Looking to buy Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible with fewer than 2,000 miles?
Online auction house eBay said Monday it is making it easier for car enthusiasts to buy and sell such cars, as well as trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and related parts.
"Cars are bought and sold everyday on eBay and now we have a dedicated area for people who are passionate about collecting cars or are looking for an efficient way to buy or sell a vehicle," Brian Swette, eBay senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement.
The San Jose, California-based Internet firm said the new category, which debuted on 27 August, will operate in conjunction with subsidiary Kruse International, which is known for collector car auctions.
Another part of the new offering will be "The Showroom," an area dedicated to the car collector enthusiast, eBay said. It provides tips on buying and selling cars, special chats that enable users to get advice from Kruse, and bulletin boards to help car collectors meet and swap stories.
The new category also offers the Gallery, a feature that allows users to browse items up for auction in a series of pictures rather than text; Personal Shopper, which provides customized searches of items up for auction and notifies users via email when items of interest become available; and Featured Auctions, which highlight specific auctions in each category.
Sellers are listing vehicles on eBay at a current rate of about 1,500 per week or 18,000 per quarter, representing growth of 40 percent per month since the fourth quarter of 1998, eBay said.
Currently, there are more than 25,000 listings on eBay's automotive area, including President Johnson's practically unused car, a 1999 Audi TT Quattro coupe with only 600 miles, and a rare Triumph TR3A with original car invoice showing it was delivered new in Arlington, Virginia, on 5 April, 1962.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
