DriveTribe Shutting Down Permanently After 5 Years

[kobayashiGT]

Source: https://www.motor1.com/news/559776/drivetribe-closes-after-five-years/

DriveTribe, the automotive-focused social media site founded by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, is shutting down after five years. In a statement from the trio, they cite the "severe reductions in marketing budgets across the industry" because of the global microchip shortage causing a drop in revenue from advertising. The business closes at the end of the month.

"We’re all really disappointed that challenges in the industry - not in the least helped by the ongoing pandemic - have simply made it impossible to continue with the business in its current form," Clarkson said in the statement.

May was a bit less formal in his portion of the announcement. "But ultimately, this is a business, and businesses are being kicked in the nads by everything that’s going on in the world," he wrote.

Hammond will carry on the spirit of DriveTribe on his own social media channels. "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," he said in his portion of the statement.

If you're a Drive Tribe user, then there is a little good news. The site is making it possible to download all of your contributed content, so that knowledge doesn't disappear into the Internet black hole.

Clarkson, Hammond, May, and Grand Tour producer Andy Wilman created DriveTribe in 2016. Hammond described the origin of the idea as: "There’s no grand-scale online motoring community where people can meet and share video, comments, information, and opinion."

The site included a mix of news, reviews, automotive quizzes, and other editorial content. A variety of themed sections or "tribes" allowed enthusiastic users to post photos, videos, or other info to create a community of like-minded folks in a style similar to a sub-Reddit.

[Soya]

Lol....now everything oso blame chip shortage

 

[1fast1]

7 minutes ago, Soya said:

Lol....now everything oso blame chip shortage

 

If we're talking about the ones on one's shoulders, Jeremy has no shortage of those. 😁

[Watwheels]

I thought it is the local car rental company. I realised it is called cartribe.

[Stratovarius]

Alamak. I subscribe to both drive and foodtribe on YT. The videos quite entertaining one. Some got behind the scenes from their series. 

[1fast1]

50 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

I thought it is the local car rental company. I realised it is called cartribe.

Me too actually.