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Re: Title Question

To: Kent Baker <kentb@qualcomm.com>
Subject: Re: Title Question
From: Steve Laifman <laifman@flash.net>
Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1999 11:09:18 -0800
Kent Baker wrote:

>  The young lady at DMV in Ohio, birth date
> 1970, isn't sure what happened, but believes the car is
> titled as a 1967 because it was manufactured in late 1966
> and sold in 1967.  Do I believe this story or not?

Kent,

Can't answer for Ohio, but here, in California (Inventor of the Damned Motor
Vehicle Department) the car is registered based upon the model year of the car,
not the manufacture date.  In the past, all American automobile companies used 
to
"introduce" their new arrangement of chrome strips in the same month, if not
week,  They would make a big deal of 'suspense' advertising, with cars covered
with a sheet.  They were delivered to the dealer a week before introduction, all
wrapped like a mummy.   The dealer would even soap up his windows.

Announcement Day was a BFD, with a Grand Showing of the 'New Model'.  This
happened in late fall, and became the official date of the new model year.

Foreign cars had it tougher.  First, they didn't actually have an annual 'new 
car
release' date.  They just introduced them as they saw fit.  Sometimes they would
accumulate some changes for year end, but mostly just changed as the new parts
arrived.  The problem was that there was up to three months of cross Atlantic
shipping involved between manufacture for export and arrival.  So, accommodating
American marketing practices was a little difficult.  They did manage to start
reserving changes for a fall release, but the cars got here in the following 
year.

Didn't bother the DMV.  The foreign car dealers had to compete, so everything 
that
was sold in the 'new model year' fall introduction was considered a car of the
next year, no matter when it was made.  When the 'real' changed vehicles 
arrived,
they too were a 'late' model year change.  The Earl's Court and other foreign 
car
shows would spill the beans on major changes, but it was mostly introductions of
really new cars that people watched for, not chrome trim changes. The MG-TF,  
The
MGA, the Austin-Healy 100-4, the XK-E, The Mk II Jag, nobody held their breath 
for
what Morgan might do (nothing).

My car was built in Feb. '65, but was kept around the warehouse, or dealers 
floor,
until October, and came out registered as a '66.  AT that time it meant the
difference between bi-annual smog testing, or no tests.  I registered the car on
purchase, and made a case for the DMV officer with Norman's book, and xerox 
copies
of friends cars with later serial numbers and '65 registration.  I convinced 
her,
and I got my registration changed.

Then the law was changed allowing cars 20 years or older to not require
inspection.  Oh well, at least it is correct now.

So, unless you can show some proof of mis-registration (and take care they don't
decide to give you a State Number, your stuck with the date-of-sale tradition.

Steve



--
Steve Laifman         < Find out what is most     >
B9472289              < important in your life    >
                      < and don't let it get away!>

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