Auto Trader Turns 25 Today

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, 14 September 2006

Auto Trader Turns 25 Today

the 25 Year Collector's Edition

www.autotrader.co.nz

New Zealand's number one magazine for buying and selling cars is today celebrating 25 years in the marketplace with a unique collectors' edition - on sale today.

The collector's 25th anniversary edition on sale today looks back over the past 25 years with detailed coverage of four iconic cars, the Ford Falcon and Mustang, and the Holden Commodore and Chevrolet Corvette, among a host of other stories. Over its 25 year history the magazine has published an astounding 4 million cars for sale with photos!

The Auto Trader story began in 1981 when a magazine began publishing out of a domestic garage in southeast Auckland. Founder Ed Lamont, who had been a car salesman and dealer himself, saw the need for a magazine in which private sellers and dealers could offer cars for sale using what was then a revolutionary tool - a photograph of the car itself! The concept took off like wildfire at a time when newspaper used car adverts were purely text, and within a couple of years, Auto Trader was a household name, and the magazine was changing forever the way used cars were advertised in the print media.

In 1993, Auto Trader took a major leap forward when ACP, acquired the title and evolved it into the glossy full-colour magazine it is today. ACP launched successful spin-offs out of Auto Trader such as Trade-A-Boat, Motorcycle Trader, Deals on Wheels and Farm Trader.

Auto Trader is New Zealand's most popular multi-media brand for buying and selling cars. The "Auto Trader brand's total audience reach continues to grow with the weekly national publication now complemented by nine free regional auto sales publications and the fast growing autotrader.co.nz website," said Lee Williams, ACP's Digital Director.

Williams continues 'the brand Auto Trader continues to evolve and we look forward to the next 25 years of embracing and leading the new wave of channels to market for buying and selling cars'.

Trader Group - New Zealand's multi-media leader for buying and selling vehicles
* The leading publisher of specialist classified magazines and websites in New Zealand and Australia.
* portfolio of 20 market leading publications attracts close to one million readers every month annually, 28 million magazines are printed; 50,000 advertising pages are set; and over 1 million photos are captured

* Trader Group's eight websites have over 250,000 visitors every month; an on-line membership of over 300,000; and 50,000 vehicles for sale - no other New Zealand website has that number of vehicles for sale

* Trader Group's endearing range of industry specific titles and websites have all contributed to substantially large growth over the last 5 years.

* These industry specific titles include Auto Trader, Deals on Wheels, Farm Trader, Motorcycle Trader & News and Trade A Boat. Two new titles were launched in 2004 - NZ Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations and NZ Lifestyle Block.

* Each title has a corresponding website: autotrader.co.nz; dealsonwheels.co.nz; farmtrader.co.nz; motorcycletrader.co.nz; tradeaboat.co.nz and nzmcd.co.nz. In 2005, Trader Group launched sellmefree.co.nz - a general classified site offering the unique premise of: "sell anything for free".

ENDS

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