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Pricing for 600 Models of '98 Cars Now Available on Kelley Blue Book Web Site

22 September 1997

Pricing for 600 Models of '98 Cars Now Available on Kelley Blue Book Web Site

    IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 22 -- In the past, one of the
frustrations about buying a new car at the beginning of the model year was
that new car promotion usually precedes pricing.  Sometimes cars can even be
found in the showroom before pricing is available.
    Kelley Blue Book is using the Internet to shorten the frustration period.
As of today, they show pricing on nearly 600 models of 1998 cars, trucks and
 vans for free at their Web site, http://www.kbb.com.  That's 5 to 10 times as
many 1998 vehicles as can be found anywhere else in cyberspace at this time.
Users of the Web site are able to instantly receive all the information about
a new model, including standard and optional equipment, complete pricing
information, consumer rebates and incentives and even exterior and interior
colors.
    "In 1997, car buyers have access to a bewildering amount of data that far
exceeds what was available before," said Michael Kelley, General Manager of
Kelley Blue Book.  "With so much potential for confusion, we feel that
timeliness and accuracy of information is of paramount importance."
    Still, publishing pricing information is a painstaking process this time
of year.  Interest in new cars is soaring, brut pricing for many 1998 models
won't be released from the automakers until October or November.  An estimated
schedule is shown on the Kelley site.
    Kelley Blue Book developed the needed skills and experience as a result of
being the leading provider of new car pricing data within the automotive
industry for over 30 years.  Once the manufacturers release the prices, the
Kelley Blue Book staff compiles the data, codes in all the complex equipment
rules and uploads the information to the Web site.
    Don't even try to buy the new '98 Ford Taurus in the Light Prairie
Metallic Tan paint with the Medium Graphite interior -- they don't make them
like that -- according to the information from Kelley.
    Publishers of the ubiquitous Blue Book since 1926, Kelley began offering
the Internet pricing service about two years ago and today generates about 5
million pricing reports per month from their Web site.

SOURCE  Kelley Blue Book