London, Thursday 4th January 2001 Yahoo! Cars is the only place you need to go to find everything you want on motoring – whether you’re a fanatic or simply need an easy way to buy a new vehicle, Yahoo! Cars is a one stop shop for all your automotive needs.

Yahoo! Cars contains links to other relevant sites from motoring organisations including: The AA, RAC and Green Flag, to institutions like the DVLA. There’s also Live Traffic News and a Route Planner facility provided by the RAC so that you can avoid those traffic hotspots.

Plus, there are car news bulletins updated regularly with all the latest news and information from Auto Express and Carmarkets.co.uk. If you’re desperate to find out the latest Motor Sports results and news from the world’s of Formula One and Rally Car Racing, then it’s all there through Yahoo! Cars.

If you’re wanting to buy a car, you can find your ideal vehicle in a car auction, or on car classifieds, where you can search by make, model and range. Then get everything you need to get it on the road, from funding your purchase with a loan to motor insurance. If you need information or advice on buying cars abroad and importing them into the UK, then Yahoo! also provides a complete guide via Carimporting.co.uk.

It’s also easy to sell online with Yahoo! Auctions. You can put up accessories, parts, books or even you’re motor itself, just sit back and watch the bidding wars commence! An easy way to update your machine for the latest model.

The ‘Car Data’ section of Yahoo! Cars enables users to get the scoop on the car of their choice: compare it with others and check out our ‘New Car Guide’ where you can get specs on new models from the top 50 manufacturers. Alternatively, there are links to car makers’ own websites.

For the true motoring enthusiast, this is your chance to ‘Talk Cars’ with Yahoo! Cars Clubs and Chat services. These provide a unique chance to hook up with other car fanatics. Let people know where to find the latest bargains, discover the latest gossip on the new models or share your tips and advice with other interested parties.

"We have developed Yahoo! Cars for everybody and anybody who has a need or a question about cars" said John Webb, Product Manager of Yahoo! UK and Ireland. “It’s so easy to use that it is perfect for car fanatics or car-phobes, with helpful advice, tools and information all in one convenient location.”

• Online users are more likely to buy a new car and they also spend more, averaging £12,000 per car compared to £9,900 for the offline population1
• Over 2.5m Internet users have researched their car purchases online to date2
• 76.5% of households in the UK own at least 1 car3
• There are 24.5 Million licensed cars and light goods vehicles in the UK4
• 2.2 Million new cars were sold in the UK during 19995

Source:
1 Fletcher Research – Dream Machines: Selling New Cars Online, Aug 99
2 Fletcher Research – Dream Machines: Selling New Cars Online, Aug 99
3 Target Group Index
4 Office for National Statistics
5 SMMT

– Ends –

Notes to Editors:

About Yahoo! Cars:

Yahoo! Cars is a one stop shop for all your motoring needs.

Yahoo! Cars contains links to other relevant sites from motoring organisations including: The AA, RAC and Green Flag, to institutions like the DVLA. There’s also Live Traffic News and a Route Planner facility provided by the RAC. Plus, there are car news bulletins updated regularly with all the latest news and information from Auto Express and Carmarkets.co.uk.

For users wanting to buy a car, there’s Yahoo! Auctions or car classifieds, where they can search by make, model and range. Users can also get information on everything they need to get their vehicle on the road, from loan funding to motor insurance. Alternatively, there’s advice on buying cars abroad and importing them into the UK with a complete guide from Carimporting.co.uk.

Users can sell motoring items online with Yahoo! Auctions where you can put up accessories, parts, books or actual vehicles.

The ‘Car Data’ section of Yahoo! Cars enables users to compare makes and models through the ‘New Car Guide’ where you can get specs on new models from the top 50 manufacturers. There are also links to car makers’ own websites.

In ‘Talk Cars’ there are Clubs and Chat services. These provide a unique chance to talk with other car enthusiasts.

About Yahoo! UK & Ireland:

Yahoo! UK & Ireland provides commerce, communication and media services to meet the needs of local consumers. This includes world leading communication services such as Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Mobile; community products such as Yahoo! Clubs and Yahoo! Geocities; rich content such as Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sport and commerce services such as Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions.

Yahoo.co.uk is the most popular and most visited website in the UK & Ireland, generating over 411 million pageviews in October 2000 (ABC Electronic).

Yahoo! UK & Ireland is part of Yahoo! Inc, Yahoo! Inc. is a global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 166 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach, and is one of the most recognised brands associated with the Internet. The company also provides online business services designed to enhance the Web presence of Yahoo!'s clients, including audio and video streaming, store hosting and management, and Web site tools and services. The company's global Web network includes 23 local World properties outside the United States. Yahoo! has offices in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Canada and the United States, and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Yahoo! is a trademark of Yahoo! Inc.

Press information, please contact:
Kathryn Walker or Kate Sloan
Fleishman-Hillard UK on Tel: 020 7 306 9000