How to Identify Cars

Last Updated: May 6, 2021

Did you ever drive with one of those people who seems to be able to tell you the make, model, and even year of a car from clear down the street? Would you like to be able to do the same? It's not that tough, but it does take some practice.

Steps

1
Choose someplace to start and start watching and observing.
- You can probably already identify the make and model of cars you have driven. Practice spotting others like yours on the road.
- Choose a particular type of cars that interest you and try those next. If you happen to be a Mustang fan, you could start with those.
- Choose a nationality or region to specialize in. Admire German engineering for a while, if you like.
- Focus on a particular class or category of cars. If you have more fun spotting sports cars than minivans, start there.
- Once you have mastered one category to your satisfaction, branch out to another.
2
Notice identifying features of each car you wish to identify. Does it have an unusual shape to the grill or tail lights? For classic cars, tune in to things like tail fins, running boards and rumble seats, too.

Advertisement
3
Take a good look. Use stop lights and parking lots to get a better look at cars of interest. Ride in a friend's car. Peek through a window at the controls. Ask people how they like their cars.
4
Brush up on your history. While most of the cars on the road are less than 15 years old, many hobbyists and enthusiasts devote their time to restoring and maintaining older cars. Visit a classic car show, museum, or meet. Talk to the owners, if they're around, too. Many of them love to talk about their cars and their work, and they're experts on the subject.
5
Keep current. Read automobile magazines or websites to see what's new and what concept cars the manufacturers are dreaming up. Look around for new developments, too, such as fuel cells, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
6
Practice. You probably spend plenty of time in traffic. Guess what a car is from down the street, then read the badges when you pull up next to it at a stoplight or walk past in a parking lot.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I identify the age of a vehicle?

Community Answer

The registration plate is a good place to start. Cars made after 2001 have the AA11 BBB format, with AA indicating the place it was registered, 11 indicating the year, and BBB as an identifier to distinguish it from other cars. The way numbering works is if the car was made between February and September, the first digit will be the third digit of the year, if not it is the third number in the year +5. The second number in a registration plate is the fourth (last) number in the year. For example a car registered in January 2006 would have the numbers 56, but a car registered in August 2011 would have the numbers 11.
Question

How do I identify car names?

Community Answer

Most car names are on the trunk of the car, showing which company and which model it is. Unless you optionally remove the model name, for most cars, it should be where the trunk is.
Question

What is the symbol of a Mercedes?

Community Answer

The Mercedes symbol is a circle which has three triangular spokes pointing out towards north, southeast, and southwest.

Warnings

People can be very protective of their cars. Be prepared to explain that you're just admiring and keep your distance if they ask you to. Don't touch any car that's not yours without permission.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0