Manheim Online, a subsidiary of Manheim Auctions, has recently implemented several additional services and enhancements to its Web site (www.manheim.com) that it says have greatly increased customers’ ability to access information online.

“We have added some features to our Web site recently that we feel will benefit our customers immediately,” said Joe Luppino, chief operating officer of Manheim Interactive. “The enhancements we have made are noticeable and we think they will make our customers more efficient.”

Manheim Online says it currently has more than 25,000 users on its system.

Enhancements to Manheim Online include:

* MultiDealer CyberLots – This feature involves the creation of new CyberLots that cater specifically to dealers that currently have inventory to sell, but the inventory is limited in comparison to most franchised dealers. MultiDealer CyberLots will bring dealers with limited inventory together into a combined CyberLot in order to create one combined listing. This feature is scheduled to begin beta trial at Florida Auto Auction of Orlando within the next few weeks, with further expansion planned throughout the year.

* Manheim Market Report on Palm Pilot – What Manheim calls "the automotive industry’s most accurate pricing system" is now available for handhelds using Palm OS. Manheim Market Report (MMR) prices are updated daily and can be “hot-synced” to handheld computers, freeing MMR users from their personal computers. "The MMR Palm application is fast, simple to use and works on all Palm Pilot models above Version III," Luppino said.

* Manheim Online’s FirstView Product – FirstView is an integrated automotive remarketing tool that allows dealers to reserve pre-termination lease or rental vehicles. Consignors post vehicles on the site at any time prior to the termination date. Once listed online, vehicles can be viewed by select dealer groups or by all Manheim Online subscribers. If a vehicle doesn’t sell before termination, it then follows the normal remarketing process through an auction.

With Manheim Online’s FirstView, dealers can:

- Buy vehicles from fixed-price sales or online auctions.

- Choose to either place active bids or proxy bids during online auctions.

- View when the floor price has been reached during an online auction.

- Track the status of vehicles for which they have an interest.

- Keep a history of online purchases made on FirstView.

- Create and save custom searches.

- Search the inventory they have available or search by consignor.

- View announcements and special promotions for consignors.

“Every day we are finding new ways to use technology and the Internet to serve our customers better,” Luppino said. “From improving usability for lower-volume dealers to introducing new opportunities with access to off-lease vehicles for consignors and large volume dealers, Manheim Online is putting technology to work for our customers.”

In addition to FirstView, Manheim has also incorporated customer and user feedback into company initiatives regarding Web site service.

Manheim says it has sold more than 200,000 cars online since the company’s Web site CyberLots launched in 1997, and according to company officials, the new enhancements allow customers more freedom, access and compatibility than previously available.

* Interface Redesign – Manheim redesigned its Web site user interface with a more intuitive navigational structure. All products are now grouped according to process, such as “Buy,” “Sell” or “Auction Planning Guide.”

* Free Registered Guests – Manheim Online now offers all site visitors immediate and free access to information previously available only to paying subscribers. Information available includes pre- and post-sale lists, auction details and the Manheim Market Index. Manheim Online has also established significant partnerships with major players in the online vehicle industry. At the same time, the company has improved very specific services on its own Web sites.

* AutoTrader.com and FordDirect.com – AutoTrader.com, a subsidiary of Manheim Auctions, has partnered with FordDirect to provide users of both Web sites access to remarketed vehicles on both Web sites. The partnership also provides users of AutoTrader.com searching for new vehicles referrals to Ford dealers.

AutoTrader.com has also enhanced its “Ad Manager” tool for nationwide auto dealers who list their inventories on AutoTrader.com. The new “Ad Manager” has a new look and is more user-friendly. Dealers taking advantage of “Ad Manager” will be able to:

- View inventories, revise information presented to consumers and renew or delete inventory in real-time through an on-line

- Completely manage online listings, ensuring the latest inventory is featured, along with most current photos

- Edit information for more than one vehicle at a time, search and sort inventory by a variety of criteria and upload multiple images at the same time.

* LandRover Direct – LandRover Direct recently began offering vehicles online to all Manheim Online dealers. They can preview and purchase late-model, low-mileage Discovery, Discover LE and Range Rover models via the CyberLot.

About Manheim Auctions

Manheim Auctions offers services that impact every stage of a used vehicle’s life cycle. These include transaction, reconditioning and certification services, managed remarketing, end-of-lease term management services, vehicle transportation, dealer floor planning, retail inspection and government auction services.

The company also assists auto manufacturers, fleet and lease companies, banks and other financial institutions in selling their used vehicle inventories.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., Manheim Auctions has been involved in the wholesale automobile auction industry for 56 years. With more than 34,000 employees at its 125 auctions and related businesses, Manheim is a global remarketing organization with 85 auctions in North America and additional operations in France, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

In the year 2000, the company auctioned more than 7.5 million vehicles at its North American auctions.

For more information, visit www.manheim.com.