Advertised new car prices are easy to find. But actual automobile sale prices, the final sale figures reached through dealer-seller negotiation, have been hard to pin down. Many new-car pricing sites, run by industry insiders rather than consumers, offer list or dealer-derived prices rather than real-life final sale prices.

Until now, that is. DealerDrop.com today announced the launch of its new car pricing site, an online community that allows consumers to view and share data on the final sale price of their new car. DealerDrop.com is an interactive web site designed to inform people about actual sales prices being offered on new cars, helping them to understand local pricing at a glance and allowing them to make smarter decisions when purchasing a new vehicle. The site empowers new car shoppers, allowing them to research other people’s final car sale prices to find out how much they should expect to pay for their new car.

DealerDrop’s simple interface and powerful search function features provide consumers with the ability to hone in on prices based on sub-model, dealership, and geographic area. In addition to finding actual new car prices, consumers are able to review and share additional information, including

– Specific pricing data for vehicles, down to the trim level
– Dealership performance ratings

Finding this information on DealerDrop.com is absolutely free, and does not require users to register.

“We created DealerDrop to allow consumers to discover quickly what the actual sales price for a new car in their area is— something none of the leading web sites provide,” said Eric Rafia, DealerDrop CEO. “In addition, we plan to add additional tools that take the headache out of the new car negotiating process.”

About DealerDrop.com
DealerDrop.com is a site focused on empowering automotive consumers, providing them with the tools and information needed to purchase a new car at a great price. DealerDrop.com brings new car shoppers together, allowing them to share their pricing and buying experience data. To search the DealerDrop database, visit www.dealerdrop.com.  

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.

Carmax Inc the largest U.S. retailer of used cars, said on Wednesday quarterly profit fell by 55 percent as a slowing economy and falling resale values for fuel-hungry light trucks and sports utility vehicles brought lower than expected sales.

The company suspended its earnings forecast for its fiscal year, citing tough economic conditions, and its shares tumbled about 12 percent in premarket trading.

“For the first time in more than two years, we experienced a modest decline in customer traffic in our stores,” said Chief Executive Tom Folliard in a statement.

The U.S. auto business has been hammered by a slowing economy and tighter consumer credit, as well as slumping demand for trucks and SUVs because of record high gasoline prices.

The Richmond, Virginia-based company said profit for its fiscal first quarter, ended May 31, fell to $29.6 million, or 13 cents per share, from $65.4 million, or 30 cents a share, a year earlier.

Net revenue rose 2.9 percent to $2.21 billion.

“If current trends persist, results for the full year could be significantly below the bottom of our original earnings guidance range,” Folliard said, noting that sales activity has slowed further since the U.S. Memorial Day holiday on May 26.

The company had previously called for full-year profit of 78 cents to 94 cents per share. The bottom of that range would represent a 6 percent drop in profit from last year.

CarMax shares fell to $16.20 in premarket trade. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)