BEIJING, August 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bitauto Holdings Limited ("Bitauto" or "the Company") (NYSE: BITA), a leading provider of Internet content and marketing services for China's fast-growing automotive industry today announced that it has entered into an agreement to establish a joint venture (the "JV"), with Lentuo International Inc. (NYSE: LAS) ("Lentuo" or "the Company"), a leading non-state-owned automobile retailer headquartered in Beijing, and Youxinpai (Beijing) Information Technology Co., Ltd. ("UXIN"), a leading professional auto auction service provider in China.
The JV will integrate the companies' nationwide resources into an online-to-offline platform focused on high-end used cars in China. The addition of Lentuo's substantial offline used car inventory to Bitauto's listings will further enhance customer choice, helping to extend the Company's leadership in used car transactions.
"China's used car market is set for rapid growth in order to meet the growing needs of customers in China. We are pleased to cooperate with Lentuo and are confident that the combination of Bitauto's established and growing online presence, technological know-how and analytical capabilities together with Lentuo's diversified and high quality offline resources will make this joint venture a success," said Mr. William Bin Li, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bitauto.
Mr. Hetong Guo, Founder and Chairman of Lentuo International commented, "We are extremely excited that major and well established companies in the Chinese pre-owned car market such as Bitauto and UXIN have decided to partner with us. The experience we have accumulated over the past few years, the range of our services and products and the demonstrated quality of our technical resources and processes, coupled with the extensive online resources and demonstrated business success of Bitauto and UXIN constitute the best possible combination of talent and track record in the pre-owned car market in China. We have no doubt that this JV will realize its objectives and achieve great success."
Mr. Chris Kun Dai, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of UXIN added, "We are excited to be a part of this JV. Our leading online auction platform and strong expertise in auctioning used car cars, and the quality of Lentuo's extensive and rigorous certification process will maximize the value of car inventories and build a leading business that will contribute to a healthier used car market in China."
About Bitauto Holdings Limited
Bitauto Holdings Limited (NYSE: BITA) is a leading provider of internet content and marketing services for China's fast-growing automotive industry. Bitauto manages its businesses in four segments: the bitauto.com advertising business, the EP platform business, the taoche.com business, and the digital marketing solutions business.
The Company's bitauto.com advertising business offers automakers and dealers a variety of advertising services through its bitauto.com website, which provides consumers with up-to-date new automobile pricing and promotional information, specifications, reviews and consumer feedback. The Company's EP platform business provides web-based integrated digital marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) applications to new automobile dealers in China. The platform enables dealer subscribers to create their own online showrooms, list pricing and promotional information, provide dealer contact information, place advertisements and manage customer relationships to help them effectively market their automobiles to consumers. The Company's taoche.com business provides listing services to used automobile dealers that enable them to display used automobile inventory information on the taoche.com website and partner websites. The Company provides advertising services to used automobile dealers and automakers with certified used car automobile programs on its taoche.com website. The Company's digital marketing solutions business provides automakers with one-stop digital marketing solutions, including website creation and maintenance, online public relations, online marketing campaigns and advertising agent services.
For more information, please visit ir.bitauto.com.
About Lentuo International Inc.
Founded in 1994, Lentuo Group ("Lentuo") is a leading Chinese automobile retailer headquartered in Beijing. Through its many subsidiaries, Lentuo operates 4S franchise dealerships, automobile showrooms, automobile repair shops, a car leasing company, automobile financing and a used car business.
Lentuo dealership brands include FAW Audi, FAW-Volkswagen, Shanghai VW, FAW Toyota, FAW Mazda, Honda, and Chang'an Mazda. Since its establishment, Lentuo has developed relationships with many other well-known domestic and overseas brands as it expands further into the luxury car market. Annual sales for Lentuo's dealership brands consistently rank among the top in Beijing and China. On December 10th, 2010, Lentuo was listed on the New York Stock Exchange as the first and only Chinese auto-dealership group.
Over the past 20 years, Lentuo has received various industry awards from the government, OEMs and industry associations. Lentuo has been recognized as a Famous Trademark by the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce (BAIC), a Top 50 Auto Dealer in China, a China Automobile Sales and Service Top Ten Enterprise Group, and has been awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award and Distinguished Contribution Award in the China Automobile Dealers Industry by CADA. It is the only triple A-rated Beijing Automobile Works dealership group in China to have been designated an FAW strategic partner, and awarded FAW Audi Sales Award, FAW Audi No. 1 Customer Satisfaction, FAW-Volkswagen National Sales Champion, FAW-Volkswagen Gold Award for Service Satisfaction, Shanghai Volkswagen 6 Star-Rated Franchise Dealer and FAW Mazda National Sales Champion.
For more information, please visit http://lentuo.investorroom.com/
About Youxinpai (Beijing) Information Technology Co., Ltd.
UXIN is the leading professional auto auction service provider in China. The company's core product "Youxinpai.com" is an online auction platform providing a one-stop service offerings, which include online auctions, vehicle evaluations, safe payment methods, after-sales services and long-distance logistics support. The online sales platform provides the most effective used cars auction services to authorized auto dealers, used car dealers and car owners.
Bitauto's Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Bitauto may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Bitauto's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: our goals and strategies; our future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the automobile industry and the Internet marketing industry in China; our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our services and service delivery model; our expectations regarding enhancing our brand recognition; our expectations regarding keeping and strengthening our relationships with major customers, partner websites and media vendors; relevant government policies and regulations relating to our businesses, automobile purchases and ownership in China; our ability to attract and retain quality employees; our ability to stay abreast of market trends and technological advances; competition in our industry in China and internationally; general economic and business conditions in China; and our ability to effectively protect our intellectual property rights and not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Bitauto's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Bitauto does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Bitauto undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
For more information, please contact:
China
IR Department
Bitauto Holdings Limited
Tel: +86-10-6849-2145
ir@bitauto.com
Rachael Layfield
Brunswick Group LLP
Tel: +86-10-5960-8600
bitauto@brunswickgroup.com
New York
Cindy Zheng
Brunswick Group LLP
Tel: +1 (415) 671 7676
bitauto@brunswickgroup.com
