The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
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AutoTrader.com Classified Ads to Be Included in Kbb.com Used Car Listings - So Much For Being An Unbiased Third Party


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It's a fight out there - be careful very careful

SEE ALSO: Should you Trust Kelley Blue Book?

Editors Note:We believe that Kelley can be or do whatever they want to make money...but the sham of them being unbiased and continuing to mislead the car buying public as to which side their toast is buttered should stop. If they truly are an "Unbiased Trusted Source for Used Car Values" how can they also list and endorse used cars for sale "Under Kelley Blue Book Prices"? What do you think? msnide@theautochannel.com

ATLANTA--AutoTrader.com (www.autotrader.com), the ultimate automotive marketplace, continues to build on its dominance in online car listings for dealers and consumers by partnering with The Trusted Resource®, Kelley Blue Books kbb.com® (www.kbb.com), the leading provider of new and used vehicle information and top online automotive destination. This strategic partnership brings together two of the largest automotive Web sites in a deal that will create a major shift in the flow of approximately 1 million monthly in-market car shoppers to AutoTrader.com.

Under the agreement, which takes effect on January 4, 2008, AutoTrader.com will provide listings for kbb.coms used, certified-pre-owned and private-seller Blue Book® Classifieds. Dealer clients and individual consumers posting cars for sale will now benefit from a combined 26 million unique in-market shoppers between kbb.com and AutoTrader.com, two of the strongest brands associated with used vehicles and most heavily trafficked automotive sites in the world. Visitors to the Blue Book Classifieds can search through more than 2 million dealer and private-party used-vehicle listings powered by AutoTrader.com as well as list their vehicles for sale on the worlds largest online automotive marketplace.

Our new partnership with kbb.com signifies our continued commitment to providing our advertising customers the best value and the widest possible exposure, said AutoTrader.com CEO Chip Perry. With more than 3 million new and used cars listed for sale on our site and 13 million unique monthly visitors and with both numbers continuing to grow AutoTrader.com remains the best source for buyers to find that perfect car and for sellers to quickly find car buyers.

Through this new alliance, Kelley Blue Book will have an enhanced offering for its Showcase and CDMdata customers which includes exclusive rich-media advertising within the AutoTrader.com classified section, trusted Kelley Blue Book® Values on every listing and a Kelley Blue Book digital window sticker integrated into the preferred online listings.

This alliance is a great opportunity for Kelley Blue Book to further extend its focus on providing value to the dealers business, something we have been committed to for more than 80 years, said Paul Johnson, President, Kelley Blue Book. With the confidence that Kelley Blue Books trusted values instill in consumers combined with AutoTraders experience in classifieds, this partnership signifies one of the most compelling opportunities for dealers to sell more cars online.

AutoTrader.com and Kelley Blue Books kbb.com: By the Numbers
AutoTrader.com Monthly Unique Visitors 13 Million
Kelley Blue Books kbb.com Monthly Unique Visitors 13 Million
Combined Unique Monthly Visitors with minimal overlap 26 Million
Total New and Used Vehicle Listings on AutoTrader.com 3 Million
Total Number of Used Vehicle Listings on AutoTrader.com and kbb.com 2 Million
Number of In-Market Shoppers Expected to Shift to AutoTrader.com monthly 1 Million

Numbers as reported by Omniture and AutoTrader.com

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com/sitemap)

Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new and used vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence. The companys top-rated Web site, kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the New Car Blue Book® Value, which reveals what people actually are paying for new cars. The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide. Kbb.com is rated the No. 1 automotive information site by Nielsen//NetRatings and the most visited auto site by J.D. Power and Associates eight years in a row. No other medium reaches more in-market vehicle shoppers than kbb.com; nearly one in every three American car buyers performs their research on kbb.com.

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location more than 3 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners, which provide the largest selection of vehicles attracting more than 13 million qualified buyers each month. Through innovative merchandising products such as multiple photos and comprehensive search functionality, AutoTrader.com unites buyer and seller online -- dramatically improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles.AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.