Founded in 1926 by Les Kelley, Kelley Blue Book came into being to help car dealers figure out the true value of used cars. The idea sparked when Kelley, who ran a successful car dealership in Los Angeles, started keeping a detailed list of the cars he wanted to buy and exactly how much he was willing to pay for them. Because his pricing was so accurate, other dealers and banks began asking him for copies of his list, leading him to publish the first official "Blue Book" of Motor Car Values. Today, the company is owned by Cox Automotive, a massive global transportation services company. Today, Kelley Blue Book is run by a team of automotive experts and data analysts and is mainly focused on new and used car pricing, vehicle reviews, automotive industry news, and car buying advice. They are based in Irvine, California, and serve as the standard "price check" tool for car buyers and sellers across the United States. One interesting fact: A unique fact about Kelley Blue Book is that for nearly 70 years, the famous "Blue Book" was not available to the public. From 1926 until the 1990s, the guide was a trade secret sold only to car dealers and banks. Regular people had to trust the dealer's word on pricing until the company finally released a consumer edition and launched their website in 1995.