Jalopnik was founded in October 2004 by
Gawker Media as part of
Nick Denton's network of
weblogs, with
journalist Mike Spinelli serving as the founding
editor. It was established to provide an alternative voice to traditional automotive journalism and gained a following for its irreverent take on car news and culture. In 2016, following the
bankruptcy of Gawker Media, Jalopnik was acquired by
Univision Communications for $135 million along with other former Gawker sites and later reorganized into the
Gizmodo Media Group. Under Univision's ownership, Jalopnik continued to operate alongside sister sites such as
Gizmodo,
Deadspin, and
Jezebel. In April 2019, Univision sold the Gizmodo Media Group to the
private equity firm Great Hill Partners, which subsequently formed
G/O Media. Jalopnik operated under G/O Media until late 2024, when it was sold to
Indianapolis-based digital publishing company Static Media. The acquisition was finalized in early 2025. ==Coverage==