Cars.com

Cars.com is a United States-focused automotive marketplace and editorial platform that connects vehicle shoppers with dealers and automotive service businesses. Launched in June 1998, the service began as an online classified destination at a time when newspaper publishers and other media companies were building digital alternatives to print automotive advertising. Its core marketplace presents listings for new and used vehicles and provides tools intended to help consumers compare cars, evaluate dealers, research pricing, and move further through the purchasing process. The brand operates across both consumer and business audiences. For shoppers, Cars.com publishes vehicle research, expert reviews, comparison material, automotive news, buying guides, videos, and other decision-support content alongside listings. Its editorial operation is described as separate from advertising, sales, and sponsored-content functions. The editorial team has also produced the American-Made Index, an assessment of how American a range of new vehicles are according to the methodology used by Cars.com. The platform additionally offers dealer and service-shop information, including ratings and reviews associated with DealerRater, which Cars.com acquired in 2016. Cars.com was initially owned through Classified Ventures, a joint venture involving major United States newspaper companies. Gannett later consolidated ownership by agreeing in 2014 to acquire the interests it did not already hold. The business subsequently became part of the corporate restructuring that separated Gannett's broadcasting assets into Tegna. In 2017, Cars.com was separated into an independently traded public company, and its shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CARS on June 1 of that year. The company's expansion has included capabilities beyond classified listings. In 2018 it announced the acquisition of Dealer Inspire, a Naperville, Illinois-based digital marketing agency serving automotive dealerships. This broadened Cars.com's dealer-facing technology and marketing capabilities. The company has also used partnerships and integrations to extend the reach of its inventory and editorial material, including a relationship with Kelley Blue Book, a listing relationship with Yahoo! Autos, the Car Talk advice section associated with the Magliozzi brothers, and online access to MotorWeek reviews. Cars.com has built public awareness through sustained advertising, including recurring Super Bowl campaigns. Its positioning is based on combining vehicle inventory, dealer discovery, consumer reviews, automotive journalism, and shopping tools in one recognizable marketplace. The service is primarily domestic rather than a broad international platform, and its business identity remains closely tied to the United States automotive retail ecosystem. Cars.com is also associated with the high-value Cars.com domain name, which was reported as having been sold for $872 million in 2014; that figure concerns a domain transaction and is not presented here as the company's revenue or market capitalization.

Cars.com launched in June 1998 as a United States online automotive classified website. Its emergence reflected the migration of vehicle advertising and shopping research from newspapers and other traditional media into digital marketplaces. The service developed around listings for new and used cars, but it also differentiated itself through editorial material intended to help shoppers understand vehicles before contacting a dealer. A 2003 Library Journal survey of automotive websites viewed Cars.com's staff-written reviews positively, highlighting their attribution, dates, detail, and illustrations. This editorial orientation became an enduring part of the brand. In addition to marketplace inventory, Cars.com has published vehicle reviews, automotive news, comparison tests, videos, research, and consumer buying advice. The company has described its editorial operation as independent from its advertising, sales, and sponsored-content departments and as not accepting free trips or gifts from automakers. In 2004, Cars.com announced a partnership with Kelley Blue Book and began national advertising. The following years brought further distribution and marketing activity. In October 2007, the company announced plans for its largest marketing campaign to that point, scheduled for early 2008. That same month, Yahoo! said it planned to receive Cars.com listings for Yahoo! Autos. Cars.com also maintained relationships with automotive media, including the Car Talk advice section associated with the Magliozzi brothers and online access to MotorWeek reviews. For much of its early corporate history, Cars.com was owned through Classified Ventures, a joint venture involving Gannett, The McClatchy Company, Tribune, Graham Holdings, and A.H. Belo. On August 5, 2014, Gannett announced that it would acquire the remaining Classified Ventures interests that it did not already own. The reported transaction value was $2.5 billion. This transaction consolidated Cars.com ownership under Gannett and preceded a later corporate separation. Cars.com expanded its marketplace and dealer services through acquisitions. In July 2016, it acquired DealerRater, a rating and review site for automotive dealers and service shops. The deal strengthened Cars.com's dealer discovery and reputation-information offering. In February 2018, Cars.com announced the acquisition of Dealer Inspire, a digital marketing agency based in Naperville, Illinois, that served automotive dealerships. Dealer Inspire added dealer-focused digital marketing capabilities to the broader marketplace business. Cars.com was included in the spin-off of Gannett's broadcasting properties as Tegna. On May 4, 2017, Tegna shareholders approved a plan to separate Cars.com into a newly traded public company. Shareholders received shares in the new company based on their Tegna holdings, and Cars.com began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on June 1, 2017, under the ticker CARS. Marketing has been an important part of the brand's public profile. Cars.com has advertised during the Super Bowl, including campaigns that ran in consecutive years. Its editorial platform has also developed distinctive research franchises. The American-Made Index tracks the relative domestic content or American production characteristics of new vehicles according to Cars.com's methodology. Cars.com editorial personnel have participated in automotive award judging, and members of the editorial team have conducted child-seat evaluations, including work by editors who are certified child passenger safety technicians. Today, Cars.com remains an active United States automotive marketplace and automotive information brand. Its scope extends from vehicle listings and dealer reviews to service-shop information, expert editorial, shopping research, and dealer marketing technology. The business is best understood as a platform connecting consumers and automotive retailers rather than as a vehicle manufacturer or dealer itself.

• 2018

  Dealer Inspire acquisition

  [1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Cars.com announces the acquisition of Dealer Inspire, a digital marketing agency serving automotive dealerships.

• 2017

  Public-company separation

  [1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Cars.com is separated from Tegna and begins trading on the NYSE under the ticker CARS on June 1.

• 2016

  DealerRater acquisition

  [1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Cars.com acquires DealerRater, strengthening dealer and service-shop review capabilities.

• 2014

  Gannett consolidates Classified Ventures ownership

  [1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Gannett announces an agreement to acquire the remaining interests in Classified Ventures that it did not already own.

• 2007

  Major marketing and Yahoo! Autos distribution plans

  [1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Cars.com announces a major upcoming marketing campaign, while Yahoo! plans to receive Cars.com listings for Yahoo! Autos.

• 2004

  Kelley Blue Book partnership and national advertising

  [1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Cars.com announces a partnership with Kelley Blue Book and begins national advertising activity.

• 1998

  Cars.com launches

  [1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Cars.com launches in June as a United States-focused online automotive classified website.

A consumer-oriented automotive marketplace that combines vehicle inventory, dealer discovery, reviews, editorial research, and comparison tools, while also providing digital marketing capabilities to automotive dealers.

• Automotive marketplace · 1998

  Cars.com Marketplace

  The core Cars.com marketplace presents listings for new and used vehicles in the United States. It is designed to help shoppers search inventory, compare vehicles, review dealer information, and move toward contacting or purchasing from automotive retailers.

• Automotive content and research

  Cars.com Editorial

  Cars.com's editorial operation publishes expert reviews, automotive news, comparison tests, videos, research, and car-buying guidance. The editorial team is presented as separate from advertising, sales, and sponsored-content functions.

• Dealer and service reviews

  DealerRater

  DealerRater is a dealer and automotive service-shop rating and review platform acquired by Cars.com in 2016. Its information supports reputation research and dealer discovery for vehicle shoppers.

• Dealer digital marketing · 2018

  Dealer Inspire

  Dealer Inspire is a digital marketing agency serving automotive dealerships. Cars.com announced its acquisition in 2018 to broaden the company's dealer-facing digital marketing and technology capabilities.

• Automotive research index

  American-Made Index

  The American-Made Index is a Cars.com editorial research feature that tracks and ranks new vehicles using Cars.com's methodology for assessing their American production and content characteristics.

• 2008Largest marketing campaign to that point

  United States

  Cars.com announced in 2007 that it planned to run its largest marketing campaign to that point in early 2008.

  Source
• 2004National advertising expansion

  United States

  Following its partnership with Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com commenced national advertising to increase awareness of its automotive marketplace.

  Source
• Super Bowl advertising

  United States

  Cars.com has regularly used Super Bowl advertising and has aired campaigns in consecutive years as part of its broad consumer brand-building activity.

  Source

• 2018

  Acquisition of Dealer InspireM&A

  Background

  Cars.com pursued broader dealer-facing digital marketing capabilities beyond vehicle listings and consumer research.

  Action taken

  Cars.com announced the acquisition of Dealer Inspire in February 2018.

  Aftermath

  Dealer Inspire added digital marketing services for automotive dealerships to Cars.com's business offering.

  Source

• 2017

  Separation into an independently traded companyStrategy

  Background

  Cars.com was included in the restructuring that separated Gannett's broadcasting properties as Tegna.

  Action taken

  Tegna shareholders approved the separation, and Cars.com began trading on the NYSE on June 1, 2017 under CARS.

  Aftermath

  Cars.com became an independently traded public company.

  Source

• 2016

  Acquisition of DealerRaterM&A

  Background

  Cars.com sought to strengthen dealer and automotive service-shop reputation information within its marketplace.

  Action taken

  Cars.com acquired DealerRater in July 2016.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition expanded Cars.com's dealer review and service-shop information capabilities.

  Source

• 2014

  Consolidation through Classified Ventures acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Cars.com was operated through Classified Ventures, a joint venture of major media companies. Gannett sought to consolidate ownership by purchasing the interests it did not already hold.

  Action taken

  Gannett announced an agreement to acquire the remaining Classified Ventures stakes on August 5, 2014.

  Aftermath

  Cars.com became part of Gannett's consolidated portfolio before later being separated through the Tegna-related corporate restructuring.

  Reported transaction value. $2.5 billion (2014 announcement)

  Source

• 2018

  Cars.com announces acquisition of Dealer Inspire[1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Cars.com announced the acquisition of Dealer Inspire, a Naperville-based digital marketing agency serving automotive dealerships.

• 2017

  Cars.com begins trading as an independent public company[1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Leadership change

  Following its separation from Tegna, Cars.com began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CARS on June 1, 2017.

• 2016

  Cars.com acquires DealerRater[1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Cars.com acquired DealerRater, a website focused on dealer and automotive service-shop ratings.

• 2014

  Gannett agrees to acquire remaining Classified Ventures interests[1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Gannett announced an agreement to buy the interests in Classified Ventures that it did not already own, consolidating control of Cars.com.

• 2007

  Yahoo! Autos plans to receive Cars.com listings[1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Yahoo! announced plans to receive vehicle listings from Cars.com for its Yahoo! Autos service.

• 2004

  Cars.com partners with Kelley Blue Book and begins national advertising[1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Other

  The company announced a partnership with Kelley Blue Book and expanded its national advertising activity.

• 1998

  Cars.com launches as an online automotive marketplace[1]Cars.comen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Cars.com launched in June 1998 as a United States automotive classified website.

1. 1Cars.comen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cars.com official websitecars.com
3. 3Automotive Marketplace CARS.com Acquires Another E Commerce Entity CreditIQ Automotive Fintech Platformtheautochannel.com