03-06-2014, 09:03 AM
That must be a NZ thing. Here in the U.S. we use the model year for motor vehicles. Model year determines resale value as well as taxation values (where motor vehicles are taxed). The year digit in the VIN specifies the model year, which is why they also indicate the date of manufacture separately.
Back in '96 I bought my brand new '93 CB750 (still in the crate). It was sold and registered as a '93 model and I also paid less because that brand new bike was 3 model years older than the current model.
I know of a few cases over the years where a customer successfully sued a dealership for misrepresenting the model year of a new vehicle. The key was a contract stating that the vehicle was the newer year, when the VIN indicated that it was not.
Back in '96 I bought my brand new '93 CB750 (still in the crate). It was sold and registered as a '93 model and I also paid less because that brand new bike was 3 model years older than the current model.
I know of a few cases over the years where a customer successfully sued a dealership for misrepresenting the model year of a new vehicle. The key was a contract stating that the vehicle was the newer year, when the VIN indicated that it was not.