bradley emmanuel

General Motors Co [GM.UL] and eBay Inc (EBAY.O) are launching a test program in California that will allow consumers to negotiate with dealers and buy vehicles online, the companies said on Monday.

The car shopping website -- gm.ebay.com -- marks a departure from the way new vehicles have traditionally been sold in the United States and is aimed at helping GM recapture lost market share a month after it emerged from bankruptcy.

The online marketplace provides the No. 1 U.S. automaker with a new venue to sell vehicles as it cuts the number of U.S. dealerships by more than 40 percent to 3,600 by the end of 2010 as part of its efforts to return to profitability.