19/08-08   -   Press releases

Autorola Have Conquered Australia

Europe’s Leading Online Car Auction Company Launches its First Overseas Subsidiary in Australia

The Vikings have come to conquer Australia and they are lead by a Brit from Manchester. The fast growing Danish online car auction group Autorola has opened its 14. subsidiary in Australia at www.autorola.com.au.

“We have ambitions to go outside Europe, and Australia is a very interesting market to start with. It is a dynamic and modern country, and its population is used to buying and selling via the Internet. Now, we will lead the way and show that cars can be sold much more efficiently this way", said CEO Peter Groeftehauge.

Autorola Australia Pty Ltd has British-Australian Pete Angle, 29, as Country Manager. Pete has been living in Australia for over 8 years. He comes from a position as Remarketing Manager with Daimler Chrysler Australia Ltd. Pete has established the head office in Melbourne, but already has a satellite office in Sydney to manage customers’ needs.

“Now, we will show the rest of the world how simple, how fast and how cost effective they can sell their cars online. On-Line Remarketing is clearly the future in Australia. We will present the dealers an auction where they can pick exactly the cars they want to buy. They bid for the cars from their own pc and eliminate the need for them to take valuable time out of their dealerships, thus further reducing unnecessary costs. We will demonstrate best practice", says Pete Angle.

The young Country Manager is enthusiastic:
“Autorola’s concept has gone from strength to strength in Europe since 2001, where Autorola now has online car auctions in 13 countries. I am sure, that the Australian leasing companies, financial companies and manufacturers are ready to sell their vehicles this way as well. Why should we be any different than the Danes for instance, or the Germans or the British", he asks.

Autorola Australia Pty Ltd’s early focus will concentrate on getting the leasing companies, financial companies and manufacturer groups as customers. The first eAuction for Chrysler Jeep Dodge Australia has just run – with great success. Many more special auctions and closed auctions will also commence.

The Autorola Group now has online car auction in 14 countries worldwide: In Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxemburg, Sweden, Austria, Ireland, the Czech Republic and Australia.

Facts:

The Autorola online car auction is simple to use:

- Get some good pictures of your car, go online and upload the pictures, make a detailed description of your car so the car dealer knows exactly what they are bidding for, then fix your minimum price and click on the “sell" button. The car dealer will not be able to see your reserve, nor your identity.
- If you want advice concerning the minimum price or anything further, the Autorola support team will gladly help you. There are industry professional people behind the auction - that is a trademark of Autorola across the world.
- In some instances your car is sold within a matter of days, you just have to pay a minor disposal fee.
- The car dealer or a transportation company will come and collect the vehicle.

Autorola.com.au founded in February 2008, is a subsidiary of the Danish company Autocom A/S. It was founded in 1996 by the brothers Peter and Martin Grøftehauge plus their father, former car dealer Niels Grøftehauge. Peter Grøftehauge is the CEO. In 2001 the company started online car auctions in Denmark and following its success it initiated a European expansion in 2003. The company now have over 140 employees and host on-line car auctions in 14 countries: Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Sweden, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Australia. More subsidiaries both in and outside Europe are on their way. The company has also developed Autobudget, which is a car price calculation tool.

For further information please contact:
Country Manager Pete Angle, tel. +61(0)3 9550 0887