Autobytel Appoints Michelle Naranjo as Managing Editor

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), the company dedicated to helping dealers and car-buyers connect online, is pleased to welcome automotive industry veteran Michelle Naranjo as the managing editor of its primary website, Autobytel.com. Ms. Naranjo will be responsible for the overall editorial direction of the website to add exclusive articles, videos and automotive reviews to the site. Her focus on unique content, reviews and videos from research through shopping and ownership is central to Autobytel’s new direction and mission to become a consumer’s lifetime automotive advisor. Ms. Naranjo was already involved with the Autobytel.com redesign, serving as a production editor for the company.

“Michelle’s automotive expertise and editorial direction will be the foundation for all of our consumer content efforts and offerings for Autobytel.com”

“Michelle’s automotive expertise and editorial direction will be the foundation for all of our consumer content efforts and offerings for Autobytel.com,” said Jim Helberg, executive vice president, Autobytel Inc. “Michelle as the managing editor strengthens Autobytel’s commitment to the consumer. I believe that she can and will deliver both a unique and comprehensive product to the consumer, unlike any other in our industry. As the brand that created the first independent consumer-facing auto site, we take great pride in our heritage, but more importantly, we have aggressively set out to reset expectations for today’s internet savvy shoppers.”

Michelle Naranjo shared, “I am excited to expand my work with Autobytel. The company pioneered car buying on the internet and will be leading the way again with the new website. I am thrilled to be part of the ‘new’ Autobytel and am as committed as the company is to being a consumer’s lifetime automotive advisor and ensuring that our content reflects that promise.”

Ms. Naranjo has over ten years of editorial and managerial experience in the automotive industry. Her knowledge and passion were established at a young age through her family’s love of cars and the racing industry. She affectionately proclaims that “the front door of one of my childhood homes was painted to match one of our cars.” Her personal interest and love of the automotive industry led her to work with numerous related companies, including eBay Motors and Mota. Ms. Naranjo established herself as a clear voice in the automotive industry under the pen name, Miss Motormouth. As Miss Motormouth, Ms. Naranjo covered many aspects of the automotive industry, including consumer interests, OEM activity, dealer issues and automotive service providers.

Ms. Naranjo is a weekly panelist on the popular podcast, The RoundAbout Show, host of MingleMediaTV.com’s weekly automotive video web show and founder and host of the Open Line Show for AutolineDetroit.TV. Ms. Naranjo will continue to host these shows, now as managing editor of Autobytel.com.

Ms. Naranjo is a National Hispanic Scholar and received her Bachelor of Arts (BAFA), Fine Art & Art History from the University of New Mexico.

About Autobytel Inc. (www.autobytel.com)

Autobytel Inc., an online leader offering consumer purchase requests and marketing resources to car dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the information they need to purchase new and used cars, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched autobytel.com in 1995. Autobytel believes it is the largest provider of automotive consumer purchase requests for new cars in the United States and continues to offer innovative products and services to help consumers buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more used and new cars. Autobytel has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Through its flagship website Autobytel.com®, its network of automotive sites, including Autotropolis.com®, DealershipJobs.com, Autoweb.com®, AutoSite.com®, Car.com^sm, CarSmart.com®, CarTV.com® and MyRide.com® and its respected online partners, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry's highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with one of the industry's most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.