DealerTrack Acquires Polk’s U.S. Price and Spec Business
Expanding its portfolio of world-class vehicle data and digital retailing solutions, DealerTrack Holdings, Inc., announced the acquisition of Polk’s U.S. Price and Spec Business, including Polk’s popular Vehicle Comparator Service.
Acquisition Includes Polk’s Popular Vehicle Comparator Service
Lake Success, N.Y. - Expanding its portfolio of world-class vehicle data and digital retailing solutions, DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRAK), today announced the acquisition of Polk’s U.S. Price and Spec Business, including Polk’s popular Vehicle Comparator Service. The newly acquired business will be merged into DealerTrack’s subsidiary, Chrome Systems, Inc.
The Vehicle Comparator is a highly-flexible and customizable service that delivers up-to-date price and specification details to automobile manufacturer and retailer websites for visitors to perform competitive vehicle comparisons online. The Vehicle Comparator solution is currently used by a majority of vehicle manufacturers, and the price and specification data is used by some of the major automotive portal sites.
In addition to the Vehicle Comparator, other services within the U.S. Price and Spec Business which Chrome will be acquiring include: the price and specification data product and AutositePro, which is used for detailed competitive analysis by OEM marketers.
“The Polk U.S. Price and Spec solutions will be a great addition to our comprehensive portfolio of vehicle data and solutions,” said Mark O’Neil, chairman and chief executive officer, DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. “Polk has an outstanding reputation in the industry and its Vehicle Comparator is highly regarded for its superior quality and flexibility.”
Amit Maheshwari, general manager, DealerTrack Data Services, added, “We are committed to helping all facets of the industry realize more vehicle sales and profitability, and we are confident that this acquisition will help us to further deliver on that commitment. We look forward in the long-term to further develop these products, as online vehicle research and sales services continue to evolve, and extend Chrome’s world-class customer service and support to current Polk clients.”
Current U.S. Price and Spec Business clients will not see any changes to their current applications or services provided by the business unit.
“Chrome is renowned throughout the industry for its strong digital vehicle content, enterprise data products and exceptional customer service,” said Stephen Polk, chairman, chief executive officer and president, R.L. Polk & Co. “We are confident current and future customers will be highly satisfied with Chrome’s commitment to accurate and timely vehicle data, customer support and technical knowledge.”
About Chrome (www.chrome.com)
Chrome Systems, Inc. provides vehicle content, software, technology and services to deliver complete enterprise solutions to all segments of the automotive retail industry. Chrome pioneered the technology behind electronic vehicle configuration with the introduction of PC Carbook, and since 1986 has collected, analyzed and enhanced “raw” automotive data from all manufacturers.
02/16/11
More Dealer Ops

Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
What Market Timing Mistakes Mean for Your Reinsurance Program
When volatility hits, dealer-owned reinsurance programs face a familiar temptation: pull back and wait for calmer waters. New data from BOK Financial shows why that instinct can quietly cost you years of surplus growth.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →
Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times
The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.
Read More →
Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales
AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.
Read More →
