Out now: the Autocade Yearbook 2024
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Out now: Autocade Yearbook 2024

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'''When in doubt, look at the car'''
 
'''When in doubt, look at the car'''
''Autocade'' is based more on the marketing and lineage of the car than its actual engineering. Hence, there should be separate pages on each of the GM J-cars of 1981 on: ''Chevrolet Cavalier, Opel Ascona, Vauxhall Cavalier'' (deserving of a separate page due to the presence of an estate, but the page should feature references back to the Opel), ''Pontiac J2000, Cadillac Cimarron, Holden Camira, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Isuzu Florian Aska, Chevrolet Monza'' and others.
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''Autocade'' is based more on the marketing and lineage of the car than its actual engineering. Hence, there should be separate pages on each of the GM J-cars of 1981 on: ''Chevrolet Cavalier, Opel Ascona, Vauxhall Cavalier'' (deserving of a separate model page due to the presence of an estate, but the page should feature references back to the Opel), ''Pontiac J2000, Cadillac Cimarron, Holden Camira, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Isuzu Florian Aska, Chevrolet Monza'' and others.
  
 
'''Model years'''
 
'''Model years'''
 
The years for any one model should follow the production period ''in the home market''. However, if there is a factory outside the home market, then their production should be taken into account. It should not, though there may be exceptions, cover export markets where there might be unsold stock—e.g. where a car has stopped production in its home market in 2005, the fact that some were still being sold in an export market in 2007 is irrelevant to ''Autocade''. (Some exceptions may apply if the 2007 models are significant or distinctive in some way, e.g. a local assembler has mixed different models’ bodyshells.) For American cars, it is acceptable to record model years as that is the convention in the US; if possible, this fact should be recorded on the page, but it is not compulsory to do so.
 
The years for any one model should follow the production period ''in the home market''. However, if there is a factory outside the home market, then their production should be taken into account. It should not, though there may be exceptions, cover export markets where there might be unsold stock—e.g. where a car has stopped production in its home market in 2005, the fact that some were still being sold in an export market in 2007 is irrelevant to ''Autocade''. (Some exceptions may apply if the 2007 models are significant or distinctive in some way, e.g. a local assembler has mixed different models’ bodyshells.) For American cars, it is acceptable to record model years as that is the convention in the US; if possible, this fact should be recorded on the page, but it is not compulsory to do so.
 
  
 
==Language convention==
 
==Language convention==

Revision as of 20:28, 13 April 2008

Following Mr Sedgwick’s template, each car should be presented with a photograph (preferably contemporary, showing the car in an as-new condition, but not copyrighted material). An accurate description should follow. Taking one example from his A–Z (bearing in mind Autocade itself should not feature copyrighted work, and corrected for our house style):

Small image, no more than 300 pixels wide, by 200 pixels or thereabouts
Toyota Corona 1500. 1965–72 (prod. 1,788,000 approx. all types). 4-door sedan, 5- door wagon. F/R, 1490 cm³ (4 cyl. OHV). First Toyota sold in Britain, recognizable by its slant grille and quad headlamps. Square-dimensioned pushrod engine gives 74 bhp, but engineering unspectacular—four-speed all-synchro ’box, hypoid final drive, semi-elliptic rear springs, A/C electrics. Two-speed wipers and electric washers standard for UK, also front disc brakes from ’68, but only manual versions sold here.

One difference is that Autocade is an international site so in most cases, information should not be geographically specific.

Terms such as saloon and sedan depend on geography. Here, saloon has been adopted for the UK and Europe, sedan for Asia and the Americas.

In addition, there are entry pages (with the specific generation of car) and model pages (which indexes all the generations, where there are more than one). This terminology may be useful below.


International aspects

The English Wikipedia, as many users know, is generally biased toward the US and UK when it comes to automotive pages. Autocade seeks to be less geocentric, though we accept that there are bound to be more entries from larger English-speaking countries simply due to population.

A British car should be written with a British viewpoint, with other markets treated as export ones; similarly, a Japanese car should be written with a Japanese viewpoint. Hence, there is an entry for the ‘Nissan Sunny (B14)’, but no entry for a ‘Nissan Sentra (B14)’—Sunny was the home-market name; Sentra was merely used on exports. A good rule of thumb is: write from the car’s country of origin’s point of view.

Here are other situations that may help with describing site policy.

Hyundai Avante v. Hyundai Elantra When faced with nameplates that differ due to market-place, the home market name should be used. In this case, Hyundai Avante is the correct name of the model sold between 1996 and the present day. Hyundai Elantra should only apply to the 1991–6 model. This is different from the Wikipedia convention which biases the entry in favour of English readers.

There should be entries for each of the 1996, 2000 and 2006 generations, with a link back to a coordinating Hyundai Avante model page.

Daewoo Lacetti v. Suzuki Reno, Suzuki Forenza, Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Lacetti, Holden Viva and Buick Excelle The same convention would apply: the primary entry for this vehicle should be Daewoo Lacetti as it is known in its home market. Subsidiary pages for the other nameplates are not necessary unless there is a good reason. For example, when there are sheetmetal changes that apply only to one version, then there should be an entry specifically for that car. The Buick Excelle, for example, received a different front and rear end for 2007 in the Republic of China, and should be recorded accordingly.

Simca 1307 v. Chrysler Alpine In cases of joint manufacture, there are two home countries. Both may be noted, but there should be a cross-reference to the other vehicle. For example, the Australian-built Morris Mini Clubman and Leyland Mini have their own entries separate from the British Mini Clubman article. However, there is a single entry for the 1976–9 Ford Taunus, because by this point the car being built in Dagenham was designed fully in Köln, Germany; similarly, there is only a single entry for the Talbot 1510 as Chrysler Europe fell under French ownership. The UK names for both cars are noted on the entry pages, however.

Opel Astra v. Chevrolet Astra, Holden Astra, Chevrolet Viva, Vauxhall Astra A cross-reference back to the original company that engineered the vehicle should be sufficient: in this case, the Opel Astra page. The bold type on the entry page should have the names based on manufacture, e.g. Opel Astra H/Vauxhall Astra Mk V/Vauxhall Astravan/Chevrolet Vectra GT for the Astra H, respecting where the cars are built. We note that Holden Astra and Vauxhall Astra have a different “lineage” to the Opel Astra, so this should be noted on a model page. On a Vauxhall Astra model page, the links should point to Opel Kadett D, Opel Astra E, etc. Mere assembly from CKD kits does not qualify a car to have its localized name featured.

Confusing names The Leyland 18-22 series had numerous names. Entries should be present for every variation in the home market. In some export markets, such as New Zealand, where the car was officially badged the Austin Princess, the Princess 2 page should contain a note about this but a separate page for Austin Princess 2 is not needed.

When in doubt, look at the car Autocade is based more on the marketing and lineage of the car than its actual engineering. Hence, there should be separate pages on each of the GM J-cars of 1981 on: Chevrolet Cavalier, Opel Ascona, Vauxhall Cavalier (deserving of a separate model page due to the presence of an estate, but the page should feature references back to the Opel), Pontiac J2000, Cadillac Cimarron, Holden Camira, Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza, Isuzu Florian Aska, Chevrolet Monza and others.

Model years The years for any one model should follow the production period in the home market. However, if there is a factory outside the home market, then their production should be taken into account. It should not, though there may be exceptions, cover export markets where there might be unsold stock—e.g. where a car has stopped production in its home market in 2005, the fact that some were still being sold in an export market in 2007 is irrelevant to Autocade. (Some exceptions may apply if the 2007 models are significant or distinctive in some way, e.g. a local assembler has mixed different models’ bodyshells.) For American cars, it is acceptable to record model years as that is the convention in the US; if possible, this fact should be recorded on the page, but it is not compulsory to do so.

Language convention

Autocade prefers that the Oxford University Press’s Hart’s Rules standard is followed. This means Oxford English spellings. However, it is totally acceptable on pages specific to certain countries for national terms to appear: saloon and sedan, estate and wagon, petrol and gasoline are obvious ones. Non-English terms, where required, may be used: berline, break, Limousine, Kombi, Scrägheck, berlina, barchetta, etc.

The Rules also state that there should be a space before units of measure: 74 bhp, 1299 cm³. Please note that when one is referring to the German measure of Pferdestärken, PS should be used, not bhp. One PS is not the same as one brake horsepower.

An exception to Hart’s Rules here is that there is no comma in the cubic centimetre figure.

Model names should be capitalized despite the fancy styles insisted upon by marketing departments, hence Austin Mini Metro, Audi Quattro, not Austin mini METRO, Audi quattro. However, if you feel it is necessary, you may add in how the car was referred to in press materials.

The usage of Imperial, American and metric measures should depend on the page and context.

 

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Out now: Autocade Yearbook 2024