What is the Last Month????

[Beetlescott]

I was cleaning Ernie up today and looked at his birthday, which is August 1999. I know most auto makers start producing the following year in about July, and come out with it in August/September. So I got thinking about, What is the last month a car is usually made and still called that year? Like If Ernie was made in August of 99, the 2000s must of been on the assembly line. Anyone have any idea? I remember when I was a teenager, my sister's boyfriend, (who became her hubby) bought a 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxy 500. I'll never forget not being able to understand a 1963 & 1/2. Since the New Beetle is very much the same year after year, (mostly) how do they decide how to call it? Does anyone know if there were any differences in the 1999 and the 2000 model?

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by Beetlescott

I was cleaning Ernie up today and looked at his birthday, which is August 1999. I know most auto makers start producing the following year in about July, and come out with it in August/September. So I got thinking about, What is the last month a car is usually made and still called that year? Like If Ernie was made in August of 99, the 2000s must of been on the assembly line. Anyone have any idea? I remember when I was a teenager, my sister's boyfriend, (who became her hubby) bought a 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxy 500. I'll never forget not being able to understand a 1963 & 1/2. Since the New Beetle is very much the same year after year, (mostly) how do they decide how to call it? Does anyone know if there were any differences in the 1999 and the 2000 model?

June, sometimes earlier, dependent upon sales and dealer inventories. Plant, models change over, and then production starts in July, typically, for the next model year. Much depends on what is required to do the model change over.

The ½ designation is given when a vehicle is introduced later in the model year, not at the beginning of the model year, nothing to do with being half way through the model year or production period.

M.

[Beetlescott]

Thanks for the heads up! It's good to know. Since the 2000s were prolly already on the showroom floor in August of that year, Ernie rolled off the truck and onto the show room floor the same time the 2000s were being delivered! I guess he us just a very very late 1999.

[dnyed]

My Beetle is an August 2001 build, with many of the 01 features. But, she is a 2002 model. So many gray areas with VW.

[Blugg]

Originally Posted by dnyed

My Beetle is an August 2001 build, with many of the 01 features. But, she is a 2002 model. So many gray areas with VW.

My Bug has a 2002 plate, but is a 2003

[Beetlescott]

That is strange. My first NB, Felix, a 2003 had mostly 2002 features, but was listed as a 2003. like some 2003s had the lights on the side mirrors, Felix didn't have them.

[Blugg]

Originally Posted by Beetlescott

That is strange. My first NB, Felix, a 2003 had mostly 2002 features, but was listed as a 2003. like some 2003s had the lights on the side mirrors, Felix didn't have them.

I don't have those either

Only thing that changed was the trunk swivel opening badge has been replaced by the flat boring one

[dnyed]

My current 2002 has the swivel VW on the back hatch, had donut headrests (only two of them...) and a few interior differences that my 2002 Turbo S had as upgraded. My 2003 Turbo S had the side marker blinkers, was equally identical to my 02, and the 2003 TDI had mirror blinkers. Hard to tell the years of my two former TS's. Screwy thing that VW does. Or did.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Many things will depend upon factory inventory of parts and whether the change is a body style or not, such as the 1st Gen to 2nd Gen NB. Certainly a 1st Gen body would not have been produced and called an '06, but as an example, the TDI continued into the '06 probably because of a significant inventory of 1.9 engines, and production was discontinued when the inventory was depleted. Gen 1 production probably ceased when major body parts ran out, again that might depend upon whether the were using new tooling or reworked tooling to stamp the 2nd Gen parts.

More than likely the 2004TS was not produced throughout the model year. When VW placed the order for the last 180hp engine, they probably ordered the same number of bumpers from Votex, taking into account an ongoing parts inventory for Dealers, along with any other items specific to the TS. When the orders equalled the TS parts on hand, no more orders were taken.

When a body style continues to the next year, but certain features are discontinued or added, the change may occur in the previous year or the following year, and are called running changes. Examples would be the discontinuance of the midship side marker lights or the introduction of the signal mirrors.

This whole concept is not unique to VW, it is how all manufacturers operate, or they have other methods of disposing of major parts. As an example, when the body change over was made for GMs Chevy Suburban and GMC Denali they continued to produce the Chevy Suburban for the Central American market using GMC front ends and replacing the GMC logo in the GMC grille with a Chevy badge. Ditto with engines, I special ordered a 2000 Chevy truck with a big block, it was during the change over from the 7.4L to the 8.1L. They could not tell me which engine I would get. Got the old 7.4L.

Depending on the change and the feature you were hoping for or wish you didn't have, sometimes you win, sometimes you loose.

M.

[Beetlescott]

My buddy Jonk, gave me his stock wheels on his 2008 NB. They look great on Ernie. Twice now people have come up to me and asked "IS THAT ONE OF THOSE NEW BEETLES?" It always makes me smile. The last one was a shriner taking up money at an intersection. I feel great telling them he is 12 years old. So adding things from newer year models can really confuse people.

[squeebug]

my 04 was built in late 03 and didn't have the in dash CD player that started with 04 models, it also had wheels that I hadn't seen on any other 04 turbo.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Yep, as said, using up those outdated parts!

[Deserion]

In the case of the 2003 changeover, it was in late December '02 or at the beginning of January '03. The '03 TDI we had was a 1/03 build and had the updated mirrors, Jumbo-box console, and updated LCDs on the clock/thermometer.