Kelley Blue Book is an
Irvine,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
-based vehicle valuation and automotive research company that is recognized by both consumers and the automotive industry.
The company is owned by the
Cox Automotive subsidiary of
Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises, Inc. is a privately held global conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, with approximately 55,000 employees and $21 billion in total revenue. Its major operating subsidiaries are Cox Communications and ...
.
History
The company began as the Kelley Kar Company founded by Les Kelley in 1918.
Kelley started the company with three
Model T Ford
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relat ...
s.
His younger brother, Buster, worked with Kelley as a lot boy.
By using data collected from the dealership, Kelley published the company’s first Blue Book in 1926, which became a standard guide in automotive trade in determining car value.
Kelley Blue Book was formed in 1926, and the Kelley family continued its dealership business in Southern California for several decades.
By the 1960s, the company moved from a car dealership to a specialty publisher and focused on the production of its automobile price guide.
Kelley Blue Book guide became the first publication to use mileage to determine a car's value.
In 1995, Kelley Blue Book created its company website, which contained tips and pricing information from its hardcopy guide.
In December 2010, Kelley Blue Book was purchased by
AutoTrader.com.
After its acquisition, the company operated as a subsidiary of AutoTrader.com, Inc.
In 2013, the company formed an alliance with
Bitauto Holdings Ltd. to expand into China.
Sponsorship
In 2014, Kelley Blue Book signed a two-year agreement with
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 1984 as All Star Racing by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has won a NASCAR-record 291 Cup S ...
to be a primary sponsor of
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88
Chevrolet SS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team.
Services
The company reports market value prices for new and used automobiles of all types, as well as motorcycles, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.
For both new and used automobiles, Kelley Blue Book provides a ''fair market range'' and ''fair purchase price'', based on actual transactions of what others are paying for a vehicle and adjusted regularly as market conditions change. For new automobiles, Kelley Blue Book also provides information about a car's
MSRP and
dealer invoice price.
For used cars, Kelley Blue Book provides typical listing price, certified pre-owned price, trade-in value and private party value. Kelley Blue Book also offers expert and consumer vehicle reviews and ratings, and ''5-year cost to own'' information for new cars.
Recognition
In 2012–2014,
Harris Poll recognized Kelley Blue Book as the Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year.
In addition, the company received a WebAward in the automotive category of Outstanding Website for two consecutive years.
See also
*
TrueCar
References
External links
Official website
{{COX, state=collapsed
Companies based in Irvine, California
Automobile magazines published in the United States
Cox Enterprises
1926 establishments in California