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Cars.com turns 20 years old

Jeff Kershner

Founder
Staff member
May 1, 2005
6,014
1,923
Awards
12
First Name
Jeff
To Our Partners and Friends,

This week, thanks to your partnership, Cars.com turns 20.

It was clear two decades ago and remains clear now: To innovate in this industry we must work together to develop solutions. And we’ve come a long way. We have been working alongside you, our partners, to drive this industry into the digital age. Now, we’re defining the future of automotive together.

Automotive retail, mobility and car ownership are changing fast and demanding that we all change to keep pace with consumer expectations. As the industry evolves, our business continues to transform and create new opportunities for growth.

When we look ahead, we see a future focused on navigating the digital-first world: establishing buyer-salesperson connections long before a retail visit; harnessing the promise of artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data to build a better user experience and provide more valuable data to help buy, price and sell more efficiently; and realizing the full power of social media to create awareness and influence with unrivaled targeting accuracy. All these things were unthinkable 20 years ago. With these innovations will come the frictionless and highly personalized experience car shoppers expect.

Our north star, our reason for being, remains the same: advancing the automotive retail system to grow and drive your business by creating quality connections with in-market buyers and providing more efficient business-building opportunities for our partners.

Twenty years later, Cars.com is wise with experience from making more than a half-billion connections between car buyers and sellers – yet energized like never before about the road ahead. I want to thank you for your trust, your business and your partnership during these first two decades. We look forward to an exciting ride together for many years to come.

With gratitude,


alexsig.png


Alex Vetter
CEO, CARS, an NYSE Listed Company
Cars.com, DealerRater, Dealer Inspire
 

✨ AI Highlights

Cars.com marked its 20th anniversary with a message from leadership emphasizing partnership with dealers to drive digital innovation in automotive retail. The original post outlines the company's evolution and vision for a digital-first future, though the thread's single reply suggests skepticism about Cars.com's long-term commitment to dealers, implying the company may ultimately prioritize being acquired or sold rather than remaining a stable partner.

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