Description
Kelley Blue Book is an Irvine, California-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.
History
The company began as the Kelley Kar Company founded by Les Kelley in 1918. Kelley started the company with three Model T Fords. 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.
