The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Newspaper Has More Than 15,000 Vehicles

    SEATTLE & WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--March 25, 2002-- The Palm Beach Post and The Cobalt Group announced today the launch of a new online car shopping site on PalmBeachPost.com which provides car shoppers with convenient access to more than 15,000 new and used vehicles from 50 local dealers and 2,000 individual sellers in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
    Visitors to PalmBeachPost.com can build and find their dream car, conduct side-by-side comparisons of varying vehicle makes and models, locate a dealership and search its entire inventory, request a price quote from the dealer, and apply for financing and insurance online. Additional car buying resources include a payment calculator and vehicle history reports, appraisal guides and reviews. Consumers can access the site at http://www.palmbeachclassifieds.com/auto.html.
    "Our Autos channel streamlines the car buying process and provides a comprehensive online resource for local car buyers," said Dan E. Shorter, general manager, PalmBeachPost.com. "Now car shoppers have access to local vehicles from dealers and private parties in one convenient online searchable database."
    Seattle-based Cobalt is the technology partner for PalmBeachPost.com, responsible for the design, build, hosting and maintenance of the auto classifieds section of the site. In addition, Cobalt is responsible for polling and managing the vehicle data for all participating dealers and private sellers, ensuring listings are refreshed daily for all site participants. Cobalt is the leading provider of e-business software and services to automotive manufacturers and dealers. Cobalt's clients include 12,000 franchised dealers and 14 manufacturers.
    "By providing dealers with a comprehensive solution for marketing vehicles online to local buyers, PalmBeachPost.com is supporting local dealers, driving traffic to these dealers' sites and ultimately increasing dealers' vehicle sales," said Terry Smail, executive vice president of sales and client services for The Cobalt Group. "This new site provides a terrific opportunity for local dealers to cost-effectively reach in-market car shoppers."
    In addition to PalmBeachPost.com, Cobalt also provides automotive shopping portals for auto manufacturers and large dealer groups such as Toyota (www.buyatoyota.com) and AutoNation (www.autonation.com), and develops private label auto channels for the National Automobile Dealers Association (DriversSeat.com), Houston Chronicle (ChronicleCars.com), Austin American-Statesman (StatesmanCars) and other media companies.

    ABOUT THE COBALT GROUP

    The Cobalt Group works exclusively in the automotive retail market to help manufacturers and dealers develop integrated e-business programs by leveraging its industry leading technology, broad range of services and deep domain knowledge. As the automotive e-business leader, Cobalt is uniquely positioned to help its customers maximize their overall operating efficiencies and profits.
    Cobalt offers a broad range of products and services developed specifically for the automotive marketplace including enterprise software for manufacturers and dealers; customer relationship management (CRM) software applications; online automotive commerce applications; the industry's largest OEM parts locating and marketing service; dealership e-business best practices training, consulting, and process compliance analysis; and wholesale used vehicle remarketing services.
    Cobalt operates a dealer network larger than any other technology provider in the automotive retail industry, including 12,000 franchised dealers and 70 of the 100 largest dealer groups. Cobalt is the only software technology provider ever endorsed by 14 manufacturers and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).
    With headquarters in Seattle, Wash., Cobalt has offices in five U.S. cities and a field sales and services force in 30 states, including all major U.S. metropolitan sales areas (MSAs).
    For more information, please visit www.cobaltgroup.com or call 800/909-8244.

    ABOUT PALM BEACH POST

    The Palm Beach Post serves more than 500,000 readers in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties in South Florida.
    The Post is a Cox newspaper. Cox Enterprises, Inc. and its subsidiaries own newspapers, radio and television stations, auto auctions and cable communications businesses.