Cars.com

Last updated
Cars.com
Carsdotcomlogo.png
Type of site
 Online motoring
Available inEnglish
OwnerCars.com Inc.
URL www.cars.com
CommercialYes
LaunchedJune 1998;27 years ago (1998-06)
Current statusActive
Content license
Yes
Cars.com Inc.
Company type Public company
IndustryAutomotive marketing services
FoundedMay 2017;8 years ago (2017-05)
FoundersMitch Golub
William Swislow
Alex Vetter [1]
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
,
U.S.
Area served
United States
Key people
Alex Vetter, CEO and President [1]
Products
  • Cars.com
  • Auto.com
  • PickupTrucks.com
  • NewCars.com
ServicesAutomotive classifieds
Divisions
  • Auto.com
  • PickupTrucks.com
  • NewCars.com
  • DealerRater
Subsidiaries DR Media Holdings, LLC
Website Cars.com

Cars.com is an automotive classified website focused on the United States that launched in June 1998 and now is the second largest automotive classified site. It is also known for being the most expensive domain ever sold. It was sold in 2014 for $872 million [2] Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. [3] Cars.com also offers expert car reviews, news and research from its dedicated Editorial team.

Contents

History

A 2003 Library Journal survey of automobile-related websites described cars.com as ranked the site positively, noting staff-written reviews that are signed, dated, detailed, and illustrated. [4] In 2004 the website announced a partnership with Kelley Blue Book and commenced national advertising. [5] [6] In October 2007, it announced plans for its largest marketing campaign ever in early 2008. [7] In the same month, Yahoo! announced plans to receive listings from Cars.com for their Yahoo! Autos service. [8]

Cars.com was previously owned by Classified Ventures, LLC, a joint venture between Gannett, The McClatchy Company, Tribune, Graham Holdings, and A.H. Belo. On August 5, 2014, Gannett announced that it would buy out the remaining stakes in Classified Ventures it did not already own, for $2.5 billion. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

In July 2016, Cars.com acquired dealer and service shop rating site DealerRater. [14]

Cars.com was included in the spin-off of Gannett's broadcasting properties as Tegna, Inc. On May 4, 2017, Tegna shareholders approved a plan to spin off Cars.com as a new, publicly traded company; they received a share of the new company, which began trading on the NYSE beginning on June 1, 2017, for every 3 Tegna shares they owned. [15] [16]

In February 2018, Cars.com announced the acquisition of Dealer Inspire, a digital marketing agency serving automotive dealerships located in Naperville, Illinois. [17] [18]

Marketing

Cars.com has regularly advertised during the Super Bowl, screening adverts in consecutive years. [19] [20] [21] [22]

Editorial Team

Cars.com’s Editorial team is a source for automotive news, car reviews, videos, comparison tests and more. The Editorial team offers expert reviews and car-shopping content. The Editorial team operates independently of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments and does not accept free trips or gifts from automakers. Cars.com’s Editorial team is responsible for the American-Made Index, [23] which tracks the most-American new cars made. Cars.com editor, Mike Hanley, is a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year [24] panel of automotive experts, while its Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Newman is a juror on the World Car Award [25] panel. Cars.com editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child passenger safety technicians and perform Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks.

Television

Since July 1998, Cars.com has been in partnership with the Magliozzis of Car Talk [26] and the website includes a Cartalk advice section. [4]

Cars.com also partners with MotorWeek on PBS to provide online access to MotorWeek reviews. [27]

References

  1. 1 2 "About Cars.com" . Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  2. ↑ "Gannett buys the rest of Cars.com for $1.8 billion". Bloomberg Businessweek. October 1, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-04.
  3. ↑ "Company Facts".
  4. 1 2 Caroline Gilman, "Web Watch: Cars" Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine , Library Journal , January 15, 2003.
  5. ↑ Martin, Chuck (2011). The Third Screen: Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobile . Nicholas Brealey Publishing. pp.  8–13. ISBN   9781857885644. Excerpts available at Google Books.
  6. ↑ "McClatchy-backed car venture launches national TV campaign". Sacramento Business Journal . May 3, 2004. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  7. ↑ Elliott, Stuart (18 October 2007). "Super Bowl XLII Is More Than CX Days Away, But..." New York Times. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  8. ↑ Morrissey, Brian (16 October 2007). "Yahoo! Bets on Open-Network Approach". Adweek.
  9. ↑ Hall, Kevin. "McClatchy, media partners confirm deal to sell Cars.com". The Sun News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Yu, Roger. "Gannett buying rest of Cars.com for $1.8B". USA Today . Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Sherman, Alex. "Gannett Agrees to $1.8 Billion Buyout of Cars.com Site". USA Today . Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Hill, Kevin. "McClatchy, media partners confirm deal to sell Cars.com". The Sun News. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "McClatchy Announces Agreement to Sell Its 25.6% Stake in Cars.com to Gannett". The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "Cars.com will buy DealerRater to create review giant". autonews.com. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  15. ↑ "Cars.com Spins Off From Parent TEGNA, Goes Through IPO". Search Marketing Daily. MediaPost Publications. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  16. ↑ "McLean-based Tegna spins off Cars.com". WTOP. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  17. ↑ "BRIEF-Cars.Com Announces The Acquisition Of Dealer Inspire And Launch Digital Marketing". reuters.com. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "Cars.com acquires Naperville tech firms in $165M deal". builtinchicago.org. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  19. ↑ Tim Nudd, "Cars.com to Get Overly Dramatic in Super Bowl Ad From Mcgarrybowen", Adweek , January 22, 2013.
  20. ↑ Cars.com Super Bowl Commercial, "Bring OUt Your Confident You" Archived 2010-02-11 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ "Cars.com Cares". Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2012-02-06.
  22. ↑ Tim Nudd, "Cars.com's Super Bowl Ad Stars a Man and His Excitable Appendage", Adweek , January 26, 2012.
  23. ↑ Garsten, Ed. "Cars.Com American Made Index Reveals No All-American Vehicles". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  24. ↑ "Meet the NACTOY Jurors - North American Car Utility & Truck of the Year". North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  25. ↑ "Jurors :: World Car Awards". worldcarawards.com. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  26. ↑ "Company History". Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  27. ↑ "Business Partners". Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
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