AIM Group, an interactive media and classified advertising consultancy firm, claims in a report that via “an unusual business model” CarGurus has leapfrogged Autotrader.com and Cars.com to become traffic leader among automotive advertising sites in the U.S.

In its 2017 Automotive Advertising Annual report, the AIM Group highlighted that it explores how “this low-profile company blew past the established market leaders.”

In a four-page case study about the growth of CarGurus, AIM Group’s Classified Intelligence Report auto annual examines its funding, its tactics, its business model and its future.

The 65-page annual report covers 30 countries and 100 companies. It profiles 35 disruptive auto advertising start-ups, and includes an "innovation roundup" of 58 steps taken in 2016 by established auto ad companies to strengthen their business. The report also includes a bonus of non-auto content in a "mini" edition of Classified Intelligence Report.

“Conventional wisdom says 'winner-takes-all' in classified advertising, but CarGurus has proven that a creative business model and a focus on end-users can up-end the market leaders," said Rob Paterson, AIM Group director of consulting.

“As CarGurus expands internationally, it will challenge well-established auto ad sites in markets like the U.K., Canada and Germany. Our report explores the competition in those countries and what CarGurus has been doing and plans to do in 2017 to attack the competition,” Paterson continued.

The report also covers the ways horizontal classified sites covering all categories have expanded their listings from auto dealers, and how a site redesign at a Russian auto site tripled traffic.

“The pace of innovation at auto sites is increasing, and this report can serve as a road map to the changes that can make a big difference to classified sites — whether they’re automotive or other classifieds,” Paterson said.

The report is available for $1,495 from AIMGroup.com, where a free preview edition is offered for download here. AIM Group said the report comes with a money-back guarantee.