IT'S OFFICIAL! AutoTrader.com Buys vAuto.com

I just heard from a very reliable source that AutoTrader bought vAuto.

Great move for AutoTrader.com!

When I first met Dale Pollak, the founder of vAuto.com, I could tell he was a mission-driven man with a great vision to change the way the world buys and sells used cars – and he has done just that – with a revolutionary method of helping dealers maximize profits and grow their used vehicle operations through increasing the velocity of their sales. Dale convinced some of the nation’s largest dealer groups to change how they price and market their used vehicles, and we all know it is not easy to change how used car managers think, but there is no better man for the job than Dale Pollak.

As a result of Dales leadership, vAuto became the 10^th fastest growing software company on the Inc 500 list and he received the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award for emerging companies.

As a customer of Autotrader, I believe they made a great decision, especially if prices go down for dealers who use both companies:)

So if our very reliable source is correct, I ask all our dealerElite.net dealers to raise their mouse to toast Dale Pollak, a fellow entrepreneur, an automotive pioneer, and a gentleman.

Congratulations Dale!

From Chris Saraceno of dealerElite.net
Click here for more about the founders of dE

About vAuto

Headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, IL, vAuto also maintains a research and development center in Austin, TX. vAuto’s innovative “Live Market View” technology allows dealers to manage their used-vehicle inventories based on actual supply-and-demand for their specific market. Today, more than 3,000 dealerships across the country use vAuto’s pricing, appraisal, stocking and merchandising systems. Dale Pollak, vAuto’s Founder and Chairman, is the author of two books featuring best practices and strategies for the used car department, Velocity: From the Front Line to the Bottom Line and Velocity 2.0: Paint, Pixels & Profitability. Additional information about vAuto is available at www.vauto.com.

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading automotive marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers. AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to view vehicles for sale, research and compare vehicles, review pricing and specials, and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips, auto maintenance tips and coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends. Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improve 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. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

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Comment by Chris Saraceno on September 17, 2010 at 8:42pm: dealerElite Knows Automotive !

Comment by Shane Dove on September 7, 2010 at 10:55am: I also use both vAuto and Autotrader and wonder whether this integration will become more transparent to the consumer on AutoTrader's site and wonder how this will effect us. Any input?

Comment by Rob pearson on September 3, 2010 at 10:41am: Swing and a miss...

Comment by Ed French on September 2, 2010 at 3:30pm: Andrew: I am afraid you are dead wrong This is s true story. Stop drinking the Vauto Kool aid. you now work for Auto trader.

Comment by Mike Myers on September 2, 2010 at 2:50pm: Joe, you are correct about Chris. Chris and I discuss almost everything we do before we put it on dE. I'd like to say we do a good job with "quality control" on our site. I assure you, the source is reliable. Not saying we're journalists, but we certainly have credible sources.

Comment by Joe Webb on September 2, 2010 at 2:00pm: As I mentioned, I'd be shocked if it were true. At the same time, Chris Saraceno who runs DE wouldn't likely post this on just one source. All journalists know that you need two sources before going public - and Chris I'm sure has some additional info.

Comment by Mitchell Brenner on September 2, 2010 at 11:00am: Wow! Now VAuto can treat Dealers like insignificant parts of their business plan also!

Comment by Bruce "Duke" Brubaker III on September 2, 2010 at 10:48am: When has a automotive supplier actually lowered prices? I use both companies and can only cross my fingers HOPING they'll reward loyal customers that use both products. But I doubt it.

Comment by Joe Webb on September 2, 2010 at 9:43am: I am fairly shocked, but I'll admit that I can see some very strong integration pieces if this does turn out to be true. (vAuto's Real Deal Pricing program combined with the AutoTrader's Trade-in Marketplace could be a powerful combination). Good for Dale. Better for AutoTrader - if this is really true. Once again, color me shocked if it is.

Comment by Edward Shaffer on September 2, 2010 at 9:40am: When Chip told us that they had venture capital money, I knew it would not be long before they started making some waves...I think that the vehicle valuation is a forgone conclusion - there is no way ATC would let an upstart like CarGurus gain a competitive advantage and keep it for very long - great move by ATC - even better for Dale who now has even more clout behind his already compelling message - Kudos to both - if indeed this is true - :-)