AutoTrader.com Signs Mobilia.com as Automotive Diecast and Collectibles Partner
23 August 2000
AutoTrader.com Signs Mobilia.com as Automotive Diecast and Collectibles Partner
ATLANTA--Aug. 23, 2000--AutoTrader.com, the leading Internet destination and marketplace in the United States for buyers and sellers of used vehicles, announced today that it has signed a partnership agreement with Mobilia.com, a leading online destination for diecast collectible cars and specialty automotive items, to provide automotive diecast and collectibles services to AutoTrader.com customers.
This fall, AutoTrader.com site visitors will have access to Mobilia.com's automotive collectibles store through a co-branded page in AutoTrader.com's parts and accessories section.
An estimated 11 million enthusiasts put their paychecks behind their passions for all types of automotive items such as NASCAR diecast models, vintage porcelain signs, Hot Wheels toy cars, and collector vehicles.
"We're creating an online automotive marketplace to cater to every consumer's automotive needs from auctioning cars to locating and buying specialty car items," said Chip Perry, president and CEO of AutoTrader.com. "Mobilia.com has one of the widest and most frequently updated product selections online. We see the Mobilia.com partnership as a means to continuing to build a wider shopping experience for our visitors."
"Car collecting has gone mainstream. For sheer passion and intensity, few things can rival the love affair between Americans and their cars. Mobilia caters to these loyal, repeat buyers with a car lover's paradise online," said Eric H. Killorin, CEO of Mobilia. "By offering our services to AutoTrader.com consumers, we are exposing our wide range of car products to millions of people every month."
About AutoTrader.com
AutoTrader.com is the leading Internet destination and marketplace in the United States for buyers and sellers of used cars, light trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles and for consumers seeking information regarding automotive products and services, such as insurance, financing and warranties. AutoTrader.com utilizes the power of the Internet and its ability, through its exclusive strategic alliances, to aggregate in a single location an extensive network of industry participants and a comprehensive database of automotive information to create an open marketplace that is local, regional and national in nature. Currently, AutoTrader.com contains approximately 1.5 million used vehicle listings, and, in June 2000, AutoTrader.com's marketplace attracted 5 million unique monthly visitors who conducted 14 million vehicle searches.
AutoTrader.com, formerly AutoConnect.com, was formed in 1997 as a majority-owned subsidiary of Manheim Auctions, Inc. which has been in business since 1945 and is the world's largest operator of wholesale auto auctions. Manheim Auctions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., a leading media conglomerate, is AutoTrader.com's principal stockholder and one of AutoTrader.com's strategic partners. Other investors in AutoTrader.com include entities with which AutoTrader.com has also formed strategic relationships, such as Trader Publishing Company, ADP, Inc., eBay, Inc. and the venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
About Mobilia.com
A privately-held firm in Williston, Vermont, located five miles from downtown Burlington, Mobilia Corp. was formed in 1993 to publish the first magazine for collectors of car toys and memorabilia, Mobilia Magazine. The Mobilia website quickly followed in 1995 as the first Internet destination for car enthusiasts.
Mobilia has rapidly become the leading online source to buy, sell and engage in community areas around the specialty automotive market, offering auctions, proprietary pricing information and a broad range of merchandise for collectors and hobbyists. The site will relaunch this fall with expanded e-commerce services and direct shipping from its 40,000 square foot facilities. Mobilia was recently funded by Genesys Partners, a New York Venture Capital firm. The firm's trademark slogan Everything for Car Lovers(TM) aligns Mobilia with the $24 billion Specialty Automotive marketplace.