Edited on 2013-05-02 12:39:47

Did model years change on January 1st production or delivery or what?

Contacted Jaguar US as some suggested. Got this response:

'Prior to 1968 there was no established system to determine what model year a car would be. In fact, for example, a new car in stock at the end of 1964 could be re-titled as a '65 model. We see this frequently when people apply for Heritage Certificates. Our rule of thumb for model years prior to 1967 is that cars built in August are for the following year. This is because changes on the assembly line were done during the factory vacation that was normally at the end of July. Often there were no changes in the chassis number series or in the cars themselves so the build date was the determining factor. As of 1968, the VIN system was established under which there is always a starting and finishing number for the model year.'

Thanks all for their input.

Submitted by azmmgm@yahoo.com on Sun, 03/17/2013 - 16:24

Phillip,
That is correct. Still today, if you go to a state registration center with homemade copy of a pre emission Ferrari without a prior registration and with the right conversation, you can get a real registration for 1960 Ferrari.
How about real 4 door Jaguar sedan rebuilt as very rare Jaguar 2 door race car of a different year.
That is the reason for most people using production dates and serial numbers.
I do need to say most state registration dates are correct.

Submitted by dougdwyer1@com… on Sun, 03/17/2013 - 16:13

Phillip, I'm not surprised. There used to be many state-by-state variations on vehicle registration. Absent a specific designation from the manufacturer and/or prior to 1980/81-onward "VIN" standardization, states/municipalities were left to their own devices.

Straying off topic a bit more some might remember the term "taxable horsepower"....which was used in some areas as part of the licensing fee calculation. In the old days owner's manuals used to mention the exact number. I never knew how it was calculated. I think in went the way of the Dodo by the 1970s .

Cheers
DD

Submitted by phw@northstate.net on Sun, 03/17/2013 - 14:22

This may be a little off the original subject but I clearly remember when my brother and I purchased an MG Midget we wait a week to complete the paper work because when it was titled determined the year model of the car.

By waiting we ended up with a "1966" vs. a "1965" . Obviously this had nothing to do with the production date of the car.

Submitted by cburk@kiva.net on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 11:11

As this thread appeared, I was flipping through my 50th anniversary edition of SNG Barratt's E-Type catalog when I saw related info on page 2. FWIW, they cite either October or March as when production of various E-Types began. (Just sayin'.)

As a USA data point, when I worked on the Pontiac engine assembly line in the summer of '68, they shut down a week earlier than normal for extensive production line changes. Consequently, I was off for a month starting the end of July. When I returned at the end of August before school resumed, only 3-4 engines completed the line that first night (whereas the normal rate was 1 every 15 seconds).

Finally, I believe the F-Type is also being offered shortly as a 2014 model.
Regards,

Submitted by dougdwyer1@com… on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 10:24

I'm a million miles away from being an authority, so I may well be talking out of my hat, but I didn't think Jaguar itself assigned formal model year designations to E-types....although perhaps Jaguar USA did? Or whoever the distributor was at the time?

As for USA legalities I think the standard is that x-y-z model year designation can touch January 1st only once, if you get what I mean.

It can be a confusing subject. My 1988 XJS carried an actual 1988 VIN...but was bult in Feb 1987. In Jaguar USA literature it was indeed a 1988 model year car. In Jaguar tech literature/parts literature it was referred to as a "1987?¢" model year.

Later...early 90s....Jaguar (or Jaguar USA) delayed/manipulated model year designations/changes on XJSs to accomodate emission control legalities, or so I'm told.

Sorry....I'm strying off topic....

Cheers
DD

Submitted by azmmgm@yahoo.com on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 09:37

I agree with William. The "norm" is that production is usually terminated in April-May. The factories were closed for a period of 2 to 4 weeks for retooling in June-July and the production of the new year vehicles were normally started in July-August.
A new vehicle produced at the factory takes anywhere from 2 weeks to two months to be shipped to a dealer for sale depending on where the vehicle was being shipped to.
So your vehicle produced in Oct. 1969, as a 1970 vehicle, if a US car, probably took a month or more to get to the dealership and was actually not delivered or registered until Dec, 1969 or sometime in 1970. Registration of a vehicle for plates could be misleading because it is only registered after a sale which could be the year produced, in your case 1969 or any year after.
Starting back in the mid to late 80's(just a guess on the years) a vehicle for a new year can be introduced for sale much earlier. Example, a 2014 can legally be released for sale in the US, I believe, around April I, 2013. The 2014 Corvette which is being produced as I write.

Submitted by bonnettoboot@e… on Fri, 03/15/2013 - 20:38

In the UK, the new model year began on 1st August, most manufactures start the model year in the previous year.

Submitted by alan.barc@veri… on Fri, 03/15/2013 - 17:25

As an example, my 1970 E-Type shows a manufactured date of October 1969