Why is model year introduction in the fall?

[Guest SalG (Sal Grenci)]

Can anyone tell me how model year introductions started in the fall? Why not the spring or the calendar year? Was this a marketing tool? Was it based on the agrarian economy?

[novaman]

To Show/sell What is new for the next year. Sounds good to me. The new model years used to be a big deal. The cars would be kept under cover until the offical day of the start of the new model year, usally in October. Big hype over the new styles, new features, etc.. Now it's more like we aren't selling this year's model very well so let's start selling next year's model in June. (My parents have gotten the first Chevrolet Lumina for a new model year in the June of the previous year). The features are treated more like oh.. that's just something else to lay with. I'd much rather watch some of the old tv ads than to watch any of the new ones.

[Guest]

Sal - It has been 48 years since I studied marketing, but it makes sense to me that you announce and display the NEW year's model before the NEW year arrives. It loses much of its glamour and excitement if in March you announce the NEW models. Hell, the year is not new anymore. <P>IT'S A MARKETING GIMMICK. <P>Back in 1940 Cadillac introduced most of the new models in the fall of '39, but a few body styles, the 62 series, were not produced until early in '40. I believe some of the 1st catalogues did not even picture these few body styles. This was an instance of a new model not being available at introduction time in the fall. However, it was not INTRODUCED in the spring, it just didn't become AVAILABLE until in the spring. At least that is the way I view it. I could be wrong. <P>All marketing, Sal ~ hvs<p>[ 11-23-2001: Message edited by: hvs ]

[randjflo60]

Didn't it also have a little to do with shutting down the shops and lines for retooling in the summer to allow for vacations? I remember when we lived in Detroit in the early 70's that it was a big deal that the assembly line workers got 2 weeks off for switch-over and retooling. But, I agree it was mostly marketing.<P>I did all the telephone work in the one fisher body plant and it was great that we could get in there the last week of August and 1st week of Sept. and get a lot of work done without the line running.<P>I could be wrong too. <p>[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: randjflo60 ]

[novaman]

Ron, which plant did you work at and what bodies did they build while you there? Sorry for asking a question that could show your age.

[Tom Deering]

I have read and heard the following account so often, that I always believed it was true. Around 1937 during the depths of the Depression, President Roosevelt approached the auto makers and encouraged them to introduce their new models early in order to stimulate the economy. I always believed that story because almost all '38 models looked like warmed over '37s with minor face lifts that obviously required little effort.<P> The industry slipped back to its traditional introduction dates that were coincident with the calendar. In '53-'54, President Eisenhower was faced with a sour economy and he lifted a page from Franklin Ds' book and "suggested" that the auto companies try it again.<P> I distinctly rememember '53 & '54 models being introduced concurrent with the new year. (my memory of useless trivia says new Chevys were introduced Jan 12, 1953) The 1955 models were introduced beginning in late September. The majority of all '55 models were introduced before the end of October 1954.<P> There are a lot of interesting tales out there on this subject. One story claims the manufacturers were trying to make their new model intros coincide with the Michigan State Fair. That was a big deal for them. Another story goes that Harlowe Curtice of G.M. started it by introducing the Corvette outside the traditional season. One thing is for sure: the '55 models were introduced in Autumn '54 and that practice has stayed intact for the most part,to this day.<P> Tom

[D Binger]

It goes back a lot further than what you are talking. Henry Ford introduced the Model A Ford the last of October 1927. There are several cars that I know of that are titled as a year earlier because they were the new model but purchaced in the old year and back then they must have titled them that way because that was when they were built and sold. Like the 1917 Buick that is titled a 1916, or the Overland titled as a 1914 but is a 1915. <P>Dan<p>[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: D Binger ]

[bubba]

I was told by the man who owned my owned my Buick in the 30's that Buick came out with the new models in August because farmers had more money then after harvesting their crops.<BR>This started way before the 1930's. Back to the teens if not earlier.

[randjflo60]

Novaman,<P>I actually worked for Michigan Bell at that time, but the assembly plant I worked in was on S. Fort St. North of River Rouge. I also worked in the Rouge Coke plant and Great Lakes Steel. That would have been from 1973 to 1977.

[ply33]

Not all manufacturers went to the fall new model introduction at the same time. Some manufacturers went to the fall introduction/model year in the 1920s. I think by the end of the 1930s all had done so.<P>The reason was marketing: It was noted that almost no cars were sold during winter time. Faced with closing the factories and laying off people every year, the manufactures figured out they could boost fall and winter sales by releasing the new models in the fall. That way they could even out the production during the year and a little away from the seasonal boom and bust production cycle. An empty idle factory is a money loosing factory and the fall model year was a way to avoid it.<p>[ 11-24-2001: Message edited by: ply33 ]

[Guest rcirilli]

It would also make sense to me that a manufacturer would want to get a jump on the winter season. If they came out with new cars in January people may be inclined to wait untill March or April to buy and avoid the winter weather. If they start hitting the road in october people start buying and others want to keep up rather than wait. It would keep the factories busy during a till of the year when they may other wise be slow. Just a thought, I'm old enough the remember new beeing covered too! Great fun that was. You could actually tell them apart! Imagine that Cars with identity!!

[D Binger]

<B>BOY HODWY</B>with the identiy ! ! !<P> Dan

[Tom Deering]

Dan,<BR> The second edition of Standard Catalog of Ford 1903-1998 claims the 1928 Model A was introduced December 2, 1927. It appears Model T production ended (sort of) at the end of May 1927. Whom do I believe? I wasn't there. <BR> And yes; what you say is very true about cars being titled with years different than their manufacturers model year. It looks like "Anything Goes" prior to the Depression. It seems like certain players weren't playing with a full deck. The Depression seemed to wring out some of the dreamers who lacked good business sense.<P> Tom

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Tom: Good post.<P>I recall the foreign car influx in the late '50's thru early '70's. If a car did not sell in a particular year, the dealers would title it for the year it "sold". Whenever people interested in restoring, especially young people, ask me questions at shows, I ask them to be cautious. The parts for a foreign car titled, i.e., in 1971 could cause confusion as the owners manual shows something different in 1972. In my case, the owner's manual for the 1972 TR-6 shows air pollution controls. There is none to be found on the car.

[gossjh]

It gets worse guys. I have a 1910/11 Empire Model C and it was advertised as a 1911 as early as July 1910. My car has a picture with a hand written date of the car August 28,1910 when it was a honeymoon car. Joe Goss<BR> gossjh@home.com

[Guest]

There seem to be many reasons for new model intros in the Fall most of it marketing. Many manufacturers started introducing new models in the early Fall and producing these cars starting in late July or early August with the 1924 or 1925 model year. I think they were trying to coincide "new cars" with the time when most people had money to spend (think agri-business economy of the small town, cash poor until the crops come in) and the weather was still good.<P>The king of new model marketing seems to have been GM. I know that Dodge changed their model years from annual to the split year starting with the new 1924s, which began production at mid year 1923. I'm not sure when Ford (which was about 50% of the market) started late Fall intros, but it was soon after. It's interesting that many states didn't follow this model year marketing trend at first. Your new car usually was dated from when it was sold and titled, not the manufacturer's model year.<P>And the monkey business with "new car models" started very early - I have a copy of a Ford ad for model K (I believe it was a 1906 car being sold as 1907 - the gist was "get it real cheap while we still have some left").<BR>And fooling around with model years was common, even in recent years i.e. there is no such thing as a 1964 1/2 Mustang - the first ones from about July 1964 to the end of the '65 production were officially '65s. It was also somewhat common even into the 50s to sell last year's unshipped factory inventory cars as current year models, even to the extent of making minor post-production changes in trim and badging. <P>And adding to this new model equation - some manufacturers had a well known policy of making running mechanical and cosmetic changes to their line of cars and introducing "added models" during the production year.

[Tom Deering]

Gentlemen,<BR> You have all presented some very interesting theories and historical info. Some of the history doesn't agree with what is documented in recognized auto history books but that's O.K.. You provided me the incentive to spend quite a few hours hitting the books trying to separate fact from fantasy.<BR>I'd like to share my findings with you. The baseline criteria was (1) the car had to be a recognized brand in 1920 and still be currently produced.(2) It had to be in the "popular" price range. The first obstacle was Ford. I never understood the man or his products when he was alive. I still don't understand the man but understand the products that carry his name after his death. During his lifetime, he seemed to use a combination of calendar years and his fiscal year for introducing new (?) models. This practice held true till the mid-'30s (Depression, FDR, etc.) when they changed to Autumn intros.<BR> Dodge and Buick had the overwhelming majority of their new model intros during the 20's in the Summer. July for Dodge, July & Aug for Buick. Early in the depression, they both drifted toward calendar year intros. In the mid-"30s (Depression, FDR, etc.) they too, switched to Autumn intros.<BR> Finally Chevrolet: All their model year intros except 1923, coincided with the calendar year. Either Dec. or Jan. were intro months. In the mid-'30s, (remember Depression, FDR etc.?), they too switched to Autumn intros.<P> New model announcement dates for ALL makes surveyed, remained in the Autumn until the declaration of WW II, which spelled the end of: yup; The Depression, FDR, AND any new models.<BR> <BR> Now if there are any history students out there who can research the arrival of a significant car show or any other effective motivator or even some MBA guru who declared to Detroit that this was "good business practice", and everybody fell in line all at the same time; we would sure like to hear about it.<P> My Opthamalogist couldn't have prescribed a better vision therapy exercise than what this thread motivated me to do.<P> Thanks Guys, Tom

[Chris Bamford]

Another example of the early practice of pre-dating model years ? The Kissel Motor Company started their 1912 model year in August 1911.<P>Serial numbers 600-6399 were allocated for the 1912 4-50 (50 HP) models. My 1912 Kissel is serial number 6206, and while I don't know when it was built, the transmission case has a (presumably manufacturing) date stamp of 12/11/11.<P>Our local fire department purchased a 1912 KisselKar Model 4-50 chief's car, which arrived in Edmonton October 09, 1911. Contemporary photos show without a doubt that it was indeed a 1912 model ? so modern, in fact, that it was factory-equipped with electric headlamps rather than the standard acetylene units.

[Guest]

Interesting thread. In the interests of accuracy there were differences in the production of Mustangs in 1964 and 1965 even though all were titled as 1965 models. Al