[drewm]

Wasnt sure where to post this, but I had a question as to when the new year model Pontiacs would come out each year? In other words, If I wanted to be the first in line to buy a new 67 Pontiac, what month would I have to go to the dealer and when would I get my new car? And did factories manufacture one year and then the next day start manufacturing the new year cars? I would assume they would shut down for retooling?

[dhcarguy]

Originally Posted by drewm

Wasnt sure where to post this, but I had a question as to when the new year model Pontiacs would come out each year? In other words, If I wanted to be the first in line to buy a new 67 Pontiac, what month would I have to go to the dealer and when would I get my new car? And did factories manufacture one year and then the next day start manufacturing the new year cars? I would assume they would shut down for retooling?

When we were kids, me and my friends would ride our bikes to the local Pontiac dealer to see the new cars. I think it was the last week of August when they showed up. But then again, I have a terrible memory LOL

[RFCOLEMAN]

As I remember it, dhcarguy is right. Back to school, new TV shows, and new cars.

[Sirrotica]

September, as I remember it. It was after Labor Day when I would be returning to school from summer vacation.

[Simple Man]

We scrapped a 73 GTO years ago, that had a build date of 8/72

[mgarblik]

I lived close to 2 new car dealers, one a Pontiac dealer and one a Ford dealer. I remember the first week of Sept. being when the big introduction displays went up and new cars were being shuffled around and such. If there was a completely new model, often time they would be under a cover or blanket until "reveal day" early September. I remember distinctly a 427 AC Cobra under cover at the Ford dealer and all the hoopla when it was "revealed" . Similar situation with the 70 TA at the Pontiac dealer, but that was a very late introduction, possibly February 1970. Both the dealers were on my paper route so I rode my bike past them every day. BTW, I delivered papers on a green Schwinn Stingray with the "nut buster" stick shift.

[muscle_collector]

here in tulsa it was always at the end of august or first of september when you started seeing them on the lots. my dad would take me every year to look at all the new cars. back then it was a really big deal. sadly nowdays they dont change enough to even notice a difference from year to year.

[Keith Seymore]

Here are the start/stop dates for the production model years as listed in the Gunnell's Standard Catalog of Pontiacs.

It doesn't say, but I assume these are specific to the Pontiac Michigan facility and the other satellite locations were brought on sequentially, incorporating the learnings from the launch team at the "home plant".

My '65 GTO was built in Pontiac, Michigan.

The body was built the first week of September of 1964 ("09A"). The build was completed on 9/18/64 and the car was invoiced on 9/21/64 (which I am told was the first day a car could be sold for the '65 model year).

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by drewm

And did factories manufacture one year and then the next day start manufacturing the new year cars? I would assume they would shut down for retooling?

Depends on how much change there was from year to year.

Historically - yes. The plants would shut down for retooling and then fire back up on a specific schedule.

On the other hand, during the GM "squarebody" pickup era (1973 - 1987 ish) there were some model years where the change was minimal (like, say, from 1983 to 1984, or 1985 to 1986). The line did not stop and we did what was known as a "Rolling Model Change". There might be an empty carrier on the line to provide some space, and then the new model truck would follow right behind it with a handmade sign in the windshield designating it as the first of the new year.

I've been on a few programs where the VINs did not start over; they just kept incrementing up one by one based on the previous model year.

K

[Stuart]

It turns out Wikipedia has a page on automotive model years. Interestingly, it has to do with a presidential executive order by FDR:

The concept of yearly styling updates (a practice adopted from the fashion industry) was introduced to General Motors' range of cars by Alfred P. Sloan in the 1920s. This was an early form of planned obsolescence in the car industry, where yearly styling changes meant consumers could easily discern a car's newness, or lack of it. Other major changes to the model range usually coincided with the launch of the new model year; for example the 1928 model year of the Ford Model A began production in October 1927 and the 1955 model year of the Ford Thunderbird began production in September 1954.

Model year followed with calendar year until the mid 1930s until then president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to release vehicle model years in the fall of preceding year in order to standardize employment in the automotive industry. The practice of beginning production of next year's model before the end of the year has become a long-standing tradition in America.

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

[Sirrotica]

I was thinking it was roughly the third Monday of September where I lived, (Erie PA) during the 60s. Being a motorhead in my early teens I was eagerly awaiting the new Pontiac models in the mid sixties.

I remember watching the new shows of Bonanza, that shoveorleaveit sponsored, and seeing the new fastback roofline of the 65 B body chevy. They would show teaser commercials before the new cars came out just showing a second or two of the new cars. You couldn't stop the action back in the day because video recording hadn't been seen yet. You had to remember to the best of your recollection what the commercial showed in that teaser split second.

Back then when there were major design changes to all cars every 2-3 years it was a big deal. The auto companies hyped it up or all it was worth.

[242177P]

67 Pontiacs went on sale September 29th, 1966. Same with the Camaro, so likely
other GM divisions as well. Unlike Keith's earlier example of (9/21, Monday) the 67
release fell on a Thursday.

[muscle_collector]

not sure how it was everywhere, but around here in the 80's some of the dealers would get the new models in but were not allowed to actually sell them until a certain date.

[lust4speed]

I'm really surprised that one of us doesn't have a list of introduction dates. It seemed that every year the manufacturers would one-up the other and the cars would come out earlier every year. My own recollection was the middle of September for the 1967's.

[drewm]

All very interesting information. I recently got the PHS documents for my 66 gto project, and it shows an order date of June 1, 1966. I wonder how many cars were ordered after that. I would think that orders that late in the model year would slow to a crawl, with many people waiting the few months until the new models came out.

[TAKerry]

I suppose somewhat related to what Keith S said about the trucks, my 77 t/a was build the 3rd week of sept. It has a few leftover 76 bits in it. 76 window switch and 76 door panels.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Stuart

It turns out Wikipedia has a page on automotive model years. Interestingly, it has to do with a presidential executive order by FDR:

The concept of yearly styling updates (a practice adopted from the fashion industry) was introduced to General Motors' range of cars by Alfred P. Sloan in the 1920s. This was an early form of planned obsolescence in the car industry, where yearly styling changes meant consumers could easily discern a car's newness, or lack of it. Other major changes to the model range usually coincided with the launch of the new model year; for example the 1928 model year of the Ford Model A began production in October 1927 and the 1955 model year of the Ford Thunderbird began production in September 1954.

Model year followed with calendar year until the mid 1930s until then president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to release vehicle model years in the fall of preceding year in order to standardize employment in the automotive industry. The practice of beginning production of next year's model before the end of the year has become a long-standing tradition in America.

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

It's much more "loose" these days. The Program Team (ie, Vehicle Line Director and supporting disciplines - Engineering, Marketing, Program Mgmt, Purchasing, etc) will make use of every ounce of leeway allowed.

For example, we designed the GMT800 versions of the GMC Denali and Cadillac Escalade at the same time.

The Denali was designated a 2001 model and released in September of 2000.

The Escalade was designated a 2002 model year. It was released on January 2, 2001, and ran all of 2001 calendar year and then through the more normal breakpoint of September of 2002. The only regulatory constraint was that we could not have two "January 1sts" in the same model year.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Stuart

It turns out Wikipedia has a page on automotive model years. Interestingly, it has to do with a presidential executive order by FDR:

The concept of yearly styling updates (a practice adopted from the fashion industry) was introduced to General Motors' range of cars by Alfred P. Sloan in the 1920s. This was an early form of planned obsolescence in the car industry, where yearly styling changes meant consumers could easily discern a car's newness, or lack of it. Other major changes to the model range usually coincided with the launch of the new model year; for example the 1928 model year of the Ford Model A began production in October 1927 and the 1955 model year of the Ford Thunderbird began production in September 1954.

Model year followed with calendar year until the mid 1930s until then president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to release vehicle model years in the fall of preceding year in order to standardize employment in the automotive industry. The practice of beginning production of next year's model before the end of the year has become a long-standing tradition in America.

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

Early Fords don't seem to follow a model year breakpoint.

When restoring a Model A you need to know when it was built in order to source the correct replacement part; (ie "prior to June of '29 use this lug nut, after June of '29 use this lug nut, etc).

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by drewm

All very interesting information. I recently got the PHS documents for my 66 gto project, and it shows an order date of June 1, 1966. I wonder how many cars were ordered after that. I would think that orders that late in the model year would slow to a crawl, with many people waiting the few months until the new models came out.

I guess I'm the opposite.

I saw the '81 Chevy pickups and didn't like them so I hurried and ordered an '80.

I saw the '88 Chevy pickups and didn't like them so I hurried and ordered an '87.

My dad used to tease me; he'd say "you would have seen the '55 Chevy's and not liked them and hurried to buy a '54!"

K

[burd]

New Birds are out