How to tell a car’s year from a photo
You do not need to know the exact car. You need to know what was normal on the road when it was made. Cars change in small ways every year and in big ways every decade, and a photo shows plenty of both.
Start with the shape. Cars from the 1960s are low and light, with thin roof pillars, lots of chrome and round headlights. In the 1970s they get longer, and late in the decade big rubber-faced bumpers appear. The 1980s are boxy, with flat panels and sharp corners. The 1990s round everything off. By the 2000s the wheels are bigger and the nose is taller. From the 2010s the grille grows, and from the 2020s light bars run across the full width of the front or the back.
Five parts that give the year away
Headlights
Round sealed lights point to the 1960s and 1970s. In the United States, shaped headlights only became legal in the early 1980s, so a smooth, swept-back light is usually newer than that. Narrow strips of LED lights are almost always from the 2010s or later.
Grille
A thin chrome grille with a bar across it is old. A grille that is part of the body colour is newer. A huge grille is recent. A closed, smooth front often means an electric car.
Bumpers
Thin chrome bumpers that wrap around the corners were common until the early 1970s. After that came thick bumpers that stick out. Today the bumper is painted and blends into the body.
Tail lights
Look for a third brake light high in the back window. In the United States that became standard around 1986, so a car without one is likely older. Tail lights that join into one bar across the back are a recent look.
Wheels and inside
Steel wheels with a plain cap are older. Alloy wheels took over from the 1980s. Wheels over 18 inches are a sign of the 2000s or later. Inside, a bench seat and a thin steering wheel mean old. A tall screen on the dashboard means after about 2010.
A simple way to use your three tries
Your first guess should be a safe one near the middle, around 1993. The game tells you if the car is newer or older, and how close you are. Burning means you are within two years. Freezing means you are more than twenty off, so jump to the other end of the range.
Use the second guess to cut the distance in half. If the first guess was Cold and older, try a year near the middle of the gap. Save the last guess for what you can see: the lights, the grille and the wheels.
More from 33gears
If you like numbers with your cars, try the Car Inflation Calculator, the 0-60 and Power-to-Weight Calculator and the Gear Ratio Calculator. After each game, the result card also links to the cars from the year you just met.
Questions
How do you play Guess the Car Year?
Look at the photo and pick the year you think the car was made, anywhere from 1960 to this year. You get three tries. After a wrong guess the game tells you if the car is newer or older, and how close you are.
How is the score worked out?
You can score up to 1,000 points. Your closest guess counts. Each year you are off costs 5 percent, so 20 or more years off scores nothing. Getting it on the first try keeps all your points. Getting it on the second try keeps 80 percent. The third try, or running out of tries, keeps 60 percent.
What do Burning, Hot, Warm, Cold and Freezing mean?
They show how many years off your guess was. Burning is 1 or 2 years. Hot is 3 to 5. Warm is 6 to 10. Cold is 11 to 20. Freezing is 21 or more.
When does the next car come out?
A new car appears every day at midnight UTC for everyone. You can also play any earlier day from the list of previous days under the game.
Can I put the game on my own website?
Yes. Finish today's car and an embed box appears under your result with a code to copy and paste. The embedded game shows today's car and links back to 33gears.