Citygate Holdings has launched a new “best-in-class” vehicle imaging and software business backed by a heavyweight automotive industry team.

MD Robert Hazelwood (left) will lead the business, with chief operating officer Matt Benns

Auto.Works will provide an end-to-end online digital marketing solution to OEMs, retailers and leasing companies that’s “set to revolutionise” how new and used vehicles are presented online.

Founded following Citygate’s acquisition of AutoLoadit, the new company combines existing UK-built turntable and imaging solutions from the established business, with a new team of strategic, digital, data and retail specialists.

MD Robert Hazelwood will lead the business, with chief operating officer Matt Benns (former director of automotive software business Keyloop, and head of business roles at Volkswagen UK, SEAT and Mazda).

The business will be led by Robert Hazelwood, former managing director of BCA UK, CEO of Inchcape Retail and head of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles and Škoda brands in the UK.

Hazelwood said: “Here in the UK, over nine million new and used cars were sold last year – selling these cars quickly and effectively is key to manufacturers and retailers alike. The Auto.Works marketing solution makes light work of the traditional time-consuming marketing process.”

He’s joined by chief operating officer Matt Benns, the former director of automotive software business Keyloop and previously head of business at Volkswagen UK, SEAT and Mazda.

Additionally, the business will be supported by the Citygate Holdings Board of Jonathan Smith, owner of Citygate and ex-divisional director of HR Owen; Connor McCormack, CEO UTAC and past CEO Inchcape Retail; Sarah Sillars, ex-CEO and executive chairman of the IMI; and Graham Wheeler, previously CEO at Volkswagen Financial Services.

The AutoLoadit business is established and currently works across 26 countries, helping some of Europe’s largest retailers, car supermarkets and leasing companies better scale their online retail presence. Over 100,000 high-definition images are captured every day using Auto.Works technology with more than 18,000 vehicles going online every month.

Matt Benns, Auto.Works COO, said: “We offer an end-to-end solution; turntable technology, colour-perfect lighting studios, hand-held imaging apps, all providing the highest quality images and video. Adding these images to our data management portal, we ensure easy, automated and time-saving collection, collation and multi-website transfer.”