for marketplaces.
- CarMax: National used vehicle retailer with online search, reviews, and transfer-to-local-store model. Adjacent rather than directly competing, but overlaps with DriveChicago's used car shopper use cases in the Chicago market.
- Kelley Blue Book (KBB): Long-established vehicle valuation and research brand from Cox Automotive, offering pricing, reviews, and dealer connections across the US. Overlaps heavily with DriveChicago's research and pricing calculator functionality.
Emerging players
- Hemmings: Niche marketplace focused on classic and collector vehicles with editorial content and event listings. Overlaps with DriveChicago's enthusiast-oriented car show calendar and review content strategy.
Regional players
- CarSoup: Regional automotive marketplace serving the Twin Cities and upper Midwest with dealer listings and consumer research. Comparable regional marketplace model to DriveChicago's geography-focused approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Drive Chicago social profiles
Digital presenceDrive Chicago financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Drive Chicago leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Drive Chicago funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Drive Chicago 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 Drive Chicago
What does Drive Chicago do?
DriveChicago.com is a digital automotive marketplace platform serving the Chicagoland area, owned and operated by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA). The platform enables consumers to search new and used vehicle inventories, browse dealer directories, access expert vehicle reviews, use a finance calculator, check recall information, and view a calendar of local car shows and cruise nights. Dealers connect with local buyers through listings, advertising, and a 'Best Deal' lead-submission service that solicits competitive bids from multiple local dealers.
Is Drive Chicago a public or private company?
Drive Chicago is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Drive Chicago founded?
Drive Chicago was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Drive Chicago based?
Drive Chicago is headquartered in Countryside, United States, in the North America region.
How does Drive Chicago make money?
One revenue line is on record: dealer Advertising & Listings.
Who are Drive Chicago's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AutoTrader, TrueCar, Cars.com, CarGurus and Edmunds. Broad incumbents are AutoNation, CarMax and Kelley Blue Book (KBB). Hemmings is listed as an emerging player. CarSoup is listed as a regional player.
Does Drive Chicago have an API?
No public API is recorded for Drive Chicago.
What industry is Drive Chicago in?
Drive Chicago's product category is Online Automotive Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAKAE, Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C. Its NAICS code is 4411 and its SIC code is 5500.