ATLANTA – Manheim has handled 3 million online wholesale vehicle transactions since the company began doing business via the Internet in 1996.

“The economy was rough this year, and dealers and national sellers alike turned to the online leader to help them do business better – the growing importance placed on Manheim’s online tools helped us reach our 3-millionth online transaction,” said Sue Boehlke, senior vice president of

enterprise solutions.

“Manheim will continue to partner with its dealer and national seller customers to find creative ways to connect buyers with the quality inventory they need to grow their businesses.” Currently, more than 18 percent of vehicles sold by Manheim are sold to an online buyer.

Manheim’s Online Solutions division includes www.Manheim.com, which averages 800,000 unique visits each week, Manheim Simulcast and www.OVE.com. OVE.com’s transactional volume in the fourth quarter of 2008 grew 90 percent over the same period in 2007 – growth achieved despite the continued challenges dealers faced in the declining U.S. economy.

Manheim Simulcast reported a 34 percent increase in average monthly buyers and a 29 percent rise in the number of vehicles sold to online buyers compared to 2007. Transactional volume for December 2008 jumped 50.8 percent compared to December 2007.

Manheim’s online sales performance in 2008 indicates that dealers and national sellers are embracing the wide range of services Manheim provides to help dealers succeed in any economy. The company’s online tools and in-lane infrastructure provide dealers with a comprehensive solution for doing business in the way most convenient and profitable for them. As the economy has presented increasing challenges during the past several months, dealers have taken advantage of the opportunity to realize operational efficiencies and to do more with less using Manheim’s Online Solutions.

“We are so pleased that our customers are taking advantage of online wholesaling and its benefits,” said Boehlke. “This includes saving time, gaining access to unlimited vehicle inventory at exactly the moment they need it and being able to conduct business 24/7 from anywhere.”