Bluebook For Cars

Nearly 75 years ago the Kelley company began to work on collecting information regarding the values of automobiles, motorcycles and recreational vehicles for sellers and buyers. BlueBook for cars has been since then serving as a guide of automotive value both for consumers and dealers. Nowadays, with the introduction of Internet into its activities, Kelley has made all this information available for a wider audience.

The founder of this book, Les Kelley, began by selling used cars, having at the beginning only 3 Fords. But in a couple of years he turned it into a large business of repair and used car sales. At that point he had lists of used vehicles, which he wanted to purchase with price he was ready to pay for them. He used to send these lists to banks and other dealers. And soon people began to apply to Kelley's lists as to a source of reliable and true information regarding the used car values. In 1926 Kelley's lists were first released as a complete book and called Blue Book for cars. Soon Kelley's dealership became much more popular turning into a nationwide guide of vehicle values for dealers.

After starting to use computer to track values, in 1992 the company started to offer the dealers a computer software allowing them to print a label reflecting the mileage, condition and all the optional equipment existing on the vehicle. The Blue Book was finally published as a guide for consumers in 1993. When the BlueBook for cars was first published by Kelley it was just a plain list of cars with prices. Today the company offers information regarding new vehicles, used cars and cars made in the 1940s, as well as of camping trailers and motor homes and motorcycles. Most of this information can be used free of charge on the web site of the Blue Book.

Kelley BlueBook for cars provides information only regarding vehicles sold in the USA; it means that the same model might have some differences in case of being sold in Canada, which will influence the price. Though Blue Book can be used while buying a used car in another country, it will not take into consideration the peculiarities of the regional market. There are editions for New Cars and Used Cars, and these guidelines are released twice in a year. Kelley Blue Book reflects vehicle value information of the current year. It provides information regarding the values of vehicles made in the last fifteen years, offering retail price, trade-in price and private sale price.