AutoNation Launches Online Buying Service

AutoNation Inc., the world’s largest auto retailer, introduced a new online buying service that it expects to pull in $750 million in sales by the end of the year and double in each of the next two years.

AutoNationDirect.com (https://www.autonationdirect.com) combines about 270 Web sites from about 400 dealerships into a single online shopping destination.

The site allows consumers to study and compare independent commentary on all vehicles and schedule a test drive at a nearby AutoNation dealership. A local dealer would then deliver the vehicle to the customer’s home. Every vehicle on the site will be sold at a set price.

Customers can withdraw money from their bank for a deposit, complete financing applications and calculate insurance rates on the site.

The service was launched in the Tampa, Fla., area and will be rolled out across the country this summer and fall.