About Us

Who Are Autoster

Autoster is the UK’s largest automotive marketplace. We feature more than 450,000 cars on any given day,
giving you access to over 80% of the UK’s automotive retailers in one place.

With all that choice, picking your next car could get confusing; which is why we feature price indicators, history checks and other transparent insights to clear the noise and help you find the car that’s right for you. In the 40+ years since we’ve been going, Auto Trader have had one aim: to offer everyone trust and transparency when buying or selling a car.

We started back in 1977, working as a local classified magazine across the UK. Originally called Trader Media Group, we became Auto Trader in 1988. Our popularity meant we were regionally circulating over 350,000 copies by 2000, and by this time we’d already future-proofed ourselves by launching our first website back in 1996.

Journey to being a digital business

From here, our journey towards being a digital business steadily took shape, with some big milestones along the way:

We joined social media and launched our upgraded website in 2007.
Our first iPhone app arrived in 2010, followed by Android and iPad apps in 2011.
We decided to focus purely on the UK from 2011 onwards, meaning we’re 100% dedicated to offering British customers the best service.

The last print edition of Auto Trader’s magazine came out in 2013, though it still feels like yesterday we were out on the shelves.

Fully digital business

Since then, we’ve been a fully digital business and have taken that as opportunity to innovate even further. Since our 35th birthday in 2014, we’ve…

Offered expert valuations, starting in 2015. Using the richest data in the industry, we give you an accurate car valuation every time.
Gained FCA authorisation in 2016, so we can offer you more car finance options to suit your individual circumstances.
Launched a price indicator in 2017, so you know whether a price listed is a fair one.
Started offering you new cars from 2019. Whether you want to buy outright, on finance, or lease – there’s more choice than ever on Auto Trader.

Why Autoster

Unlike digital start-ups, we’ve got decades of insight, data and advice that we can put into your car buying journey.

Unlike heritage companies, we’re built for the modern age – agile and evolving to make sure you’re getting the best experience. Our data and insights are unparalleled in this industry, especially our car valuations, and we use it all to help you. Whether that’s offering guaranteed part-exchange or car leasing, we’re making the automotive industry more accessible and exciting for everyone; today and in the future.