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Autobytel.com and Toyota Team Up in Precedent-Setting Agreement

6 July 1999

Autobytel.com and Toyota Team Up in Precedent-Setting Agreement

           Factory-Backed Extended Service Contracts Now Available
                        Through Online Buying Service

    IRVINE, Calif., and TORRANCE, Calif., July 6 -- Autobytel.com
, the leader in automotive e-commerce and services, and Toyota
Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. (TMS), the fourth largest automaker in the United
States, announced today that they have teamed up to test the viability of
marketing Toyota Extra Care Factory-Backed extended service contracts on
vehicles purchased through Autobytel.com.
    The agreement between Autobytel.com (http://www.autobytel.com) and Toyota Motor
Insurance Services, Inc. (TMIS), a subsidiary of TMS, marks the first time an
automotive e-commerce company and a manufacturer have developed a strategic
venture to market factory-backed extended service contracts online.
    "With this precedent-setting agreement, TMIS proves itself a pioneer in
developing e-commerce initiatives," said Mark Lorimer, Autobytel.com Inc.'s
President and CEO.  "This is the first time a manufacturer's offerings have
been integrated into an online buying service's purchasing process.  We hope
other manufacturers will follow Toyota's lead in empowering online car buyers
with easy access to their products and services."
    "Our partnership with Autobytel.com has two goals: First, to provide
consumers with online information to make an informed purchasing decision and
second, to increase the extended service contract sales of Toyota dealers in
the Autobytel.com Accredited Dealer Network," said Jane Beseda, vice president
and general manager of TMIS.  "Working with an online buying service provides
the best avenue to position our products direct to online consumers."
    The service contract information is fully integrated into the
Autobytel.com purchasing process.  A consumer submitting a purchase request
for a new Toyota vehicle can simultaneously review the different levels of
coverage and compare features & benefits.  The Suggested Retail Prices
specific to the vehicle, as well as "Frequently Asked Questions," are also
available.
    The consumer selects the specific Toyota Extra Care extended service
contract desired and submits that information along with their purchase
request to an Autobytel.com Accredited Dealer.  This helps to expedite the
in-dealership process for the consumer -- which is key to the Internet buyer.
    Through its Accredited Dealer Network, Autobytel.com generates over
$1 million an hour (or $9 billion per year) in vehicle sales.  Toyota Motor
Sales, U.S.A., Inc. recently reported its best-ever second-quarter vehicle
sales of 367,437, and calendar-year-to-date sales of 707,747, an increase of
11.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

    
    About Toyota Motor Insurance Services, Inc. (TMIS)
    Toyota Motor Insurance Services, Inc. (TMIS) provides Toyota and Lexus
dealerships with a full lineup of factory-backed insurance services products
designed to enhance customers' ownership experience.  TMIS offers the most
innovative factory-backed products to fit customers' needs and works with
dealers to ensure ongoing success.  TMIS is an indirect subsidiary of Toyota
Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS), Toyota's sales and marketing arm in the
United States.  Toyota has been selling cars in the U.S. since 1957 and
manufacturing vehicles here since 1984.  For more information on TMIS products
and TMS visit http://www.Toyota.com/Insurance.

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