AUTO1 Group SE, Europe's leading digital automotive platform, has successfully upsized and extended its inventory asset-backed securitisations, enabling the company to finance up to €1.6 billion in used car inventory. This 45% increase in financing capacity represents a strategic move to support the company's ambitious growth plans across more than 30 European countries.
The transaction's significance lies in its improved financial structure and expanded banking partnerships. AUTO1 Group's bank group has grown from six to thirteen leading institutions, including Credit Agricole CIB which acted as lead arranger for the main inventory backed facility and BNP Paribas which served as lead arranger for the Italian facility. This expanded banking consortium provides the company with stronger positioning for future inventory financing needs while securing reduced interest margins and improved economic conditions.
Philip Reicherstorfer, VP Treasury, IR & Captive Finance of AUTO1 Group, stated that the upsized inventory financing strongly positions the company for anticipated business growth in 2026. The financing structure comprises up to €1.3 billion of senior notes from the enlarged bank group, augmented by up to €0.3 billion of junior notes by AUTO1 Group, with the revolving period extended to November 2027.
For the European used car market, this development signals increased liquidity and expansion capacity for one of the continent's largest automotive platforms. AUTO1 Group, which generated revenue of €6.3 billion and sold 690,000 cars in 2024, operates across three main brands: wirkaufendeinauto.de for consumers selling cars, Autohero for retail customers buying and financing used cars, and AUTO1.com as Europe's largest wholesale trading platform for car dealers. The additional financing capacity will enable the company to expand inventory across all these business segments.
The transaction's broader implications extend to the digital automotive sector's competitive landscape, where inventory financing capacity directly correlates with market expansion capabilities. With the company having gone public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in February 2021 and being part of the MDAX index, this financing move demonstrates institutional confidence in AUTO1 Group's business model and growth trajectory. The company was advised by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer while Hogan Lovells advised the lenders on the transaction, details of which were originally released on https://www.newmediawire.com.
