SuperCarDirect.com announced that it will receive an additional 200,000 daily automotive listings through an alliance with eBizAutos that it said would catapult SuperCarDirect.com past craigslist as the nation’s largest free car classified website.

“This alliance, which follows a similar 200,000-a-day vehicle agreement we recently announced with Dealix Corp., makes SuperCarDirect.com the industry leader in free car classifieds,” said company founder John Sweeney.

“We are now offering the biggest and broadest selection of used cars and trucks in the country, with all listings free. These alliances mean that the inventories of car dealers who use eBizAutos and Dealix are automatically added to SuperCarDirect.com every night. Combined with our large volume of private party ads, that gives SuperCarDirect.com more than 600,000 listings every day, so visitors to our site have an enormous inventory to choose from.”

SuperCarDirect.com is leading the car classified industry with easy iPhone access, Google maps and simple to use free car classifieds. Sellers can list any car or truck at any price for 60 days with 20 photos, with all listings free and renewable.

SuperCarDirect.com, which decided early on to brand the site with a single advertiser rather than clutter it up with dozens of ads, is now talking with companies interested in reaching its huge volume of visitors.

“We have established ourselves as the industry leader and are now moving to the next step in our game plan, which is finding the right company to become the site’s exclusive sponsor,” Sweeney said. “SuperCarDirect.com is ready to go from cult favorite to mainstream status and we are looking for the visionary corporate giant who will leverage our constantly growing traffic to promote their company and brand.”

Cars.com announced today an expansion of its certified used-vehicle advertising program through partnerships with Infiniti, Saturn and Subaru. In-market car buyers searching Cars.com can now access basic listings for the automakers’ complete inventory of certified vehicles available nationwide at local dealerships. Eighteen manufacturers now actively promote their certified programs on Cars.com with complete listings on the site.

“The launch of our new certified partnerships with Infiniti, Saturn and Subaru is great for shoppers on Cars.com who are increasingly searching for certified inventory and for the automakers who are helping to drive sales of certified vehicles for their local dealers,” said Dennis Galbraith, Cars.com vice president of advertising products.

Moves by these manufacturers to advertise their certified inventory on Cars.com coincide with strong industry-wide sales of certified used vehicles, growing consumer interest in manufacturer-certified cars and increased demand for information online about certified programs. For example, May certified sales were the highest on record, up more than 5 percent from the same month a year ago despite a soft economy and slow sales of other vehicle segments.

Heightened interest in certified cars is also being seen online. Through May, email and phone leads to Cars.com dealers on certified vehicles have increased 63 percent year-over-year. For the same period, the available inventory of these vehicles on the site grew an average of 15 percent.

Awareness of certified vehicles and their benefits among Cars.com shoppers is also on the rise. A recent Cars.com survey found that more than 60 percent of the site’s visitors indicate they understand the benefits of buying certified. That number represents a 53 percent increase from 2006.

“Car buyers increasingly cross-shop between new, used and certified used vehicles to find the one that best meets their needs, so it is important to provide prospects with the full range of options for them to consider,” Galbraith said. “When automakers connect with in-market shoppers about their certified programs, the message resonates, and the cars sell.”

By participating in Cars.com’s certified advertising program, automakers receive extra prominence for their certified inventory on the site. Infiniti, Saturn and Subaru certified vehicles will be distinguished by a manufacturer-certified logo to help in-market shoppers identify these vehicles on search results pages. Consumers researching these cars on Cars.com can learn more about purchasing a certified vehicle, access more details about each certification program and contact local dealers.

“The internet is among the most effective mediums for advertising certified vehicles and promoting the value of certification,” Galbraith said. “Unlike other media, the internet allows them to provide in-depth program information in a format that is convenient for car buyers to access and easier to process. Certified programs have many features and are too complex to be adequately communicated in a 30-second TV or radio spot. The internet is far better suited for complex messages.”

Respondents to a recent Cars.com survey most commonly attributed their knowledge of CPO programs to third-party websites (23 percent) and dealerships (22 percent).

About Cars.com

Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions

Business Leader Media is proud to reveal 2008’s Top 100 Small Businesses in North Carolina.

The only car dealership, new or used, named to this prestigious list was Winston-Salem based Frank Myers Auto Maxx. They were recognized as the number 22 small business in the entire state. The trio of independent dealerships, owned by Certified Master Dealer Tracy Myers, realized an astonishing 1 year growth of 35% and a 5 year growth of a whopping 141%. What makes these numbers so stunning is that the used car industry as a whole is in a downward spiral, with no immediate recovery in site.

“The honor of being named one of the top 22 small businesses in North Carolina is simply a testament to my father’s belief that if you surround yourself with good people, they’ll push you to the top,” said Tracy Myers. “If anyone deserves the credit for this recognition, it is my incredible staff because they continue to do just that…push me to the top.”

Tracy continued, “It is unfortunate that the automotive industry, used cars in particular, has such a bad reputation with consumers. I hope this honor will help folks understand that the majority of dealers are good people trying to make an honest living. I am a Christian Business Owner and my goal is to run my dealership by the Book. As an industry leader, I have declared war against unscrupulous car dealers, new and used, and I promise to clear the air and settle the score by exposing the lies, scams and cons that have costs consumers billions of dollars.”

The 2008 winners were ranked based on revenue growth, business achievement and community involvement and were chosen from 367 finalists. The rankings and profiles of the companies will appear in the June issue of Triad Business Leader magazine and online at www.TriadNewsWire.com.

About Business Leader Media:
Business Leader Media is the #1 way to own this market. Founded in 1989, Business Leader’s publications, Web sites and events provide critical market intelligence to CEOs and business owners. The company publishes monthly business magazines in the Triad, Triangle, Charlotte and South Florida, as well as nationally through newsstand distribution.

CARCHEX, the trusted resource for professional automotive services for consumers, strategic partners and dealers, today announced that CEO Jason Goldsmith received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2008 Award in the Emerging Entrepreneur category in Maryland. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. Goldsmith was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a gala event at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel on June 19, 2008.

Goldsmith, 32, is the youngest of this year’s seven Maryland award winners. During his acceptance remarks, Goldsmith spoke of his pride at being a Maryland-based company and being among an elite group of past E&Y winners including Kevin Plank, founder of Under Armour, and Scott and John Ferber, co-founders of Advertising.com.

“Companies like Under Armour and Advertising.com set the gold standard for entrepreneurship in Maryland in the last decade and I am thrilled to be counted among the founders of those incredible companies in winning this award,” said Goldsmith. “Maryland is a great state for business and CARCHEX is proud to call it our home.”

CARCHEX was founded in 2001 as a provider of vehicle inspection services. Since 2003, when Jason Goldsmith purchased the company, CARCHEX has added several more consumer assurance products to its business. The company is one of the largest and most trusted names in the Vehicle Service Contract (VSC) or extended warranty industry, offering competing products direct to consumers from only A-rated administrators and insurers.

In 2007, CARCHEX launched the CARCHEX Advantage™ step-by-step automotive purchasing guide, including web tools available 24/7 and Car Buying Concierge agents available by phone to answer questions and help negotiate the best deal on a new or used car.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards program celebrates its 22nd anniversary this year. The program honors entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptionality in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

“Ernst & Young is pleased to honor outstanding business leaders such as Jason Goldsmith,” said Harry Thomasian Jr., Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director for Maryland. “Winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year award build leading businesses and contribute a great deal to the communities around them. Their success helps our area grow stronger.”

As a Maryland award winner, Goldsmith is now eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 national program. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 15, 2008. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Dealer.com, the leading provider of online marketing solutions for the automotive industry, today announced it has entered into a licensing partnership with Autodata Solutions, Inc., the industry’s leading provider of automotive software and data to auto manufacturers and consumer research portals. Dealer.com plans to seamlessly incorporate Autodata’s extensive automotive content, images and research tools into Dealer.com’s suite of online marketing solutions, providing dealers with the most accurate vehicle data available for their websites.

“The alliance with Autodata allows Dealer.com to focus on building the industry’s best performing websites, while providing dealers with the rich content they need to stay ahead of their competitors online,” said Rick Gibbs, chief technology officer of Dealer.com. “When it comes to technical innovation we are two to three years ahead of our competitors, and this partnership is another way we will continue that trend.”

With such a broad array of online marketing solutions for thousands of automotive retailers, Dealer.com is perfectly positioned to leverage Autodata Solutions’ broad and integrated platform of vehicle data, content, images and applications
Dealer.com customers will achieve better website conversion, higher lead volumes and boost sales and profitability goals by receiving updated VIN decoded data, technical specifications, detailed vehicle options and accurate images of vehicle inventory. Additionally, dealers can take advantage of displaying invaluable tools such as online configurators, side-by-side vehicle comparisons, and manufacturer incentives. Autodata provides automotive content, research, and technology implementation services to most of the auto manufacturers who distribute vehicles in North America, along with several of the most popular consumer research portals.

“With such a broad array of online marketing solutions for thousands of automotive retailers, Dealer.com is perfectly positioned to leverage Autodata Solutions’ broad and integrated platform of vehicle data, content, images and applications,” said Michael Benavides, Group VP of AutodataDIRECT. “Dealers in the U.S. and Canada have the opportunity to significantly benefit from our daily updated vehicle information and persistent innovation. We look forward to contributing to Dealer.com’s success in both markets.”

About Dealer.com

Founded in Burlington, VT in 1997, Dealer.com is the leading provider of online marketing solutions to the automotive industry. Dealer.com offers award-winning SmartSites™ website design incorporating dynamic video; user-friendly lead management tools; the best in search engine advertising and unparalleled metrics and web analytics. Excellent customer service, innovative training and proven results are just a few of the reasons why more of the top 100 dealer groups use Dealer.com than any other vendor. For the last several years, dealerships across the country have voted for Dealer.com as the best website provider, resulting in the company being awarded gold and platinum in Auto Dealer Monthly’s Dealers’ Choice Awards.

Dealer.com’s suite of online marketing solutions is the only set of tools that effectively creates a 360O view of auto dealers’ online and traditional marketing investments and results. Dealers are easily able to track spending and determine which activities are leading to the highest return on investment, allowing them to streamline advertising and marketing efforts into targeted activities that increase sales and improve the bottom line.

For more information, please visit www.dealer.com  or call 888-894-8989.