Motorbuch Verlag

What Motorbuch Verlag does

Motorbuch Verlag is a German specialty publishing imprint founded in 1962 by racing driver Paul Pietsch, operating as part of the family-controlled Paul Pietsch Verlage GmbH & Co. KG headquartered in Stuttgart. The company publishes books, repair manuals, and reference works spanning automotive repair, motorcycle maintenance, aviation and aerospace, military history, railway literature, outdoor recreation, and animal care. Its flagship product line is the 'Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst' repair guide series, launched with the VW Beetle manual in 1962 and having sold over 15 million copies cumulatively. The group operates a multi-imprint structure with six brands (Motorbuch, pietsch, Müller Rüschlikon, transpress, bucheli, Schrauberzeit) and offers approximately 2,800 available titles built through both organic publishing and acquisitions of Swiss and German niche publishers between 1972 and 1995.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce unit-pricing book sales through the motorbuch-versand.de storefront, with free shipping within Germany, a 14-day return policy, and phone-based customer service. Pricing is per-title across regular retail, special editions, reduced prices, and clearance items, with no subscription model. Distribution is single-country (Germany) and the company also runs themed category pages, a blog ('Entdecken'), a newsletter, and dedicated social media presences per imprint for top- and mid-funnel customer engagement. Additional channels include specialist book trade (managed by a dedicated sales director) and media sales for special markets, alongside foreign rights licensing. Leadership has remained within the founding family since 1985, currently under publisher Dr. Patricia Scholten and managing director Michael Samak.

The company has no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no API, no mobile app, and no disclosed revenue, funding, or external investors. Approximately 22 named authors are listed on the website, supported by a team spanning program direction per imprint, sales, production, rights and licensing, press, social media, and shipping. The publishing group is part of the broader Motor Presse Stuttgart media ecosystem that traces back to a 1946 Freiburg founding by Paul Pietsch.

Name

Motorbuch Verlag

Legal name

Paul Pietsch Verlage GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://motorbuch-versand.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Motorbuch Verlag is a German family-controlled specialty publishing imprint, founded in 1962 and part of Paul Pietsch Verlage, publishing approximately 2,800 books and repair manuals on automotive, motorcycle, railway, military history, outdoor, and animal care topics for German enthusiast consumers via direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Specialty book publishing
• Automotive repair manuals
• Railway reference books
• Military history publishing
• Equestrian animal care

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Motorbuch Verlag generates revenue through the direct sale of physical books and eBooks through its e-commerce platform. Customers purchase individual titles at fixed prices displayed on product pages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Motorbuch Verlag publishes and sells approximately 2,800 specialty books, eBooks, and DVDs across automotive repair, motorcycle, aviation, military history, railway, equestrian, animal care, and outdoor recreation topics. The company operates six publishing imprints (Motorbuch, pietsch, Müller Rüschlikon, transpress, bucheli, Schrauberzeit) under the Paul Pietsch Verlage group, distributing titles directly to consumers through its Motorbuch Versand e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

Motorbuch Verlag and its parent company Paul Pietsch Verlage operate as a multi-imprint German publishing group offering approximately 2,800 available titles. The portfolio consists of six distinct imprints under one umbrella: Motorbuch Verlag (automotive, aviation, military), pietsch Verlag (outdoor, sports, maritime), Müller Rüschlikon (animals, horses, dogs), transpress (railway literature), bucheli Verlag (Swiss repair manuals), and Schrauberzeit (repair guide brand). Key product lines include the 'Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst' repair manual series (15+ million copies sold) and the 'Deutsches Wagen-Archiv' railway reference series. Products are distributed through the Motorbuch Versand e-commerce platform and cover technical, hobbyist, and reference content across mobility, technology, and active leisure categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst: The flagship repair guide book series that started in 1962 with the VW Beetle, selling over 15 million copies
• Motorbuch Versand
• Schrauberzeit

Products and services

• Motorbuch Verlag Imprint The core publishing imprint specializing in automotive, motorcycle, aviation, military history, and technical repair literature. Founded in 1962 by Paul Pietsch, it is the foundational imprint of the Paul Pietsch Verlage group.
• pietsch Verlag Imprint Publishing imprint founded in 1979 focusing on active leisure activities including maritime, sports, and outdoor recreation topics.
• Müller Rüschlikon Verlag Imprint Swiss publishing imprint acquired in 1990, covering horses, dogs, diving, fishing, and animal care topics.
• transpress Verlag Imprint Publishing imprint specializing in railway literature, acquired in 1991 from Berlin, covering locomotives, railways, and rail history.
• bucheli Verlag Imprint Swiss publishing imprint specializing in automotive and motorcycle repair manuals, acquired in 1972.
• Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst (Repair Manual Series) The flagship repair manual series launched in 1962, covering automotive and motorcycle repair guides. Over 15 million copies have been sold to date.
• Deutsches Wagen-Archiv Railway reference book series documenting passenger cars, freight cars, and railway vehicles in detail.
• DVD Video Products Video and DVD products for horse training (Equikinetic, Dual-Aktivierung methods), martial arts instruction, and documentary content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15 million copies sold of the 'Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst' repair manual series

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Quarto Group: Global illustrated book publisher with deep hobby/lifestyle categories (transport, crafts, lifestyle) — comparable at the specialty trade publishing model level though operating at much larger scale and primarily in English.
• Motor Presse Stuttgart: Parent publishing group of Motorbuch Verlag and publisher of 'auto motor und sport' and related automotive magazines — adjacent incumbent with overlapping automotive audience but a much wider media portfolio beyond books.

Direct peers

• Delius Klasing Verlag: German independent publisher specializing in automotive, motorsport, sailing, and cycling titles with a comparable mix of repair manuals, history books, and hobby/leisure non-fiction. Directly comparable niche hobbyist catalog and German-language DACH market focus.
• Franckh-Kosmos Verlag: German publisher of hobby, nature, games, and outdoor activity books — comparable across the equestrian, fishing, and outdoor/survival segments that Motorbuch covers via pietsch and Müller Rüschlikon imprints.
• Haynes Publishing: UK-based publisher of vehicle and motorcycle repair manuals (and increasingly broader DIY titles); the closest international analog to the 'Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst' / bucheli repair-manual franchise.
• Bruckmann Verlag: German publisher of illustrated non-fiction covering travel, outdoor, history, and hobby topics — strong overlap with Motorbuch's outdoor/active leisure, equestrian, and military history categories.
• GeraMond Verlag: German publisher specializing in automotive, motorcycle, and aircraft books and magazines, including a 'Schrauber' repair manual line that directly competes with Motorbuch's 'Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst' and Schrauberzeit imprints.
• Heel Verlag: German publisher of automotive books, comics, and lifestyle non-fiction; comparable specialty trade catalog and German-language focus, with overlap in automotive and motorsport titles.
• Verlag Eugen Ulmer: German specialty publisher of agricultural, horticultural, equestrian, and veterinary titles; overlaps with Motorbuch's Müller Rüschlikon equestrian and animal-care catalog.

Others

• Paul Pietsch Verlage (group level): The parent group that owns Motorbuch Verlag and the bucheli, transpress, pietsch, and Müller Rüschlikon imprints; included as a structural reference rather than a true peer, since it is the parent entity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MotorbuchVerlag
• Instagraminstagram.com/motorbuch.automotive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Motorbuch Verlag