CAR Group
CAR Group is an Australian-listed digital marketplace company operating automotive and related classified platforms across Oceania, Asia, and the Americas.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
CAR Group is an Australian digital marketplace company whose principal businesses connect consumers, dealers, manufacturers, and other commercial participants through online classified and transaction platforms. The group originated in Melbourne in 1997 under the carsales name, when Greg Roebuck and Wal Pisciotta pursued the idea of transferring vehicle classified advertising from print publications to the internet. That initial focus on Australian motor vehicles developed into a broader international portfolio of automotive marketplaces and adjacent specialist platforms. The group's Australian operation remains branded carsales and is its foundational business. Over time, CAR Group expanded the range of categories available through its Australian marketplace, including cars, motorcycles, boats, commercial equipment, and related vehicle information services. Important additions included Carpoint.com.au, Boatpoint.com.au, Bikepoint.com.au, and other online classified assets acquired from ACP Magazines in 2005, as well as Red Book, an automotive valuation and information business acquired in 2007. Quicksales was added in 2010, broadening the group's online marketplace exposure beyond its core automotive classified proposition. CAR Group's ownership and corporate structure also changed substantially during its development. Publishing & Broadcasting Limited acquired a significant stake through the 2005 transaction, and that holding was later associated with Nine Entertainment. The stake was sold in 2011, leaving CAR Group with a more independent shareholder structure. The company became publicly listed in Australia in 2009, providing a platform for further investment and international expansion. International growth became a defining part of the company's strategy during the 2010s and 2020s. CAR Group acquired or invested in marketplaces in South Korea, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. Its South Korean business, Encar, was initially acquired through a minority investment in 2014 and brought fully under group ownership in 2016. The Chilean marketplace chileautos and Mexican platform soloautos extended its Latin American presence, while investments in Brazil's Webmotors created exposure to one of the region's largest automotive markets. CAR Group increased its Webmotors stake in 2023. In the United States, the company acquired a minority stake in Trader Interactive in 2021 and completed the acquisition of the remaining interest in 2022. Trader Interactive added a group of specialist marketplaces, including categories beyond passenger vehicles. In 2023, the listed company changed its name from carsales.com Limited to CAR Group Limited. The rebranding was intended to reflect the scale and geographic breadth of the business, while the Australian consumer-facing marketplace continued to use the carsales name. CAR Group therefore functions as the corporate identity for a collection of country-specific and category-specific digital marketplace businesses rather than as a single consumer site. The group's business model is based on digital audience aggregation, listings, dealer and commercial subscriptions, advertising, data, valuation, and related marketplace services. Its platforms generally help sellers advertise inventory and help buyers search, compare, value, and transact around vehicles or specialist assets. CAR Group's principal operating markets are Australia, South Korea, the United States, Chile, and Brazil, with the portfolio combining wholly owned businesses and majority-owned operations. The company is best understood as a multinational marketplace group anchored in automotive classifieds, rather than as a vehicle manufacturer, retailer, or financial-services brand.
History
CAR Group began in Melbourne in 1997 as carsales, founded by Greg Roebuck and Wal Pisciotta. Its original proposition was straightforward but consequential: move motor-vehicle classified advertising from newspapers and magazines to the internet. The business developed during the early growth of online classifieds and established carsales as an important Australian vehicle marketplace. A major early expansion occurred in October 2005, when the company acquired ACP Magazines' online classified businesses. The assets included Carpoint.com.au, Boatpoint.com.au, Bikepoint.com.au, Ihub.com.au, and Equipment Research Group. As part of the transaction, ACP's parent company, Publishing & Broadcasting Limited, received a 41 percent interest in carsales. The acquisition broadened the company's categories and added automotive information capabilities alongside its core vehicle listings. In 2007, the company acquired Red Book, strengthening its access to vehicle valuation and pricing information. Quicksales followed in 2010, adding another online marketplace operation. The company became publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2009. In March 2011, Nine Entertainment, the successor associated with the earlier Publishing & Broadcasting ownership, sold its 49 percent shareholding. This reduced the influence of the former media-company investor and marked another stage in the development of carsales as an independently listed marketplace group. International expansion accelerated in the 2010s. In March 2013, carsales purchased a 20 percent interest in ICar Asia. The following month it bought a 30 percent shareholding in Brazil's Webmotors from Banco Santander. South Korea became another important market in March 2014, when the company acquired 49 percent of SK Encar from SK C&C. The remaining 51 percent of the South Korean business was acquired in 2016, making Encar a wholly owned operation. In the same period, the company acquired soloautos in Mexico and chileautos in Chile, adding Latin American marketplaces to its portfolio. The group's expansion continued into the United States. In 2021, carsales acquired a 49 percent stake in Trader Interactive, a marketplace group with automotive and non-automotive specialist categories. In 2022, it acquired the remaining 51 percent, bringing Trader Interactive under full ownership. In Brazil, the company increased its Webmotors ownership in April 2023 by acquiring an additional 40 percent interest. The corporate identity changed in 2023, when carsales.com Limited was renamed CAR Group Limited. The name change acknowledged that the company had become substantially broader than its original Australian marketplace. The Australian operating company and consumer-facing platform retained the carsales name, while CAR Group became the name of the listed entity and the wider international group. Today, CAR Group is organized around digital marketplaces serving Australia, South Korea, the United States, Chile, and Brazil. Its portfolio includes wholly owned businesses in Australia, South Korea, the United States, and Chile, together with a majority interest in Webmotors in Brazil. The group combines vehicle listings with dealer services, audience and lead generation, valuation and market data, advertising, and specialist marketplace capabilities. Its history reflects the progression of an Australian online classified service into a multinational digital marketplace company with a portfolio of localized brands.
- 2023
The corporate name changes to CAR Group
[1]carsales.com Limited changes its name to CAR Group Limited, while the Australian marketplace continues to operate under the carsales brand.
- 2023
Webmotors ownership increases
[1]CAR Group acquires an additional 40 percent interest in Webmotors in Brazil.
- 2022
Trader Interactive becomes wholly owned
[1]CAR Group acquires the remaining 51 percent of Trader Interactive.
- 2021
A 49 percent stake in Trader Interactive is acquired
[1]The group enters a staged acquisition of United States marketplace company Trader Interactive.
- 2016
Encar becomes wholly owned and Latin American operations expand
[1]The company acquires the remaining interest in SK Encar and also acquires soloautos in Mexico and chileautos in Chile.
- 2014
A stake in SK Encar is acquired
[1]carsales acquires 49 percent of South Korean marketplace SK Encar from SK C&C.
- 2013
Expansion into ICar Asia and Webmotors
[1]The company acquires a 20 percent interest in ICar Asia and a 30 percent interest in Brazil's Webmotors.
- 2011
Nine Entertainment sells its shareholding
[1]Nine Entertainment sells its 49 percent interest in carsales.
- 2010
Quicksales is acquired
[1]The transaction expands the group's online marketplace activities.
- 2009
The company lists on the Australian Securities Exchange
[1]carsales becomes a publicly listed Australian company.
Products and positioning
A multinational digital marketplace group focused primarily on automotive classifieds, vehicle discovery, dealer technology, and related data services, with country-specific platforms serving consumers and commercial customers.
Automotive marketplace · 1997
carsales
CAR Group's Australian flagship marketplace for new and used vehicles. It connects private sellers, dealers, and buyers through searchable vehicle listings and related advertising and lead-generation services. The broader Australian portfolio has also included marketplace categories for motorcycles, boats, equipment, and other specialist assets, supported by vehicle information and valuation capabilities.
Automotive marketplace
Encar
CAR Group's South Korean digital vehicle marketplace. The business entered the group through a 49 percent acquisition in 2014 and became wholly owned in 2016. Encar extends the group's automotive classified model into South Korea, providing a localized platform for vehicle discovery and commercial listings.
Specialist digital marketplaces
Trader Interactive
A United States marketplace group acquired by CAR Group through a staged transaction. The business includes automotive and other specialist classified categories, giving CAR Group exposure to recreational, commercial, and non-passenger-vehicle marketplace segments in the United States.
Automotive marketplace · 2016
chileautos
A Chilean online automotive marketplace acquired as part of CAR Group's international expansion. It localizes the group's vehicle-listing model for buyers, sellers, and dealers in Chile.
Automotive marketplace
Webmotors
A Brazilian automotive marketplace in which CAR Group first acquired a minority interest in 2013 and later increased its ownership. Webmotors gives the group a major operating presence in Brazil and provides localized online vehicle listings and related marketplace services.
Automotive information and valuation
Red Book
An automotive information and valuation business acquired by the company in 2007. Its capabilities complemented the classified marketplace by supplying vehicle pricing and market-reference information.
Brand decisions
2023
Corporate rebranding from carsales.com Limited to CAR Group LimitedStrategyBackground
The original carsales name increasingly represented only the Australian operating business, while the listed company owned marketplaces across several countries and categories.
Action taken
The listed entity changed its corporate name to CAR Group Limited, retaining carsales as the Australian consumer-facing brand.
Aftermath
CAR Group became the umbrella identity for the international marketplace portfolio, while local operating brands continued to serve their respective markets.
2021
Staged acquisition of Trader InteractiveM&ABackground
CAR Group pursued entry into the United States and sought to diversify its marketplace portfolio beyond its established international automotive operations.
Action taken
It acquired an initial 49 percent interest in Trader Interactive in 2021 and purchased the remaining 51 percent in 2022.
Aftermath
Trader Interactive became a wholly owned United States marketplace business within the group.
2014
Entry into South Korea through SK EncarM&ABackground
International expansion became a central part of the company's growth strategy.
Action taken
The company acquired a 49 percent interest in SK Encar from SK C&C.
Aftermath
The remaining 51 percent was acquired in 2016, making the South Korean marketplace wholly owned.
2005
Acquisition of ACP Magazines' online classified businessesM&ABackground
The company sought to expand beyond its initial Australian vehicle-listing service and add complementary online classified and information properties.
Action taken
It acquired Carpoint.com.au, Boatpoint.com.au, Bikepoint.com.au, Ihub.com.au, and Equipment Research Group from ACP Magazines.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened the company's category coverage and resulted in Publishing & Broadcasting Limited receiving a 41 percent stake.
Recent events
Reported
Carsales launches electric car hub[2]
Carsales launched an electric car hub on its website featuring electric cars for sale, vehicle advice, buying guides, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and independent battery reviews.
Reported
Carsales announces dealer fee rebates for Melbourne businesses[3]
Carsales announced a dealer fee rebate package for Melbourne metropolitan businesses affected by COVID-19 stage four restrictions.
Reported
Carsales launches Grey Nomads content series[4]
Carsales launched a new content series, Grey Nomads, about the life of caravanners.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Simon Ryan leaves Carsales[5]
Simon Ryan left his role as managing director of commercial with Carsales, effective immediately, after just over 12 months in the role.
Sources5 sources
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