After five years of operation, DriveTribe will shut down its website at the close of this month. According to a blog post from the company, tightening marketing budgets related to the ongoing chip shortage have made it impossible for the ad-supported site to stick around.
DriveTribe, founded in 2016, aimed to be the go-to hub for online auto enthusiast content and digital socializing. It was founded and supported by Top Gear legends Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May along with their longtime producer Andy Wilman. CEO and entrepreneur Ernesto Schmitt handled the operations side, while the big names brought attention and enthusiasts to the site. There, users could join "Tribes" hosted by members of the Top Gear/Grand Tour trio or start their own centered around a particular model, theme, or sect of car culture.
The site never became the hub of car culture that it aimed to be at launch. While it grew an active and passionate community, it remained mostly on the sidelines in the automotive world, with a mix of user-generated and professional content that at times proved tricky to navigate. Niche "Tribes" also rarely had enough members to feel active.
The brand will live on through its social media channels, including YouTube. Those will be manned by Richard Hammond and his team, with promised occasional appearances from May and Clarkson.
“Although we’re all really disappointed that our DriveTribe Website business has to come to an end, I’m really delighted to be continuing our relationship with this brilliant community," Hammond said in the blog post. "There’s never been a more exciting time to talk about the industry as we deal with these hugely challenging market forces and the rapid evolution of what we mean by motoring. Come and join me on the channels along with lots of familiar DriveTribe faces as we continue to keep the brand alive and the conversation going.”
Mack Hogan previously served as the reviews editor for Road & Track. He founded the automotive reviews section of CNBC during his sophomore year of college and has been writing about cars ever since.
