Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com Celebrates 10th Anniversary on the Internet

Kelley Blue Book's Web site, www.kbb.com, is celebrating 10 strong years on the Internet throughout 2005. Originating in 1926, the company moved its well-established Blue Book brand online to its own domain in 1995. Since then, kbb.com has been the No. 1 online automotive Web site, with one out of every three new vehicle buyers using the company's free services prior to their purchase.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050103/LAMFNS1)

For the three years prior to 1995, Kelley Blue Book's new and used vehicle values were distributed via the Bloomberg Wire Service to its subscribers. When Kelley Blue Book moved online, surprisingly, it first offered only new vehicle pricing and information to consumers. It wasn't until late 1996 that the company began offering its trusted 'used' blue book values on the Internet.

"There will be very few Web sites celebrating their 10th anniversary this year after the dot com bubble burst in 1999," said Stephen Henson, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Kelley Blue Book. "Even though few people knew what the Internet was in 1995, we thought that someday this would be a way we could provide our new car pricing and values to millions of consumers."

Before joining the Internet community, Kelley Blue Book had one of the best selling automotive books in the country, frequently making USA Today's Best Sellers list. But just 10 years after gaining a dot com address, consumers have generated nearly 1.5 billion pricing reports on the Web site and in 2004 more than 72 million individual Americans accessed the site, and that doesn't include use by top financial institutions, governmental agencies, vehicle manufacturers and car dealers all across the country.

The look and feel of Kelley Blue Book's Web site has evolved greatly in the last 10 years providing more and more comprehensive vehicle information and unbiased advice on buying and selling cars. Throughout 2005 the company will continue to make improvements to the site including enhanced vehicle reviews for all 2005 model year vehicles and new tools assisting car buyers in making informed purchase decisions.

About Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com)

Kelley Blue Book is the most trusted vehicle information resource by both consumers and the auto industry. Since 1926, the auto industry has relied upon Kelley Blue Book for its trusted used vehicle values. Hundreds of financial institutions, dealers and other automotive companies license Kelley Blue Book's trusted vehicle values. The company reports vehicle prices and values to the industry via its famous Blue Book Official Guide™, software and Internet site, kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book also offers the most advanced online and offline vehicle marketing management solutions through its sister companies CDMdata and CDM Dealer Services. Kbb.com has been rated the No. 1 automotive information site by Nielsen//NetRatings and No. 1 and first visited automotive site by J.D. Power and Associates seven years running. No other medium reaches more in-market car-buyers than kbb.com.

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SOURCE: Kelley Blue Book

CONTACT: Robyn Eckard of Kelley Blue Book, +1-949-268-3049,
reckard@kbb.com

Web site: http://www.kbb.com/