This is a very common question with the Commercial Bus industry, not just StarTrans Bus.
The chassis for a conversion product is purchased from the chassis manufacturer (Ford, Chevy, International, or Freightliner) as an “Incomplete Vehicle” with an established chassis serial number.
When StarTrans Bus completes the conversion, we assign a model year and a StarTrans Bus serial number. The Commercial Bus industry and the chassis manufacturer model years change at different times.
For example StarTrans was built on a 2018 chassis in December; however, the bus was not completed until early 2019, the chassis and conversion years are different.
The value of the StarTrans Bus is determined by the fiscal year the vehicle is completed, not necessarily the model year of the chassis. This may vary by state.