In 1997, automotive manufacturers and retailers were beginning to establish their presence on the emerging World Wide Web. These early websites provided basic information about vehicles and company history, though they lacked the interactive features and rich media common today.
The following links point to automotive-related websites as they appeared in 1997, preserved through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
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Netscape/Yahoo Auto ShoppingOne of the first automotive shopping portals, a partnership between Netscape and Yahoo.View in Wayback Machine -
Infoseek Shopping for CarsInfoseek's automotive shopping section with dealer listings and vehicle information.View in Wayback Machine
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MotorTrendEarly online version of the popular automotive magazine with vehicle reviews and industry news.View in Wayback Machine
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Microsoft CarpointMicrosoft's entry into online automotive shopping and information, before MSN Autos.View in Wayback Machine
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AudiAudi's early corporate website with basic vehicle information and company history.View in Wayback Machine
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BMWBMW's German website showcasing vehicle models and corporate information.View in Wayback Machine
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FordFord Motor Company's website with vehicle information and dealer locators.View in Wayback Machine
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General MotorsGM's corporate website covering all brands and providing basic vehicle information.View in Wayback Machine
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Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz's early web presence with luxury vehicle showcase and corporate history.View in Wayback Machine
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MitsubishiMitsubishi Motors' website presenting vehicle models and dealership information.View in Wayback Machine
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VolkswagenVolkswagen's corporate website with vehicle models and company information.View in Wayback Machine
Digital Archaeology Note: This is a modern restoration of a 1997 web application.
The original used Flash animations, auto-playing WAV files, frames, and obsolete web technologies.
These have been replaced with HTML5 equivalents while preserving the original look and navigation structure.
Background images are now more visible, and redundant copyright footers have been removed.