Consumers Submitting Leads Sold by Autobytel Accounted for Nearly 4% of All New Retail Car Sales over Last Two Years

IRVINE, Calif. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), a leading provider of online consumer purchase requests, or leads, and marketing resources for the automotive industry, today announced that consumers submitting leads sold by the company accounted for approximately 4% of all new retail car sales in the United States for 2011 through 2012.

A recently-completed study by Autobytel in partnership with R.L. Polk & Co., an independent automotive research company, showed that consumers who submitted leads sold by Autobytel to dealers accounted for approximately 824,000 new retail car sales over just the last two years. For 2012 alone, 5% to 6% of total sales for each of several major automobile manufacturers resulted from these consumers.

“This study confirms Autobytel’s relevancy and significance to automotive consumer shopping behavior. It also attests to the high quality of the leads we provide to our dealer and manufacturer customers,” said Jeffrey H. Coats, President and Chief Executive Officer of Autobytel. “We remain committed to providing value to the auto industry through our focus on enhancing quality and high sales conversion rates.”

About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc., an online leader offering consumer purchase requests, or leads, and marketing resources to car dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the information they need to purchase new and used cars, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched its flagship website, www.autobytel.com, in 1995. Autobytel continues to offer innovative products and services to help consumers buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more used and new cars. Autobytel has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Through its flagship website, network of automotive sites and respected online affiliates, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry’s highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with some of the industry’s most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.

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