Auto Trader the printed magazine was founded in the UK in 1975 by John Madejski, from an idea he brought over from America. In partnership with Paul Gibbonsin, the business was launched in 1977. Trading initially as Hurst’s Thames Valley Trader, in four years it spawned Southern Auto Trader which launched in 1981.
Regional Editions:Although the UK’s AutoTrader website was launched in 1996, the company continued printing its regional weekly magazines. With the printed versions peaking at 368,000 in January 2,000, the magazine saw a steady decline until in March 2013 circulation was down to 27,000 magazines a week. After 36 years in print, the June 2013 edition was the last, and the company began concentrating on its online sites.Auto Trader the Websites:Auto Trader plc now concentrates all its efforts into its online business. Having nothing to do with the buying and selling of automobiles, it is a platform where dealers, traders, and private individuals can advertise or look for cars online.As the country’s largest online automotive site, Auto Trader lists over 400,000 vehicles daily, and boasts the largest pool of those selling vehicles of any online site. A recent survey revealed 80% of time spent by prospective car, van and truck purchasers online was spent on Auto Trader. Autotrader.co.uk also has a sister site in Ireland trading as carzone.ie.Auto Trader UK quotes some impressive figures with a reported 92% of the population knowing who they are, and what they do. Over 80% of dealers and traders advertise on Auto Trader, and 65% of used car sales and purchases are made through the firms online businesses.AutoTrader.com:AutoTrader.com is based in Atlanta Georgia, and was founded in 1997. Very similar to the UK version it also boasts some impressive figures with over 3 million vehicles listed. Over 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private sellers use the site and it attracts over 14 million potential buyers a month.Everything under one roof with AutoTrader:Other AutoTrader sites can be found including New Zealand, Australia, and India. Based on similar software, Auto Trader sites allows a buyer to research and compare models new and used, body types, mileage, and prices.As well as cars, AutoTrader has separate sites for vans, motorcycles, caravans, motorhomes, and trucks. Add to that vehicle checks and valuations, vehicle insurance and loans, warranties and private registration plates, and AutoTrader really is your one stop shop for buying and selling vehicles.
