By Special to the Town Crier

Online retailer Amazon.com (www.amazon.com) on Aug. 24 launched a new-car buying service backed by a network of premier auto dealers affiliated with Amazon partner Greenlight.com.

The partnership offers Amazon.com shoppers access to Greenlight.com’s services, including up-front, no-haggle pricing; one-stop shopping with financing and trade-in options; a personal account manager for each customer; and local dealers for delivery, after-purchase support and service.

Car buyers can browse and search by make or model, or compare two cars side by side in Greenlight’s Showroom. Consumers can also specify the precise options they want and configure their car online.

Customers can access the new cars area at Amazon.com via links from the Welcome page, throughout the site or directly via www.amazon.com/newcars.

The Amazon.com/Greenlight.com service is available in the Bay Area and 26 other U.S. markets.

“We’re excited to be involved in this emerging industry online,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “Greenlight combines the interests of all parties - the customers, the dealers and the manufacturers - producing a simple and fast buying experience for customers.”