Independent automotive reference
About Car Model History
Car Model History is an independent research archive built to answer a deceptively difficult question: what changed on one specific car in one specific model year?
Why the archive exists
A model name can span decades, markets, body styles, engines, transmissions, trims, and regulatory eras. Broad summaries blur those differences. We map the lineage first, then publish exact-year and exact-configuration pages only as the supporting evidence becomes strong enough for that level of detail.
The site is operated by Fireproof Studio LLC in Dothan, Alabama. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any vehicle manufacturer.
How we research a vehicle
- Define the identity. We separate model year, market, body style, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain, and factory package when the evidence supports the pairing.
- Start with primary records. Factory brochures, order guides, owner manuals, service schedules, specification sheets, safety filings, agency rules, and manufacturer media archives take priority.
- Corroborate gaps. Period road tests, established marque references, museum records, and reputable historical archives can clarify context, but they do not silently override factory documentation.
- Label the boundary. A generation-level fact is not presented as exact-year evidence. An engine offering is not called an exact configuration unless its body, trim, and transmission pairing is supported.
- Show the sources. Researched year guides and current explainers include visible source ledgers so readers can inspect the evidence themselves.
What “researched” means here
The catalog contains structural records that help people browse the automotive landscape, but route count is not the same as editorial completeness. Pages that have not cleared our research threshold remain outside Google’s index and advertising inventory. Missing facts are left missing rather than filled with plausible guesses.
Maintenance and parts standards
Maintenance intervals are tied to a published schedule and its applicable market whenever one is available. Product links are not proof of fitment. Exact-product links require a catalog-backed reference and a visible applicability statement; otherwise we provide a clearly labeled search link and tell the reader to verify the vehicle, engine, and installed part before ordering.
Photography and licensing
Vehicle photographs are stored locally, rendered responsively, and credited beside the image. We record the creator, source, license, and any disclosed crop. An exact-year image is identified separately from a representative generation image. A page without verified photography does not borrow an unrelated car merely to fill space.
Current news and regulation coverage
Time-sensitive explainers distinguish enacted statutes, required rulemaking, proposed rules, final rules, enforcement allegations or orders, and voluntary manufacturer choices. Legal-status claims link to current primary government sources and carry honest publication and review dates.
Corrections
Automotive records conflict, and mistakes can happen. If you find one, email carmodelhistory@fireproof.studio with the page URL, the disputed statement, and the strongest source you have. We review corrections against the source hierarchy above and update the page when the evidence supports a change.
How the site is funded
Car Model History may earn commissions from clearly disclosed affiliate links and intends to use display advertising on eligible editorial pages. Commercial relationships do not determine which vehicles we cover, the facts we publish, or the outcome of a correction review. Read the full Affiliate Disclosure, Privacy Policy, and contact information.