On April 2, Manheim Auctions opened its first Gold Room, an exclusive array of services for Manheim Automotive Financial Services (MAFS) customers.

The Gold Room, located at Bay Cities Auto Auction in Hayward, Calif., is an approximately 1,500-square-foot space where dealers who need to finish paperwork and spread out their files can take advantage of spacious tables and copy and fax machines, says the company. Computers with Internet access give dealers a chance to view inventories online, check their Manheim Online accounts or research individual vehicles. Couches and cable televisions are always ready for dealers who just want to relax and enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast while waiting for a sale to begin.

“This is something we implemented to thank our dealers who use MAFS and to make their auction experiences more enjoyable,” said Leon Lyon, MAFS vice president and general manager. “Our dealers deserve a convenient place that gives them the privacy they need to conduct their business.”

According to the company, attendance was strong at the opening celebration, during which Manheim gave away designated parking spaces in front of the Bay Cities facility to 10 MAFS

participating dealers. Gold Rooms are scheduled to open at other Manheim auctions soon, and MAFS is continuing to work on additional non-financial services to support the MAFS independent dealer body at Manheim.

MAFS is the choice of more than 9,100 dealers for floor planning, used car rental

financing and insurance services. The program’s flexible floor planning terms allow dealers to maximize inventory dollars. Its rental car financing allows dealers to increase fleet size, improve business profits, expand to new locations and improve working capital and cash flow. In addition, participants benefit from the savings associated with Manheim’s group insurance plan.

For more information about the Gold Room or about MAFS, call (877) USE-MAFS.

About Manheim Auctions

Dedicated to helping dealers succeed, 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. Manheim says it offers technology tools that help dealers and national consignors handle their remarketing transactions more efficiently.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., Manheim Auctions has more than 32,000 employees at its 124 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 2002, the company says it auctioned more than 9.5 million vehicles at its North American auctions.