Car Shop already works via television, the Internet, text services and high street kiosks, and over the past six months has advertised between 10,000 and 15,000 used cars for sale at any one time. Simon Daukes, managing director of Haymarket Motoring Publications, said: 'The marriage of such powerful brands as What Car? and Autocar - both published by Haymarket - with the Car Shop interactive system will create a major new service for car buyers. It will be a key channel in the choosing, buying and selling of cars in the future.'

Car Shop was developed under the umbrella of the Camden Motors Group, but the Camden directors decided not to acquire it as part of their management buy-out from Barclays in 1996. Car Shop directors John Bacon and John Highfield will remain with the company as it moves from Milton Keynes to Teddington, west London.