What Is The Make and Model of A Car – Find My Car’s Make And Model

What is the make and model of a car is the first question that comes to mind when a car enthusiast is either buying or selling one.

This question might not make sense to a first time buyer but holds more value than you can imagine.

Make & model is like the complete address of your automobile, where make tells you about the automaker or brand of the vehicle and model tells you about the particular car made by that brand.

Furthermore, the model year of the car also has an important significance because it implies when the model is built and what features it has. So apart from the model, you need to check its year also.

Today in this article, we will explore the various queries related to the make and model of the car.

What Does It Mean by Make And Model Of Car?

The car make model might seem unusual and unnecessary words to some people, but it refers to the description of your vehicle.

Let us try to understand this with a simple example. Imagine someone asking you about your dream car. You either describe its features, color, and style, or you may give them the name, say, Bugatti Veyron.

Here, by mentioning the Bugatti Veyron, you are telling the other person about the cars makes and model.

Knowing the make and model of your car also helps when you find a specific part for your vehicle while repairing and upgrading it. 

There are three major components of a vehicle, namely,

1. Make
2. Model
3. Year

All three components combine to form a particular vehicle and give the exact picture of a vehicle.

1. Make

Associating the word “make” when describing an automobile refers to its automaker. The word make is a synonym for the brand that is manufactured.

So, if someone asks you what is the make of a car? You answer them with the brand name of that particular vehicle.

Thus, when you say your dream car is Bugatti Veyron, you tell the other person that the make or maker of your dream car is Bugatti. The make of the vehicle is also known as car brand, auto manufacturer, or automaker. So do not confuse when you hear any of these names.

Also Read: 7 Best Handling Cars You Can Go For – Reviews & Specification.

Some of the Best Selling Cars Makers Around the Globe:

• Toyota
• Honda
• Volkswagen
• Nissan
• Ford
• BMW
• Audi
• Fiat
• Porsche

Car’s make or car brands are multinational corporations that are sometimes strongly associated with their homeland. For example:

1. Ford, Chrysler, and Chevrolet are the American manufacturers
2. Hyundai, and Kia is the Korean automakers
3. Nissan, Honda, Subaru (Subaru Forester), Mazda, and Toyota are the Japanese carmakers
4. Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche, and Fiat are the European car manufacturers

So when talking about any car’s make, we are organically talking about its manufacturer. So, if you want to know about the make of someone’s car, ask them about the brand they own.

– Brands Owned By the Same Manufacturer

With the automobile industry being so vast, several carmakers exist. Some companies or manufacturers are so big that they own more than one brand.

You may find it shocking, but it is not uncommon for a manufacturer to own various distinctive brands.

The ownership can be the result of a merger, a new launch, or targeting a new marketplace. Like the top Japanese car brand, Honda introduced a new car brand named Acura to its lineup in 1986 to start developing luxury cars under the name of Acura.

Below we have a list of some of the famous world-renowned car manufacturers along with the famous car brands they own.

1. Volkswagen

• Audi
• SEAT
• ŠKODA
• Bentley
• Bugatti
• Lamborghini
• Porsche
• Ducati
• Scania
• MAN

2. General Motors

• Cadillac
• Buick
• Chevrolet

3. Toyota Motor Corporation

• Lexus
• Scion
• Daihatsu
• Hino Motors

4. Tata Motors

• Jaguar
• Land Rover

In addition to this, sometimes companies launch new brands to target a particular kind of customer base.

It is like a manufacturer that is well known for its high end luxurious cars. It then launches a new brand that makes affordable rides, specifically targeting average income generators in the market.

e.g. the Ford Motor Company sells its products under two distinct brands that too based on the price difference.

The company sells its high end luxury models under the Lincoln brand, whereas it sells its affordable models under the Ford brand.

Thus, you can see how one manufacturer can own different make and work through them with different goals and targets.

Also Read: 6 Most Expensive Cars in the World of All Time

2. Model

The model of a car is the next step in describing it. When you are done telling someone about your car’s make, it still might not answer their curiosity.

Talking only about make does not fit as it still leaves so many possibilities. However, the model will help you narrow down your result even more.

Model is the specific type of vehicle produced by the maker of your vehicle. Say someone tells you that they own Chevrolet Camaro.

Here, Chevrolet is the make, and Camaro is the model of the car. Without knowing the model, it will get hard to narrow down the possible vehicle from hundreds of types produced by the company.

Below I have some better ways to help you understand the concept of the model associated with makers.

1. Toyota Camry– Toyota is the car make, Camry is the make model
2. Chevrolet Camaro– Chevrolet is the car make, Camaro is the make model
3. Honda Civic– Honda is the car make, Civic is the make model

Different companies have different styles of naming their vehicles. Some choose the number system, while some go for unique combinations.

For example, let us talk about Toyota. Toyota is the biggest auto manufacturer in the world. The company has a unique way of naming its car models.

Toyota most often names its vehicles or models that reference architecture, crowns, royalty, and mythology.

• Toyota Camry– Here, the model name Camry is a reference to the Japanese word which means crown.
• Toyota Corolla– This model name Corolla refers to the outer crowning portion of a flower.
• Toyota Sequoia– The model name Sequoia is named after the Sequoia tree.

Thus, you can see how not only the brand but the model helps in defining a vehicle. Thus, you can understand a lot about a vehicle via its make & model.

3. Model Year

The first thought that a person not familiar with cars comes through is what does it mean by model year?

Sometimes even after knowing the make and model of a vehicle, it remains hard to find out which car is being considered.

The model year is the component that helps in creating the difference between the label and design of a motor vehicle.

Remember, the model year of a car is not necessarily the year it was manufactured. Automobile companies are known to make updates to their previous year’s car versions.

Thus, when that redesigned model is launched in the market apparently with the same name, the company ensures that buyers know the difference between the new & the old one by associating the year of redesigning.

Let me help you to understand better with a few examples:

2023 Ford Mustang

• Make– Ford
• Model– Mustang
• Model Year– 2023

2023 BMW M3

• Make– BMW
• Model– M3
• Model Year– 2023

2023 Toyota 86

• Make– Toyota
• Model– 86
• Model Year– 2023

Here the Ford Mustang is being manufactured since the 90s. Thus to make sure consumers do not confuse the latest launch with the former models, the company specifies it with the model year to ensure it is a new one.

Thus, you can see how the make, model, and model year helps in distinguishing one vehicle from the other along with its former versions.

Differentiate Between The Vehicles Of the Same Model

Despite being made by the same brand, vehicles do hold their individuality which is also true for the vehicles that are of the same model.

The questions like what is the make of a car, hold nothing over differentiating between two vehicles that are of the same model.

Truth to be told, it sometimes is hard to form a difference between motor vehicles that have a similar origin. But few features can help you form the difference between the two.

• Body Style
• Trim Level
• Model Year

– Body Style

The basic build of any car is called its body style. In simpler terms, the general shape, size, and usage form the body style of a vehicle.

Some models even offer more than one body style to their customers. Here I have the list of some of the most common body styles that you might come across regularly:

• Sedan
• Coupe
• Convertible
• Hatchback
• SUV
• Wagon

All these body styles have distinguishable differences that help you separate the cars of the same model.

– Trim Level

Every car model offers a few trim levels to its buyers. The trim levels generally inform about the different interior and exterior features of the vehicle.

Generally, the trims are defined by initials like L, S, or EX. But apart from this, you will also see that some models even use names.

For example:

– The 2023 Toyota RAV4 is available in 6 trim levels, namely,

• LE
• XLE
• XLE Premium
• Adventure
• Limited
• TRD Off Road

– The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee is available in 10 trim levels, namely,

• Laredo E, 
• Laredo X
• Limited
• 80th Anniversary
• Trailhawk
• Overland
• High Altitude
• Summit
• SRT
• Trackhawk

The trim levels are based on the extravagance and performance of the car. So a base trim always exists that holds all the basic features the car has to offer.

The buyer can upgrade from the base trim to various available trims based on his requirements.

– Model Year

The crucial thing about a vehicle’s model that you need to grab is that it is not necessary that it the same year the model was manufactured.

Specifying the model year is significant as one model can go under huge change from one model to another.

If the year is not specified, people might end up buying an old one instead of the new one.

The model year begins in the fall of every year. So if you have your eyes on a car that has the model year 2023, you can purchase it in the model year 2023.

To know more about the new launches of 2024, you can check out our article- Upcoming New Cars In 2024 That Every Car Buyer Must Check Out.

Now that you are familiar with the concept of make, model, and model year, it should be easy for you to answer the questions like what is the make and model of a car.

Find Out The Make And Model Of The Car

If you ever come across a vehicle and your curiosity gets the better of you to find out the make and model of the car, then there are a few easy steps to do so. You can apply them to find these details about your motor as well.

1. The first thing you can do is look at the rear of the vehicle. At the rear end of every vehicle, there are various badges or decals that indicate the make, model, and even body type of the vehicle.
2. Another way to find out about the make & model of wheels is by looking up its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). You can find it in your car on the driver’s side of the dashboard.

Significance of the label and design

The make, model, and model year hold specific power over the vehicle. Each of them has its significance that determines a vehicle’s value in every manner.

1. Price

The make and model of a car play a huge role in its value along with its model year. These three features along with other details like trim levels decide the price of a car.

Say you want to buy a 2023 Honda Civic-R then the model year 2023, the make Honda, model Civic-R, along with the trim level you choose will determine how much you will have to pay for this car.

2. Insurance Value

The make and model of your vehicle will decide the insurance you can get on your ride. It is well known that for some specific types of vehicles, insurance companies hold high premiums.

Thus to know if you are being ripped off by your insurance provider, you can crosscheck their offer with various other insurance providers with the help of these basic details of your car.

You will probably have to pay a higher premium for a 2023 car as compared to one made in 2022.

Top FAQs About What Is The Modal Of A Car

Conclusion

The make and model of a car play a major role in finding, pricing, and getting insurance coverage for it. You cannot find the particular details about a motor vehicle if you do not know the basic whereabouts of it.

To make sure you do not get haunted by the idea of describing a vehicle in front of others, Locar Deals make sure you get in-depth details on the matter. If you have any doubts or queries, please let us know in the comments below.