Car rental specialist Cartrawler is buying a British rival’s online business in a deal that will also see it hook up with the lastminute.com brand.

Dublin-based Cartrawler provides software and systems to airlines, travel companies and others in the tourism trade to allow them to offer car-hire services on their websites.

The company yesterday said it was buying the online business operated by Holiday Autos in Britain from its owner Travelocity Global, for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition will bring revenues at the Irish business to €500 million a year and see it process 2½ million bookings every 12 months. The company had revenues of €141 million in 2010.

As part of the deal, Cartrawler will become the exclusive car rental provider to travel website lastminute.com, which Travelocity also owns.

Chief executive Mike McGearty said that Holiday Autos would complement its existing aviation, travel and hospitality businesses.

Argus rental
Cartrawler grew out of the family-owned Argus vehicle rental business.

Brothers Greg and Niall Turley owned the company until selling a majority stake in it to UK private equity firm, ECI Partners, in 2011.

It operates by taking a percentage cut of every car rental booking processed through the systems that it provides to its customers.

Its clients include Air India, Emirates, Fly Dubai and Gulf Air. The company employs 155 people at its headquarters in Dundrum, Dublin.

Holiday Autos offers car hire, camper-van hire, van hire, as well as prestige and hybrid car rentals and chauffeur services.