AutoTrader.com Provides Dealers with 2007 Solutions

ATLANTA--AutoTrader.com, the ultimate automotive marketplace, announces the launch of its 2007 dealer solutions feature offerings, which annually deliver products and services to dealers to more effectively drive qualified buyers to their dealerships. This year’s dealer solutions include a multimedia center, vehicle brochure, reduced price indicator, integrated vehicle valuation and new vehicle specials. The new features improve the site’s “Find Your Dealer” function, an industry-best service for locating a dealership.

The multimedia center allows dealers to upload audio-visual components—from television and radio commercials to visual tours of the showroom and personal comments from dealership managers—to accompany their AutoTrader.com vehicle listings. This allows dealers to better introduce both their dealership and their vehicles to the more than 11 million monthly visitors to the website.

The vehicle brochure eliminates disparate paperwork for car-shoppers and is a customized print brochure dealers may use for both used and certified pre-owned vehicles and includes pictures, maps, directions to the dealership and an industry-first capability to include a Carfax vehicle history report, all in one customized print document. The brochure can also include detailed information on a manufacturer’s certified pre-owned program.

Another key offering, the reduced price indicator, notifies shoppers of a reduction in a particular vehicle’s price and eliminates hunting and pecking for recently-discounted vehicles. A price accompanied by orange text labeled “Reduced!” is displayed next to the vehicle’s listing price and helps dealers move more inventory by alerting shoppers of lower-priced vehicles.

AutoTrader.com will also now offer dealers the opportunity to include an integrated vehicle valuation function with its vehicle listings through NADAguides.com’s vehicle valuation information. The tool delivers dealers a more informed, price-aware shopper while, at the same time, giving consumers’ confidence that the dealer is offering a fair price on a car.

Also new to AutoTrader.com’s 2007 dealer solutions, and available to dealers in March, are new vehicle specials, which highlight dealer specials in real time. Designed to bring the feel of the Sunday newspaper’s automotive advertising section online, the specials highlight current and time-sensitive incentives on particular vehicles, such as rebates, coupons and special financing offers. Unique to AutoTrader.com, this function also allows consumers to receive e-mail notification of these vehicle specials and offers from dealers.

“Our 2007 dealer solutions provide our dealer customers with the most comprehensive means to market themselves to in-market shoppers since we launched our site,” said Chip Perry, president and chief executive officer, AutoTrader.com. “We are developing our functions and tools to eliminate information inefficiencies during the car-shopping experience and to meet consumers’ demand for rich media experiences, detailed information on vehicles and the most up-to-date prices and offerings on the vehicles they are shopping.”

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 11 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.