[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Yes some models are out already. The days of the second week in September being new car introduction date are long past. The only requirement for new model production is for example a 2021 anything must meet the emission and fuel mileage, (if any), requirements for the model year they represent. My guess is they have the standards 3 years ahead. You make a very good point though. The new 2019 with the $7500.00 discount is going to be 3 years old in a few months!!

The funny thing is, bringing out a new car a full year early is not really a new concept.

Remember, these came out in 1979

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

The funny thing is, bringing out a new car a full year early is not really a new concept.

Remember, these came out in 1979

The 1980 Citation was introduced in April 1980 - far from a full year early. More like 5 months.

Makes more sense than when Ford introduced the Mustang on April 17th 1964 as a 1964 model, based on the 1964 Ford Falcon.

Coincidentally, my 1964 GTO Convertible was built on April 17th, 1964.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by The Champ

The 1980 Citation was introduced in April 1980 - far from a full year early. More like 5 months.

Makes more sense than when Ford introduced the Mustang on April 17th 1964 as a 1964 model, based on the 1964 Ford Falcon.

Coincidentally, my 1964 GTO Convertible was built on April 17th, 1964.

I worked for a Chevy dealer back then.

In April 1979, the Citation was released as a 1980

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Citation

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

I worked for a Chevy dealer back then.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Citation

Chief, you didn't mention if you were a tech or some other position in the dealer in 1979. I was working as a tech at the Pontiac dealer when they launched. Of course, our version was the Phoenix. What a NIGHTMARE!!!. We didn't get our first service manual until October!!! The cars were out for 7 months and no service information!! First GM car with computer feedback fuel systems, first GM car with power rack and pinion steering, first GM car with FWD and a transverse drivetrain. Holy Crap, we just stood there looking at each other like the space shuttle had just landed in the parking lot. Talk about GM setting them up for total failure. I got my first training on those cars at the GM training center in Cincinnati around Christmas, 1979. We literally had dozens of those cars dead at the dealer for months with not a single tech willing to work on them. Finally, the dealer had to agree to pay the top tech straight time on all X car repairs to get them out of the dealer.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Chief, you didn't mention if you were a tech or some other position in the dealer in 1979. I was working as a tech at the Pontiac dealer when they launched. Of course, our version was the Phoenix. What a NIGHTMARE!!!. We didn't get our first service manual until October!!! The cars were out for 7 months and no service information!! First GM car with computer feedback fuel systems, first GM car with power rack and pinion steering, first GM car with FWD and a transverse drivetrain. Holy Crap, we just stood there looking at each other like the space shuttle had just landed in the parking lot. Talk about GM setting them up for total failure. I got my first training on those cars at the GM training center in Cincinnati around Christmas, 1979. We literally had dozens of those cars dead at the dealer for months with not a single tech willing to work on them. Finally, the dealer had to agree to pay the top tech straight time on all X car repairs to get them out of the dealer.

I wanted the body shop but had to start at the bottom as a lot boy in '76(?). By the time I made it to the body shop I went to Ford then...… Well... You know how working at dealerships go. HaHa!

I just remember those Citations coming in early and had to be locked in a separate fenced in lot so no one could see them until the "Big Announcement" like GM thought they were something special. They were special alright. People laugh about the Vega and the Chevette, those people don't know squat unless they experience what a POS that Citation was.

[455Grandville]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Chief, you didn't mention if you were a tech or some other position in the dealer in 1979. I was working as a tech at the Pontiac dealer when they launched. Of course, our version was the Phoenix. What a NIGHTMARE!!!. We didn't get our first service manual until October!!! The cars were out for 7 months and no service information!! First GM car with computer feedback fuel systems, first GM car with power rack and pinion steering, first GM car with FWD and a transverse drivetrain. Holy Crap, we just stood there looking at each other like the space shuttle had just landed in the parking lot. Talk about GM setting them up for total failure. I got my first training on those cars at the GM training center in Cincinnati around Christmas, 1979. We literally had dozens of those cars dead at the dealer for months with not a single tech willing to work on them. Finally, the dealer had to agree to pay the top tech straight time on all X car repairs to get them out of the dealer.

I was told by a dealer mechanic they never could get them to run correctly with all the emissions. Although antiquated the 1984 throttle body that replaced carbs on the 2.5 was the fix.

[455Grandville]

Originally Posted by The Champ

The 1980 Citation was introduced in April 1980 - far from a full year early. More like 5 months.

Makes more sense than when Ford introduced the Mustang on April 17th 1964 as a 1964 model, based on the 1964 Ford Falcon.

Coincidentally, my 1964 GTO Convertible was built on April 17th, 1964.

The Citation was out in the spring of 1979, I know because one of our relatives bought a red hatchback and at my parents 1980 New Years party they were complaining about how troublesome it was.

[tigergto]

[QUOTE=The Champ;

Makes more sense than when Ford introduced the Mustang on April 17th 1964 as a 1964 model, based on the 1964 Ford Falcon.
.[/QUOTE]

There are no Mustangs registered as a 1964. The Mustangs that came out in April of 64 are all registered as 65’s. Some refer to them unofficially as 64 1/2.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by tigergto

There are no Mustangs registered as a 1964. The Mustangs that came out in April of 64 are all registered as 65’s. Some refer to them unofficially as 64 1/2.

While I believe you are correct as far as what the DMV's did...

This is what Ford says on that matter:

If you're looking to get an idea of the Mustang's sales and how each model was received, it's best to look at yearly American sales. We've built a list of car sales by model year using data from Ford, as well as historical information from The Mustang Source, Edmunds Mustang History, RideLust, and Wikipedia's Mustang sales sources.

Ford separates the production numbers for the early production Mustangs from the 1965 models because they were different.

The early production cars only had the 170 ci 6 or the 260 ci V8's available. The true 1965 models didn't have those engine options. For the true 1965 models, as defined by Ford, the engine options included the 200 ci 6 and the 289 2bbl and 4bbl.