Ken Hale, like many people in the appraisal business grew up loving everything automotive.

At age 14 he acquired his first car, an abandoned 1942 Ford Convertible. Ken spent the next two years working after school in gas stations and as a mechanic’s helper to earn money for the Ford’s restoration. By the time he was old enough to get his driver’s license, he had put together every kid’s dream car.

That experience led to several other restorations and builds over the next few years while attending high school and college.

Ken’s first professional career began when he joined the Los Angeles Police Department. For the next 35 years, he had several different assignments one of which included Auto Theft Investigation as both an investigator and ultimately a Captain of Detectives. His experience as an investigator gave him rarely glimpsed insights into vehicle alterations such as VIN number swaps and secret vehicle Identification numbers. He also became familiar with several shops and collectors. Ken was also immersed in the world of expert testimony and has testified as an expert on hundreds of occasions.

After retiring from the Police Department, Ken began a career as the Sales and Marketing Director for Wilwood Disc Brakes. Wilwood manufacture’s performance brakes for every popular vehicle make and model, both foreign and domestic. The brake package applications include everything from race cars, restorations to resto-rods. In that position, Ken worked with most of the major build shops and warehouses in the nation. He also attended several events each year including SEMA, PRI, Auctions, International roaster shows and Good-Guys type-shows. Wilwood’s large advertisement budget has led to many close relationships between Ken and the Publishers and Editors of all the performance automotive magazines.

Ken is still an active consultant for Wilwood and other automotive entities.
Ken has maintained his passion for classic and custom vehicle and has continued over the year to restore several different makes of cars. He has been a member of “Packard’s International” and the “Buick Club of America,” in addition to buying and selling vintage cars, Ken is also a collector.

Ken was trained by the Bureau of Certified Auto Appraisers (BOCAA) obtaining IACP Certification, meeting the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and the International Automotive Appraiser’s Association (IAAA, meeting the Uniform Standards of Professional Auto Appraisers Procedures (USAAP).

Ken was also trained to appraise classic and custom vehicles by Classic Auto Appraiser’s founder, Jeff Hyman. Prior to joining forces with Mr. Hyman, Ken began Driveline Classic Car Appraisals, a subsidiary of Driveline Consultant’s, LLC. Ken was also a member of NADA’s advisory board and appeared weekly on the syndicated radio station Horsepower for an Hour where he hosted two segments, “Clash of the Classics” and “Checker Flag.”