When Do New Cars Come Out? Tips for Buying

When do new cars actually come out?

There are two perspectives on when new cars come out, as new cars are always available for purchase.

Brand New Models: These are launched at the manufacturers' discretion throughout the year. If you want to be the first to own a brand-new model, you'll need to follow the manufacturers' release schedules rather than the registration plate calendar. This often requires placing a deposit in advance to secure a spot on the waiting list, ensuring you're among the first owners.

New Registration Plates: These are released twice a year. If you want to showcase that you've bought a new car, purchasing during the month when registration plates change is the way to go.

In the UK, vehicle registration plates change twice a year, in March and September.

March to August: Cars registered between 1 March and 31 August have an age identifier that matches the last two digits of the year on the number plate.

September to February: Cars registered between 1 September and 28 February use an age identifier with the last digit of the year preceded by a '5' or '6' (indicating the decade: '5' for 2000-2009 and '6' for 2010-2019 and '7' for 2020-2029)

For example, a car registered in 2016 would have an age identifier of either '16' (if registered between 1 March and 31 August) or '66' (if registered between 1 September 2016 and 28 February 2017). 

Many new car buyers prefer to wait for the March or September changes to ensure they have a genuinely 'brand new' car. The September sales period is typically the busiest of the year.
 

How does the number plate system work?

The first two letters on a UK registration plate represent the DVLA memory tag, indicating where the vehicle was originally registered. For instance, plates starting with 'S' are from Scotland, while those starting with 'L' are from London.

Following these letters are two numbers which indicate the year of registration, as detailed earlier.

You cannot use a registration plate that shows a newer year than the actual age of your vehicle, but you can use plates with older identifiers.

The final three letters are chosen randomly.

This system ensures that the DVLA maintains a consistent supply of registration plates for new British cars, which also allows buyers to easily determine the age of a vehicle.

This clarity is valuable for identifying potential pre-registration deals at dealerships, among other uses.