Auto Trader sold to Japanese buyer

Optimus Group’s Darren Bowler. (Image: LinkedIn)

Wed, 29 Nov 2023

Car website Auto Trader has been sold to Japanese automotive business Optimus Group, becoming the latest New Zealand media asset to change hands.Auto Trader Media Group will become part of the Tokyo stock exchange-listed group four years after Bauer Media sold it to management team Ross Logue and Richie East.The car marketplace started as Autotrader Buyers’ Guide magazine in 1981 before adding its online offering.In 2021, Auto Trader still published more than 28,000 print copies, but the title went digital-only to save costs one year late...

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