Automobile Factory
$9.89Sx base cost · $65.4T/sec
Business Overview
Assembly lines of income.
The Automobile Factory isn't flashy, but its steady per-second return is exactly what a growing empire needs.
Cost Scaling
Every business in Tycoon Cards uses the same cost curve: each copy costs 15% more than the last. For the Automobile Factory, that looks like this:
| Copies owned | Cost of next copy | Total spent to reach this many |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $11.4Sx | $9.89Sx |
| 10 | $40.0Sx | $201Sx |
| 25 | $325Sx | $2.10Sp |
| 50 | $10.7Sp | $71.4Sp |
| 100 | $11.6Oc | $77.4Oc |
Income Scaling
Income scales linearly with copies owned — no diminishing returns, ever. Owning more of the Automobile Factory always earns proportionally more:
| Copies owned | Income per second |
|---|---|
| 1 | $65.4T/s |
| 10 | $654T/s |
| 25 | $1.64Qa/s |
| 50 | $3.27Qa/s |
| 100 | $6.54Qa/s |
Profit Calculations
| Payback period (1st copy) | 151,076,555 seconds |
| Income per dollar spent | $0.0/s per $1 |
| Efficient switch point | Around copy #4 (when the next copy costs more than Electronics Manufacturer) |
See the Business Tier List for how this business ranks against all other 99 tiers by payback period.
Unlock Requirements
There is no gating system on businesses in Tycoon Cards — the Automobile Factory is available to purchase from the very start of any run, the moment you can afford its $9.89Sx base cost. The only realistic "requirement" is reaching that amount of money, either by clicking, by owning cheaper businesses, or by carrying prestige and card bonuses from a previous run.
Best Upgrades
Individual businesses don't have their own upgrade trees in Tycoon Cards — the Automobile Factory always earns exactly $65.4T per copy at base rate. What actually "upgrades" its value are the game's shared systems: levelling supporting cards (below), earning achievement bonuses, and increasing your prestige multiplier. Each of these applies as a percentage on top of every business you own, including this one.
Best Supporting Cards
At this tier, all-income and passive-income cards deliver the biggest absolute gains, since a percentage bonus on a high-earning business is worth far more in raw dollars than the same percentage on a cheap early tier.
Prestige Recommendations
Owning multiple copies of this tier usually means you're in the later half of a run — a reasonable point to start planning your next prestige once growth visibly slows.
Read the full Prestige Guide for general reset timing, or the Prestige Point Planning guide to calculate exactly how many points your next reset will earn.
Research Interactions
Tycoon Cards does not currently include a research-tree system — the Automobile Factory cannot be researched or unlocked through any mechanic beyond simply affording it. A research tree is listed as a possible future system on our Updates & Roadmap page; this section will be updated if that ever changes.
Evolution Path (Tier Progression)
Businesses in Tycoon Cards don't evolve or transform — each tier is a permanent, independent business. What we can show honestly is this business's place in the overall 100-tier progression:
- Previous tier: 🏭 Steel Mill ($6.38Sx base cost)
- This tier: 🚙 Automobile Factory ($9.89Sx base cost)
- Next tier: 🔌 Electronics Manufacturer ($15.3Sx base cost)
Visual Progression
The five tiers surrounding the Automobile Factory in the business roster:
Best Strategies
- This tier represents serious income — prioritise it once your card bonuses are strong enough to make the large upfront cost worthwhile.
- Watch the payback period column below; once it drops to a reasonable window relative to your play session length, it's worth investing.
- Remember that all businesses share the same 15%-per-copy cost curve, so the fundamental buy/hold maths never changes — only the absolute numbers do.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Automobile Factory cost?
+
How much does the Automobile Factory cost?
+The first copy costs 9,886,323,819,966,317,000,000 in-game dollars. Each subsequent copy costs 15% more than the last, following the same cost curve used by every business in Tycoon Cards.
How much does the Automobile Factory earn?
+
How much does the Automobile Factory earn?
+Each copy of the Automobile Factory earns 65,439,166,602,087.43 per second, before any card, achievement, or prestige bonuses are applied.
How long does it take for the Automobile Factory to pay for itself?
+
How long does it take for the Automobile Factory to pay for itself?
+At base rates, one copy pays back its own cost in approximately 151,076,555 seconds — though bonuses from cards and prestige typically shorten this in practice.
When should I switch from the Automobile Factory to Electronics Manufacturer?
+
When should I switch from the Automobile Factory to Electronics Manufacturer?
+Once you own around 4 copies of the Automobile Factory, the cost of your next copy will exceed Electronics Manufacturer's base price — a reasonable signal to start diversifying into that tier instead.
Does prestige reset my Automobile Factory count?
+
Does prestige reset my Automobile Factory count?
+Yes. Prestiging resets all business ownership, including the Automobile Factory, back to zero. However, any cards or achievements that boost this business's income remain permanently in effect on your next run.
Related Businesses
Related Guides
- Business Guide — full roster, cost curves and buy order
- Business Tier List — every business ranked by return on investment
- Economy Guide — how growth curves and inflation work game-wide
- Prestige Guide — when and how to reset for permanent bonuses
Changelog
- v1.2.0 (April 2026) — Added as part of the business expansion from 10 to 100 tiers.
Business data verified against the live game configuration · Part of the 100-business encyclopedia · Written by the Tycoon Cards development team