<P> Industry practice varies between markets according both to the level of exports to North America, and to the extent to which US - owned subsidiaries dominate the domestic automarket . In the 1960s and 1970s, many new models were traditionally introduced at the London or Paris motor shows during October, and manufacturers owned by US corporations as well as domestically controlled UK auto - makers tended to follow US auto - industry conventions in respect of model years . The concept was never so universally applied in Europe as in North America, however, and since the 1980s, the more commercially critical European Motor Shows have been the March Geneva Motor Show and the September Frankfurt Motor Show or Paris Motor Show . New models have increasingly been launched in June or July even in the UK, where the two remaining US - owned subsidiaries no longer design and build distinctively British Ford and Vauxhall models . All this has left the US - style model - year concept increasingly absent from the European domestic automarkets . </P> <P> An automotive model year is categorically defined by the 10th digit of the vehicle identification number (VIN), and simply indicates any manufacturer - specified evolution in mid-cycle of a model range - such as revised paint options, trim options or any other minor specification change . The 10th VIN digit does not relate to the calendar year which the car is built, although the two may coincide . For example, a vehicle produced between July 2006 and June 2007 may have a 7 as the 10th digit of the VIN, and another vehicle produced between July 2007 and June 2008 may have an 8 in the 10th digit - with the change - over date varying depending on manufacturer, model and year . </P> <P> In the United States, automobile model - year sales traditionally begin with the fourth quarter of the preceding year . So model year refers to the sales model year; for example, vehicles sold during the period from October 1 to September 30 of the following year belong to a single model year . In addition, the launch of the new model - year has long been coordinated to the launch of the traditional new television season (as defined by A.C. Nielsen) in late September, because of the heavy dependence between television to offer products from automakers to advertise, and the car companies to launch their new models at a high - profile time of year . </P> <P> In other cases, products of a previous model year can continue production, especially if a newer model hasn't yet been released . In that case, the model year remains the same until a new model is introduced . This is to ensure that the model will be seen by the public, and will actually sell a number of vehicles before a new vehicle - model is produced, and people will look at the newer model rather than the previous one . </P>

When does the new car model year start