User talk:SupraLance

Calendar years vs model years

Regarding you recent changes to Toyota Supra. North Americans like to use model years but other markets have no idea what model years mean. To readers from other countries, a 1981 Supra means the model that was introduced within the 1981 calendar year. To avoid ambiguity and confusion, we try not to say '1981 Supra' and try to only talk about calendar years (eg 'in 1981 the Supra ...'). All headings are in calendar years. Exceptions are allowed for purely US only vehicles (eg Ford Mustang) but international vehicles are always in terms of calendar years. Cheers. Stepho talk 23:41, 17 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I understand model years are primarily a North American designation, but I disagree with your assertion that other markets have no idea what they mean. Toyota Motor Company actually timed their major updates of the Supra to coincide with the North American Model Year, with production changes typically between July and August of each year. Most international manufacturers have done the same, and many international magazines have also adopted this method of identifying automobiles when reviewing and comparing models.

My primary issue with the current format of the Toyota Supra article is inconsistency. There are headings for 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, etc. but no heading for 1982 because the heading system changes midway. A reasonable person would conclude that there was no Supra manufactured in 1982, but this is wrong. A reasonable person would also conclude that the information under the heading 1981 refers to the 1981 Model Year, rather than the 1982 Model Year which began manufacture in 1981. For complete accuracy, these headings could all be changed to the format of "From 08/1981 to 08/1982, NAM MY 1982", but this level of information is more appropriate within the paragraph than in the heading.

For the purpose of a brief heading which will lead to minimal misunderstanding and allow comparison between different makes of cars available at the same time, utilizing the North American Model Year as the paragraph heading should be the preferred method for all cars produced for the North American market. The first line of the paragraph should clarify the meaning of the heading by stating actual dates of production. I contend that the majority of those who read English are familiar with this system and will not be confused by its use in an online English-language encyclopedia (while many have been confused by the placement of the Supra produced from 08/1981 to 08/1982 under the heading 1981).SupraLance (talk) 19:35, 18 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the reply. Since the discussion is now duplicated on the Supra talk page, I will put my full reply there when I get time later in the day. Cheers. Stepho talk 00:07, 19 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]