ATLANTA, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Riding the resurging auto market, a jump in new car shopping activity and the launch of its multi-media "Heart & Mind" brand campaign, AutoTrader.com for the first time recorded more than 1 million unique visitors in a day on Tuesday, May 18.  This milestone – actually 1.02 million unique visitors for the day – demonstrates AutoTrader.com's continued leadership in connecting auto buyers and sellers and the strength of the company's brand as car shoppers return to the market.

The milestone traffic number occurred one day shy of AutoTrader.com's 12th anniversary.  AutoTrader.com was founded as Autoconnect.com on May 19, 1998.

"AutoTrader.com has built a brand that people know as a top on-line destination for car shopping," said AutoTrader.com President and CEO Chip Perry.  "AutoTrader.com has continued to grow our traffic as more and more consumers go on-line to do their research, compare models, review pricing and specials and find dealers.  With the economy picking up and the auto industry recovering, we expect to continue growing our influence and our site traffic even more.  I believe surpassing 1 million unique monthly visitors in a day as we did last Tuesday is just the beginning."

AutoTrader.com has had several high-profile marketing activities underway in 2010 that exposed the brand to millions, helping drive this traffic record.  They included:

• The launch on May 3 of the company's "Heart & Mind" advertising campaign, which included broadcast, digital, print and social media elements;
• Sponsorships of several Major League Baseball teams and the NBA on TNT;
• Exhibits at several top auto shows in the beginning of the year, including shows in Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York;
• The continued launch of media partnerships in which AutoTrader.com powers the classified autos sections of traditional media outlets across the country.

Resurgence in new car shopping activity has also helped drive traffic to AutoTrader.com.  Long known as a site for used car buyers and sellers to connect, AutoTrader.com has aggressively courted new car shoppers with marketing campaigns, new-car shopping tools and new-car inventory.

"As the new-car market rebounds, we're seeing these efforts pay off as new car shoppers increasingly see AutoTrader.com as a top destination for researching new cars, searching for new-car specials, utilizing our new-car shopping tools and reviewing inventory of new cars available on dealers' lots," said Perry.  

During 2010, AutoTrader.com has routinely surpassed 15 million unique monthly visitors. The company's surpassing 1 million unique visitors in one day on Tuesday, followed up by more than 1 million unique monthly visitors again on Wednesday, May 19, indicate the company could continue to see more record results during 2010.  The company is confirming traffic numbers for Wednesday and the rest of this week and will have exact numbers next week.

"With millions of new, used and certified pre-owned vehicles listed for sale and more than 15 million unique monthly visitors per month, AutoTrader.com continues to be positioned as a leading place for car buyers and sellers to connect on-line," said Perry.  

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading automotive marketplace and consumer information website.  AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers.  AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to view vehicles for sale, research and compare vehicles, review pricing and specials, and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips, auto maintenance tips and coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends.  Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improve the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.  The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor.  For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com