Ebay snaps up Motors.co.uk as it races Autotrader for car dealerships’ spending budgets
Bidding platform Ebay is set to acquire car search site Motors.co.uk as it takes on Autotrader.
The online shopping giant will buy the website from current owner Cox Automotive for an undisclosed sum, Cox said today.
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Ebay plans to fold the website into its Gumtree business, Ebay’s classified listings site, as it attempts to bolster its offering to intensify competition with Autotrader.
"This acquisition would finally present a viable car selling and shopping alternative for car dealers and buyers," said Matt Barham, general manager of Gumtree UK.
"By combining Motors.co.uk's extensive inventory, dealer engagements, traffic and cutting-edge tools and services with the considerable audience of in-market car buyers provided by Ebay and Gumtree, this acquisition would give UK car dealers a significantly broader reach."
Phill Jones, managing director at Motors.co.uk, added: "Our mission has always been to make buying and selling cars easier. The deal with Ebay would allow us to take this to the next level and we're very excited about what it potentially means for our team members, our consumers and our advertisers."
Cox bought Motors.co.uk back in 2012, and has since doubled its consumer audience and the number of vehicles it advertises.
The company has created mobile-focused search tools to help car buyers find potential vehicles, and introduced a tool that allows dealers to monitor their advertising spend and their top performing stock.
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By buying Motors.co.uk, Ebay will also gain other sites in its network including Topgear.com, Parkers.co.uk, Honest John, Autovillage and Raccars.co.uk, which reach a combined 5.4m readers per month.
Martin Forbes, CEO of Cox Automotive UK, said: "The whole team at Motors.co.uk has done an incredible job growing the business, and it isn't surprising that it has attracted the attention of Ebay, one of the world's most well-known e-commerce companies. The deal with Ebay is great news for Motors.co.uk and would enable the business, the brand and the team to grow under new ownership where the focus is more consumer-led.”