CarExpert
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Website type | Automotive-related news and car reviews |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Area served | Australia |
| Founders |
|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Website | carexpert |
| Current status | Active |
CarExpert is an Australian website that provides automotive-related news and car reviews.[1][2] It also includes a car marketplace, called the CarExpert Exchange, which connects vehicle buyers to car dealerships.[3][4] As of October 2021, the site attracted 1.4 million Australian visitors, with another 1.5 million views on its YouTube channel.[5]
The company is headquartered in Brisbane, Queensland, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne.
History
[edit]CarExpert was founded by Anthony Crawford, Alborz Fallah, and Paul Maric as a news publication in 2020.[6][7] They previously founded a similar website named CarAdvice, which was acquired by Nine Entertainment for a reported $30 to $60 million[8], but which was subsequently shut down in 2020.[9][10] CarExpert uses a reverse subscription model in which it charges the car manufacturer for the people that read its car reviews.[11][12]
In 2021, Seven West Media, which owns Australian news service Seven News, acquired a minority stake on the website for $4 million and made the website its automotive partner.[6][11][13] That same year, CarExpert received the website of the year award.[1] CarExpert also opened its first retail store in 2021, showcasing new cars, in Westfield Warringah Mall in Sydney.[14]
In 2022, CarExpert received $10 million in investment gaming billionaire Laurence Escalante. Following the investment, CarExpert acquired Australian valuation and marketplace company Price My Car and announced an expansion of its operations into Western Australia.[15][6] Since its foundation, it was mostly active on the East Coast of Australia.[15] In 2023, CarExpert launched its new car buying platform using the technology acquired from Price My Car technology, using a pay-per-sale model.[16]
In February 2023, CarExpert replaced Drive.com.au, an automotive site founded by Fairfax Media and acquired by Nine Entertainment, as the automotive partner for newspaper publisher Australian Community Media.[17] In October 2023, CarExpert announced the results of another $3 million capital raise, valuing the company at $50 million with an annual turnover of $15 million. Investors in this round included gaming billionaire Laurence Escalante and Seven West Media.[18][19]
In February 2026, CarExpert entered the New Zealand market via a partnership with New Zealand auction site Trade Me.[20]
In 2022, the company began the process to be publicly listed, with a $4 million marketing launched in 2024 to support that effort.[6][21]
Awards and recognition
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "CarExpert.com.au snaps up Website of the Year Award". Cyprus Mail.
- ↑ "CarExpert recuts equity raising, Rich Lister tips in". Australian Financial Review. 13 September 2022.
- ↑ Palmer-Derrien, Stephanie (2020-10-21). ""An entrepreneur at heart": CarAdvice co-founder Alborz Fallah raises $3 million for new motor media venture". SmartCompany. Retrieved 2026-08-06.
- ↑ "CarExpert launches Australia’s first large-scale car buying service". Autotalk Australia. 2025-10-20. Retrieved 2026-08-06.
- ↑ Shepherd, Emma (2021-10-28). "Seven's stake in CarExpert more than just a traffic play, says Alborz Fallah". Mumbrella. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
- 1 2 3 4 Macdonald, Anthony; Thompson, Sarah; Sood, Kanika (April 22, 2022). "CarExpert raising $10m to buy Price My Car; IPO next". Australian Financial Review.
- ↑ "Coronavirus border closures 'creating ghost flights'".
- ↑ Fallah, Alborz (2020-10-14). "I sold my website for more than $60m and now it's being turned off". Mumbrella. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ Mellor, John (2020-10-14). "Why Nine is ditching CarAdvice". GoAutoNews Premium. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ "CarAdvice to be sold to Nine for a reported $30 million". Australian Financial Review. 2 September 2016.
- 1 2 "CarExpert gears up as Seven West Media takes strategic stake". The Australian.
- ↑ "Cameras, AI drive car sales". The Australian.
- ↑ Mellor, John (2024-02-06). "On the road to an IPO". GoAutoNews Premium. Retrieved 2026-08-14.
- ↑ Cummins, Carolyn (12 August 2022). "Car dealerships hit top gear as the new tenants in town". Sydney Morning Herald.
- 1 2 "Escalante-backed car website revs up for WA expansion". The West Australian. 14 October 2022.
- ↑ Mellor, John (2023-10-17). "CarExpert reinvents itself". GoAutoNews Premium. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- ↑ Barry, Robert (2023-02-24). "Australia Community Media drops Drive in favour of CarExpert". Autotalk Australia. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ "Online new-car classified site CarExpert's valuation hits $50m on capital raising". The Australian. 22 October 2023.
- ↑ "Ten Aussie startups that raised $39 million this week". Smart Company. 27 October 2023.
- ↑ "CarExpert to enter NZ with listing partner". Autotalk Australia. 2025-11-20. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
- ↑ Edwards, Aimee (2024-09-19). "CarExpert Launches $4M Media Campaign, Targeting Further Growth Ahead Of IPO". B&T. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ "CarExpert wins Brand and Website of the Year at Publish Awards". Seven News. 9 September 2022.
- ↑ "CarExpert wins Brand and Website of the Year at Publish Awards". PerthNow. 9 September 2022.
- ↑ "Winners and Finalists". Commonwealth Bank Small Biz Awards. 9 September 2023.
- ↑ "CarExpert wins CommBank Entrepreneur of the Year business award". Seven News. 25 May 2023.
- ↑ Barry, Robert (2024-04-23). "Nissan’s Emily Fadayev voted PR Person of the Year". Autotalk Australia. Retrieved 2026-09-09.