History of Kelley Blue Book

In order to get the inventory, Les Kelley began circulating a list of cars he wanted to buy with the price he was willing to pay for them. The price lists quickly became a level of confidence among banks in Los Angeles and car dealers.

In 1926 he published his first Kelley Blue Book, a guide to the values ​​of used cars. The service was primarily regional until 1940. In the years immediately following World War II, many votes and repair backlogs caused by four years of wartime rationing caused a huge increase in demand for automobiles. Like most car companies had not reorganize production in times of war, the price of used cars soared. Meanwhile, Kelley Blue Book expanded to become a guide in the national evaluation of the car. The book stayed with the family until 1980, Kelley.

Kelley Blue Book steadily expanded its scope over the years. New car reviews have been added in 1966. In the years after, campers, motorcycles and mobile home appraisal guides were added to its list of services.

Kelley Blue Book guides were primarily trade publications until 1993, when a consumer edition of Kelley Blue Book was launched. The company began its website service in 1995 and became one of the most visited sites on the Internet related automobile. Kelley Blue Book does not give his method and the sales data used to generate estimates of cost.

In late 2010, it was announced that Kelley Blue Book was sold to AutoTrader.com for an estimated $ 500 million. AutoTrader is owned by private companies Cox and investment firm Providence Equity Partners.

Web Blind