How did Auto Trader get so big? | What do car dealers think of Auto Trader?

Ask anyone with a passing interest in cars where they search for them and it’s highly likely they’ll say Auto Trader.

The classified car advertising giant has been a staple of the motor trade for four decades and has morphed from a magazine to an app available on smartphones.

But just how did Auto Trader get so big? How did it grow from a well-thumbed mag to a tech titan that last year made £25m profit every MONTH?

As part of our special Car Dealer Investigations series, we’ve chatted to car dealers, consumer and motoring experts, as well as the very people leading the business to look at how Auto Trader grew into the advertising giant it is today.

Chapters in this video:
0:00 – Introduction
1:41 – Auto Trader's big numbers
3:23 – Where it all began
5:34 – How has Auto Trader changed?
7:41 – Going 100 per cent digital
8:35 – An online success story
9:45 – Mag to web giant
11:45 – Why does Auto Trader make so much money?
13:53 – Consumers or dealers – which is most important?
15:31 – What do car dealers think of Auto Trader?
16:45 – Why have rivals never managed to topple Auto Trader?
19:50 – Is data the key to Auto Trader's success?
21:50 – What helped Auto Trader grow into the giant it is today?
24:06 – Has Auto Trader's growth peaked?
25:11 – Summary

In this Auto Trader video we spoke to a number of experts (links to their first appearances):
2:39 – Jim Holder, editorial director, Haymarket
3:06 – Steve Fowler, editor in chief, Auto Express
4:09 – David Kendrick, head of automotive, UHY Hacker Young
4:24 – Jamie Caple, founder, Car Quay
4:58 – Catherine Faiers, chief operating officer, Auto Trader
6:10 – Neil McCue, chief operating officer, Snows Motor Group
6:41 – Peter Smyth, director, Swansway Motor Group
7:06 – Umesh Samani, chairman, IMDA
7:21 – Mike Jones, automotive consultant
8:06 – Nathan Coe, chief executive officer, Auto Trader
10:17 – Chris Kelly, chief technology officer, Auto Trader
15:50 – Robin Luscombe, group MD, Luscombe Motors
16:06 – Sean Kelly, MD, Vines Group
23:30 – PJ Quinn, CEO, Emerald House of Cars

Thanks to all those that gave up their time to take part in this production.