OwlectAdd Cars with NHTSA Make & Model Lookup
Type a make, pick the model — the rest is yours to detail
Add a vehicle by typing its make, and Owlect queries the NHTSA vPIC database — the official US government vehicle catalog — and lists every model that make produces. Pick the model you own and the make and model fill in for you. NHTSA is an authoritative source for make and model names, not a full spec sheet, so the year, body type, engine, mileage, and condition are yours to record — most of a vehicle entry is a quick manual fill on top of an accurate name.
How it works
Open your Cars collection and add a vehicle
Sign in to Owlect, open a Cars collection, and tap “Add Item”. The name field is the search box — lookup is built in, with no key to paste and no account to connect.
Type the make
Type the manufacturer — Toyota, Ford, BMW. After two characters Owlect asks NHTSA for every model that make builds and lists them, each labeled with its make so you can scan to the right one.
Pick your model
Tap the model you own. Owlect fills in the make and model from the NHTSA record — an accurate, official spelling to build the rest of the entry on.
Fill in the specs and save
Add the details NHTSA’s name lookup doesn’t cover — year, body type, engine, mileage, and condition (Concours through Project) — upload your photos, then save. Each field is a quick manual entry.
What gets imported
The make and model come from the NHTSA record — the year, engine, mileage, condition, and photos are yours to fill in.
Data from NHTSA vPIC
Frequently asked questions
Which vehicle details fill in automatically?
The lookup fills in the make and model — that is what NHTSA vPIC provides. The year, body type, engine, mileage, and condition are not in the make-and-model lookup, so you enter those yourself.
Why only make and model?
NHTSA vPIC is the US government’s authoritative catalog of vehicle makes and models — it gives you correct, consistent names to anchor each entry, not a full spec database. Owlect uses it for exactly that and leaves the rest of the vehicle’s details to you.
Is this for real cars or die-cast models?
Real vehicles. The NHTSA database covers actual US-market makes and models. For die-cast cars, the Hot Wheels collection type has its own lookup instead.
What if my make or model is not listed?
NHTSA covers US-market vehicles, so an import or a very old model can be missing. When it is, type the make and model yourself, fill in the rest of the specs, and upload your photos — nothing about the manual flow changes.
Can I add a fleet all at once instead?
Lookup is per vehicle. If you already track your garage in a spreadsheet, the CSV import maps Make, Model, Year, Engine, and Condition columns and brings the whole list in together.
Helpful resources
More guides
Add Books by Lookup
Type a title or ISBN — the rest fills itself in
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Type a set number — year, pieces, and image fill in
Add Pokémon Cards by Lookup
Search a card name — set, rarity, and art fill in
Add Comics by Lookup
Search a series — issue number and cover fill in
Add Video Games by Lookup
Type a game title — year, genre, and cover fill in
Add Watches by Lookup
Search a brand and model — the specs fill in
Add Coins by Lookup
Search a coin — country, year, and image fill in
Add Hot Wheels by Lookup
Search a casting — series, year, and image fill in
Start cataloging your garage
Create a Cars collection, type a make, and pick the model. Free to start — no credit card required.
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