Hey Californians, planning to buy your next car on eBay?

California residents can now bid on new General Motors cars and trucks through eBay's online marketplace. Approximately 250 GM dealers in California are selling Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac vehicles on eBay Motors, and you can either use the "Buy It Now" option or make your best offer. You can browse 2008, 2009 and 2010 vehicles, ask dealers questions and figure out financing. Non-California residents can contact California dealers to see if they're willing to sell and ship vehicles to them -- and with the auto industry still in shambles, chances are they'll agree to that.

General Motors said they started the online car-buying trial in California because there are so many tech-savvy people here, and also because it's one state where company sales historically have not been so great. I can vouch for that, as most people I know in Northern California go for foreigh brands like Honda, Toyota, BMW and Saab. Even in "red" areas of the state like the Sierra Nevada foothills and the Central Valley, the Ford F-150 is the pickup truck of choice. While I too am planning to switch out my 10-year-old Volkswagen for a Honda or Toyota when the time comes, I had to give props to GM for breaking ground and being the first to use eBay as an auto marketplace, so I decided to check out the site.