WikiProject Automobiles - General Article Standards

Multi-generational articles

What to include:

The section on a single generation should begin with an overview of the vehicle's design, and what set it apart from the previous generation. An overview of available engines, with power and torque ratings should be included, as well as the available transmissions. Following that should be a year-by-year changes paragraph, which will generally be written in prose and not as a list.

A table of trim, engine, power/torque output, and transmission availability is permissible if useful and kept simple.

Links to web sites on a vehicle that include tech information should be included.

What not to include:

Service information. Information that would be covered in a service manual.
Performance upgrades. These should only be included if they are of great importance or inherently unique to that car. An example of this would be the "SHOgun" Ford Festiva.
Lists of options. A full list of options for most vehicles would be excessive and unmaintainable. As would lists of paint codes, RPO codes, etc. These are best left ot fan sites, which as said before should be linked to. Noting important new features in the prose is acceptable though.

Forum-only web sites are strictly prohibited.

Image usage

There are a number of standards regarding image quality. We will also have standards regarding how to choose and place images.

Head image. This is the image in the main infobox. This image does not need to be of the newest incarnation of that car. Rather, it should be either an image of the most important incarnation of that automobile or simply the best image.

Generation highlight image. Since poorly lit or hazy images are not acceptable, the main consideration in this case should be angle. The front 3/4 view showing the front and side of the car in roughly equal proportions is preferred. These images will be upgraded if needed. A promotional-quality (usually owner-taken) image is ideal and should not need to be changed.

Other images. Images of facelifts, different body styles, et cetera should be dispersed through the text. An image of a car's facelift should be aligned with the text regarding that facelift. The car's position in other images should focus on what makes that image necessary. For instance, an image of a station wagon should be taken from the rear 3/4.