# AUTO TRADER GROUP

Summary updated: 2026-10-04T14:55:52.474693Z
Canonical: https://finbar.com/research/companies/auto-trader-group

## Overview

Auto Trader Group plc operates a digital automotive marketplace focused on the UK, connecting car buyers with vehicle retailers. Its services include vehicle listings, retailer advertising and tools, and data and technology supporting vehicle pricing, demand insights and online purchasing. The group also includes Autorama, a vehicle-leasing business. [1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495412)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495413)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495414) Its stated purpose is “Driving Change Together. Responsibly.” [2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495413)

For the year ended 31 March 2026, group revenue was £624.3 million. [4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134866) The platform averaged more than 9 million unique visitors per month and 13,942 retailer forecourts advertising on it, indicating its scale in the UK market. [5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495448)[6](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495450)[7](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495452)
[1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495412)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495413)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495414)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134866)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495448)[6](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495450)[7](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495452)

## Products & services

Auto Trader Group’s Autotrader marketplace lets consumers search and discover advertised vehicles, while retailers pay to advertise stock and access retailer products and market data. Consumer tools include “I’m looking for,” which uses AI to help shoppers search listings by category. [5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495448)[8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495392) Its retailer-focused Co-Driver uses generative AI to create vehicle descriptions and highlights and to tag, order and optimise listing images. [9](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495451)

Deal Builder enables retailers to offer online vehicle deals and reservations; the company reported that its enquiries converted to sales at twice the rate, with 6.7k retailers using the product and 137k deals with full reservations placed during FY2026. [10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495381)[11](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495486)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495487) Buying Signals uses machine learning to identify high-intent enquiries so retailers can prioritise leads; initially, flagged leads converted at twice the average rate. [13](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495761)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495487) The group also provides data services integrated with 220+ technology partners, averaging 155m calls per month in FY2026. [14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495460)

Autorama operates a marketplace for leasing new vehicles and related products and services. [15](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495642) For the year ended 31 March 2026, group revenue was £624.3m, comprising £585.3m from Autotrader (about 94%) and £39.0m from Autorama (about 6%); these percentages are calculated from the reported segment revenues. The figures describe business segments, not individual products, for which a revenue breakdown was not reported here. [16](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495375)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)
[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495448)[8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495392)[9](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495451)[10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495381)[11](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495486)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495487)[13](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495761)[14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495460)[15](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495642)[16](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495375)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)

## Geographic presence

Auto Trader Group’s geographic focus is the UK: its reporting describes its marketplace in the context of UK car buying and selling. The FY26 disclosures do not provide revenue by country or region, so the group’s geographic revenue mix cannot be quantified from them.[18](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P62768680)[19](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/d4wcf00t/at-ar26-web.pdf)[20](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/etud5vca/full-year-press-release-fy26.pdf)

The company identifies offices in Manchester, London and Hemel Hempstead. Its FY26 results report 1,239 Group employees as of 31 March 2026, but do not give a geographic or office-level employee breakdown.[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)[21](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134908)[22](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/yotdqueo/our-people-communities-2026.pdf)
[18](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P62768680)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)[21](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134908)[19](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/d4wcf00t/at-ar26-web.pdf)[20](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/etud5vca/full-year-press-release-fy26.pdf)[22](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/yotdqueo/our-people-communities-2026.pdf)

## Business segments

Auto Trader Group reports two segments for FY26: Auto Trader, the UK automotive marketplace and its retailer-facing advertising and data/insight products, generated £585.3m, or approximately 93.8% of group revenue; Autorama, the new-car leasing business, generated £39.0m, or approximately 6.2%. Shares are calculated from segment revenue of £624.3m in total, and the company identifies segment revenue as revenue from external customers [17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)[23](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495644)[24](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495614)[25](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495459)[26](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P95374931). The FY26 disclosure does not provide a separate revenue split by geography or by retail, wholesale, consumer, or dealer activity [23](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495644).
[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)[23](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495644)[24](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495614)[25](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495459)[26](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P95374931)

## Company history

Auto Trader’s origins date to 1977, when it published its first classified magazine, *Thames Valley Trader*. The business adopted the Auto Trader name in 1988, expanded into Ireland in 1995 and launched autotrader.co.uk in 1996. In 2000, its two business parts merged as Trader Media Group. [27](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P56624054)[28](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/9812960300445-What-s-Autotrader-s-history)

Ownership changed in stages: Apax acquired a 49.9% stake in Trader Media Group in 2007, while Guardian Media Group retained 50.1%; GMG’s remaining holding was sold in 2014. [29](https://www.apax.com/news-views/funds-advised-by-apax-partners-acquire-stake-in-trader-media-group/)[30](https://www.apax.com/news-views/funds-advised-by-apax-partners-to-acquire-further-interest-in-trader-media-group/)[31](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P121339442) Auto Trader published its last magazine issue in June 2013, completing its transition to a digital business. On 24 March 2015, Auto Trader Group plc listed on the London Stock Exchange following a restructuring that exchanged shares in predecessor Auto Trader Holding Limited for shares in the plc. [32](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P97753598)[33](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P107422541)

In 2020, Nathan Coe became chief executive, succeeding Trevor Mather. [34](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P19414052) In 2022, Auto Trader Group acquired Autorama UK Limited, extending its business into online new-car leasing. [35](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P120192793)
[27](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P56624054)[31](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P121339442)[32](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P97753598)[33](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P107422541)[34](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P19414052)[35](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P120192793)[28](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/9812960300445-What-s-Autotrader-s-history)[29](https://www.apax.com/news-views/funds-advised-by-apax-partners-acquire-stake-in-trader-media-group/)[30](https://www.apax.com/news-views/funds-advised-by-apax-partners-to-acquire-further-interest-in-trader-media-group/)

## Sources

1. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495412)
2. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495413)
3. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495414)
4. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134866)
5. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495448)
6. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495450)
7. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495452)
8. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495392)
9. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495451)
10. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495381)
11. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495486)
12. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495487)
13. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p38](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495761)
14. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p9](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495460)
15. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p23](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495642)
16. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495375)
17. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p24](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134883)
18. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2025 Y), p2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P62768680)
19. [plc.autotrader.co.uk](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/d4wcf00t/at-ar26-web.pdf)
20. [plc.autotrader.co.uk](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/etud5vca/full-year-press-release-fy26.pdf)
21. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p37](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T14134908)
22. [plc.autotrader.co.uk](https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/media/yotdqueo/our-people-communities-2026.pdf)
23. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p23](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495644)
24. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p22](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495614)
25. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Press release (2026 Y), p9](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P122495459)
26. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2025 Y), p16](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P95374931)
27. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2015 Y), p4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P56624054)
28. [www.autotrader.co.uk](https://www.autotrader.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/9812960300445-What-s-Autotrader-s-history)
29. [www.apax.com](https://www.apax.com/news-views/funds-advised-by-apax-partners-acquire-stake-in-trader-media-group/)
30. [www.apax.com](https://www.apax.com/news-views/funds-advised-by-apax-partners-to-acquire-further-interest-in-trader-media-group/)
31. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2015 Y), p106](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P121339442)
32. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2015 Y), p5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P97753598)
33. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2015 Y), p106](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P107422541)
34. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2025 Y), p79](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P19414052)
35. [AUTO TRADER GROUP — Full financial report (2025 Y), p116](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P120192793)

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