Power and Associates Survey in the US has found that while 40 per cent of American car buyers use the internet to gather information only 3 per cent buy a vehicle that way.
This year the figures should increase to 65 per cent and 5 per cent, according to the research.
Against this background Circuit City stores' subsidiary CarMax has begun selling cars by auction on the populer eBay auction web site. The first vehicle sold in a pilot programme, a Doge Durango in Los Angeles went for $4000 below sticker price. CarMax's no-haggle sales process on new cars has made it auto superstore in Atlanta the US's Leading Chrysler retailer in just three years.
Meanwhile Ford has formed an alliance with priceline.com, using a pricing system enabling consumers to mke significant saving by naming their own price for goods and services. Priceline.com takes consumer offers and then presents them to sellers who can fill as much of that guaranteed demand as they whish at price points determined by buyers. Autobytel.com has also started auctioning new and used cars via a web site.
Arguably because of these changes, AutoNation announced major cutbacks in December by closing 23 of its mega-used cars stores that had sprung up all over the country during the post couple of years. Some will be merged with its existing new car outlets. Much to the relief of traditional dealers, the start-up company has failed to make money on its monster retail stores, despite becoming the nation's largest dealer group. (FT - Automotive World: Jan 2000)

Conscious of the dark clouds of pollution hovering over its skies, Delhi has decided to take the lead ban registration of all non-four stroke scooters, diesel multi-utility vehicles, commercial vehicles which do not comply with Euro-II emission norms from July '00. A complete veto on conversion of petrol to diesel fuelled vehicles is also on the cards. (The Economic Times - 27/3/2000)

Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL) has bagged its single largest order of 500 Esteem cars from a city-based company for use as radio taxis. MUL will supply 500 compressed natural gas (CNG) version of Esteem to 'Dial-a-cab India', a company which is launching round-the-clock taxi service in the city from this week, a company statement said. The service will provide the commuters air-conditioned cars with mobile phone and first-aid facility. "The CNG segment in Delhi alone has expanded more than 400 per cent, since the launch of CNG fitted Omni and 800 last year," MUL chief general manager, Rohtash Mal said. (Business Standard - 14/3/2000)