AN ICONIC British brand which made the leap from print from digital has reached a major milestone.

Classified ads magazine Exchange & Mart – owned by the Echo' parent company Newsquest – is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

“From 1868 when Exchange and Mart first started out as a classified advertising magazine where people could exchange and sell anything from animals, to stamps and servants, the aim of the business was to keep adapting to the world of buying and selling”, explains Exchange & Mart brand manager Lynn Clark.

The magazine was published weekly from 1868 to 2009 and selling 350,000 copies in its peak.

But as buying habits changed and the world began to embrace everything digital, a bold decision was made to cease print and becoming a fully online business in 2009.

It was a huge change for the brand to come away from a magazine that was so popular in its heyday that it made cameos in Only Fools and Horses and Monty Python.

Lynn said: “Buying and selling has changed massively over our 150 years, particularly with cars. You could get them in shops or department stores rather than dealerships, or even through travelling reps and the place to showcase a brand-new model was motor shows.

"Nowadays, you can live chat directly to a dealer on your mobile, watch video reviews online and even buy your car online and have it delivered to your door. That’s why we’re making it easier and quicker for customers to find their next car, by bringing all the best deals from local dealers to them. Whether that is through our website or through our car alerts straight to their inbox”.

The motor industry is one of the fastest growing, and most competitive, sectors when it comes to developments in technology, so what does the next 150 years hold for Exchange & Mart?

“Considering when Exchange and Mart was first created, cars were only beginning to be developed, driving laws and even licences didn’t exist. The Motor industry as we know it today is very different. In the past decade or so, we’ve seen huge developments in electric power and with diesel cars looking like they are on the way out, we predict many more environmentally positive changes to come. It’s all about getting the infrastructure correct and in place before we see a massive uptake in Electric Vehicles.

"As for the next 100 years, that is anyone’s guess. Flying cars maybe not, but driverless cars? Definitely. As long as people are still buying and selling cars, robotic or not, Exchange & Mart will be there to connect drivers with their dream cars.”