Since the late 19th century, when cars were first manufactured and sold commercially, the car buyer customer journey has remained largely the same for almost 100 years.

Traditional car buyer customer journey

♦ Customers visited dealerships and talked directly with salespeople.

♦ Staff in dealerships answered questions and explained the benefits and features of different models of cars to clients.

Many people are afraid of shopping online. Even internet savvy millennials. Especially when we are talking about buying cars online. Buyers need a tangible experience with the car and have concerns about sharing personal information. However, the internet has become a major player in auto sales. According to a McKinsey report, ten years ago an average buyer visited 5 dealerships before making a decision. Now they visit 1.8. People are spending more time researching online in advance and less time at dealerships.

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The history of the automobile began in the 1880s when in 1886 in Germany Karl Benz registered the first patent in the industry for the first gas powered vehicle. This “horseless carriage” was called The Motorwagen and from 1888 to 1893 around 25 Benz vehicles were sold. Meanwhile, the first commercial car sales was made by Charl and Frank Duryea in 1893. It was more a gas powered carriage than an automobile as we would understand. Due to expansion into other countries in Europe (France) by the end of the 19th century Benz was the largest car company in the world manufacturing 572 vehicles in 1899. In 1903 France became ...