Auto-By-Tel Names CEO to Steer British Drive

Auto-By-Tel Inc., the Internet car shopping service headquartered in Irvine, is about to launch its first overseas operation. Company officials say they have hired longtime British auto industry executive Kevin Turnbull to serve as chief executive of Auto-By-Tel UK.

Mark Lorimer, Auto-By-Tel’s chief operating officer, said the company hopes to begin operations in the United Kingdom--Britain, Scotland and Wales--by the end of the year.

The UK, says Lorimer, is a prime area for Internet car shopping. Consumers there buy 2 million new and almost 8 million used cars each year.

“Internet penetration is about where it was in the U.S. last year,” he said. “90% of the people know what the Internet is and 60% have used it, and there are about 1.1 million consumer households with Internet accounts in the UK, and about 2 million business accounts. We expect to see those numbers jump considerably in the next few years, and we want to be there and in place as they do.”

John O’Dell covers major Orange County corporations and manufacturing for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-5831 and at john.odell@latimes.com