Does a car’s year legally mean year

[Snoranger]

“For the 1997 model year, the ninth generation was gradually phased out of production; the F-150 was replaced by the tenth-generation F-Series (see below)”

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“The tenth-generation F-Series was introduced in January 1996 as a 1997 model.

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That reads like a cut and paste from Wacko-pedia.


I was working at a Ford dealer back then. We got our first new body style f150 early in ‘96, I remember it because did the PDI on it. The day that the order bank opened on the ‘97 body style is the same day the order bank closed on the ‘96 old body style. (We sold a LOT of OBS trucks when that new body style hit the showroom. A lot of people didn’t like it.) So yes, there would have been some delivery and stock overlap... but there was never a ‘97 old body style F150, like you asked before.

 

[Bill]

To be considered a 2023, the model has to be in production on January 1st, 2023. They sometimes do stuff that doesn't seem logical to me. Ford never built a 1998 F250 or 350, they built 97's through December and started producing 99 Super Duties on January 2nd of 98 and continued the model year through the fall of 99. One of my old techs would look at the door tag for the model year but instead of the VIN, he'd go by the date- If he saw September or later he called it the next year. And ordered a bunch of wrong parts.

Model year and assembly/production date are two different things. I had a 1997 Ranger that was built in December 1996. The legal requirement that goes along with this is a model year must have a production date no earlier than the year prior to the model year. A 2023 model year can be built in January of 2022, but can't be built in December of 2021.

 

[Bill]

“For the 1997 model year, the ninth generation was gradually phased out of production; the F-150 was replaced by the tenth-generation F-Series (see below)”

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“The tenth-generation F-Series was introduced in January 1996 as a 1997 model.

I think that generation is a better looking truck than the tenth generation.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Weren’t they selling square and round nose F150s both as a ‘97 model year?

Nope. They were selling square nose 250's and 350's, and round nose 150's in 1997.

 

[DILLARD000]

YEAR\MAKE\MODEL as advertised & sold by automaker & dealers is mostly part of their LessThanHonest sales pitch, established decades ago.
Used car saleman would call a rust bucket vehicle built in 1955 a brand new 2025 model if they could make a profit from it & get away with it.
Government DMV title+licensing & Environmental regs are inherently drawn into the chaos created by automaker YEAR\MAKE\MODEL practices.

 

[Roert42]

That reads like a cut and paste from Wacko-pedia.


I was working at a Ford dealer back then. We got our first new body style f150 early in ‘96, I remember it because did the PDI on it. The day that the order bank opened on the ‘97 body style is the same day the order bank closed on the ‘96 old body style. (We sold a LOT of OBS trucks when that new body style hit the showroom. A lot of people didn’t like it.) So yes, there would have been some delivery and stock overlap... but there was never a ‘97 old body style F150, like you asked before.

That makes a lot of sense, thanks for clarifying.

 

[19Walt93]

Weren’t they selling square and round nose F150s both as a ‘97 model year?

No. The 97 F150 was the "round nose" model, F250's and 350's continued with the square style through the 97 calendar year.

 

[19Walt93]

There are no real rules... as long as it meets the requirements for the model year it claims to be, that what they call it. They only thing they can’t get away with is building a new vehicle and saying it’s an older vehicle. (They can’t build a ‘92 Ranger today and only have to meet ‘92 emissions and safety standards, just because they said it’s a ‘92.)
The dealer I worked at got our first ‘97 F150 in March of ‘96.

They can't build and sell a new vehicle that doesn't meet the current safety and emissions standards, regardless what they "call it".
There are laws about model year designation- read my earlier post for details.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'm just gonna answer the original question...

Does a car’s year legally mean year


Yes

 

[Curious Hound]

I'm just gonna answer the original question...

Does a car’s year legally mean year


Yes

Party pooper

 

[Uncle Gump]

#boomergonnaboom

 

[Chapap]

Anyone have one off Mazda's 201x.5 cars? What’s the registration say? I forget what year it was that I saw those, but the 201x and 201x.5 were separated on the site.

 

[RonD]

She said she was 18

 

[Snoranger]

Anyone have one off Mazda's 201x.5 cars? What’s the registration say? I forget what year it was that I saw those, but the 201x and 201x.5 were separated on the site.

All 1964.5 Mustangs are really just 1965s according to their VIN.

DONT LET SOMEONE WHO OWNS A ‘64-1/2 MUSTANG HEAR YOU SAY THAT!!!!! They’re worse than Lightning guys!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Nope. They were selling square nose 250's and 350's, and round nose 150's in 1997.

And round nose F-250LD's

All 1964.5 Mustangs are really just 1965s according to their VIN.

DONT LET SOMEONE WHO OWNS A ‘64-1/2 MUSTANG HEAR YOU SAY THAT!!!!! They’re worse than Lightning guys!

In the interest of arbitrary model years there is quite a few differences between a 64.5 and a 65 though which is why the nomenclature exists.

But yeah, legally both are '65's.