@Walter > to add related makes, you can simply edit the description of makes and put some text with links, using the same syntax as comments.
e.g.:
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Suzuki
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Land-Rover
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Rover

Thanks for the bugs reports, I'll check and fix these (possibly only tomorrow).
@Sandie > you mean the search for a make or the search on a model?

I fixed a few bugs, including those reported by Walter.
For Sandie's bug I'll check tomorrow, it is less "urgent" and it is more complicated to investigate.

If I'm being honest, no a fan of the drop down list when entering a make. With the autofill, you could type just one letter and the most used makes appear first. So if I typed an "N", Nissan would be top of the list, 'H" would have Honda and Hyundai. Now, I have to type more than one letter, sometimes the whole name just to get what I want. It's not a time-saver to me. Maybe if there is some way to have the top makes appear first.

Just typed "MB" for Mercedes-Benz and it wouldn't allow that shortcut. Told I have to select from dropdown list.

Well the reason of the drop down is that now it does not store the make as text, but takes the ID of that make to link it to the makes table. So when you pick something in the list, it actually saves the ID behind it (e.g. 1 for Unknown, 10 for Ford, 11 for Chevrolet, etc.).

I could try to sort the makes by number of vehicles in them, to have the main ones displayed at top, that would help. I'll see if it is easily feasible.

For the MB shortcut, indeed that does not work anymore. When you type "Mer" it is the 3rd one, you can pick it from the list. Indeed it is a little longer than before for that specific case.
I could add an option for those who want to disable the drop-down. The page would then try to match with the name entered, but then for some makes which share a name it would be more difficult.
Another solution would be to add some shortcuts for popular makes, like MB for Mercedes-Benz, and some 1-letter or 2-letter combination not used in actual makes as shortcuts for popular ones. I'll see if it is easy or not to make.
Or it is maybe just a matter of habit, and after a few days it would be fine

Even when using the history from the browser I used to type at least a few characters before picking something in a list (or just doing copy/paste from the comment, as often I copy the whole name and then paste/cut/paste parts in the various fields), so for me the list seemed not change much from before.
Everybody use the site with some habits, hence the difficulty in any change
That's also why I created the thread in the admin section to have some feedback before putting everything on the official site. In this case this was in test since 25 January, but had feedback only from two admins (second one only a few days ago).

Thanks, I'll do that later or tomorrow.

I've noticed that it doesn't allow you to put the MINI make (the new one) in capital letters anymore.

The list of makes was generated from existing entries, if there was a mix of uppercase/lowercase it took one randomly.
We can easily edit the "Mini" make to have it as "MINI". Or should only some be displayed that way?
(changing it on the page https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Mini.html will affect all models linked to it)

Before the bug is reported, one that I'll try to fix tomorrow: in the drop-down list, if you press Enter or double-click it selects the highlighted entry, but not if you just do a simple click or press Tab. I think it was working before in early versions, I'll investigate.

My issue works now, maybe fixed by your bug fixes or it was just parts of the site needing to catch up with the database changes (or it just hates the Alfa Romeo 33 which is what I was searching at the time).

Mini (lower case) is used as make for the old classic shape from 1970 rebranding when Austin/Morris etc removed until 1990 when Rover adopted as new title until classic shape production end in 2000. MINI (upper case) means 2000+ under BMW ownership and was their official rebadging logo format in block capitals, so each group is distinct in real life with a 10 year break between them. This is reflected pretty much in the database entries as everyone seems to know the protocol, even if the filters don't register the difference.

[Comment edited as 1st go missed out some info]

I noticed a bug, I added a bunch of vehicles tonight, and when I entered them, I put in the highlight box on some, but when I go back and edit the make and model, the box is being blanked out without me doing anything. So I've had to go back and re-add the box a second time.

@Sandie > it seems to work in some cases and not in others, I'll investigate
edit: very strange, what was not working yesterday now works, the only bug remaining is that it uses the displayed name to do the search, which fails in the few cases where the display name is different than the identifier, like Triumph bikes or makes with accents, I'll fix that easily.

About Mini/MINI, I suppose splitting them between two different makes like the two Triumph would not make much sense. I could add something to change the case depending on the chassis code.
I'd say the best default would be uppercase, and switch to lowercase only if it has one of the few chassis codes of the classic Mini, i.e. starting by "ADO".
Only the few old ones without chassis codes have to be updated then, cf https://www.imcdb.org/search.php?resultsStyle=asList&sortBy=2&make=Mini&model=&modelMatch=- 3&modelInclChassis=on
What do you think?
Or should I also apply that in case the year is specified and <2000 ?
The edge case being https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Mini_model-Cooper+Monte+Carlo+Concept+Car.html

Indeed, I wonder how this went un-noticed. I'll try to fix this as soon as possible.
edit: fixed, fortunately it was easy
Thanks for the info

About Mini/MINI:

- I can put whittling down that list without chassis codes on my to-do list for all the pre-1990 classic Minis, but I'm not up to speed with MINI chassis codes or particularly able to ID MINI versions
- there's a few MINIs in that list which can be split off. All hatchbacks are MINIs which should take a chunk out, but not all MINIs are hatchbacks. Some names were used on both Minis and MINIS such as Cooper, Clubman and Countryman so individual checking needed
- all Minis were UK build apart from a brief flurry of Portugese Moke builds. The UK builds should all fall into ADO 15 or 20 or 50 fairly neatly. I'd probably have to make the van and pick-up code ADO15 which we don't particularly do at the moment, but it would be reasonably accurate as they didn't change much. I'll look at them to check they're all OK
- not sure what code to use for Portugese-build Mokes - by this time they'd evolved too far from UK original for ADO, and using the intermediate Australian YDO codes isn't a convincing idea. Ideas welcome.
- the "edge case" 1997 concept should stay Mini as it was created under Rover ownership before BMW's arrival. Or it could become Rover to slot into all the other 1990-2000 Minis?

It may be inconvenient to organise but I don't think the rationale for having Mini and MINI as separate makes is totally dead. They had different owners, different models, different designs and were/are made in different factories - there is no product overlap apart from naming. We informally use a separation system already which largely works, so it's viable - although not watertight and some leakage would always be inevitable.

If you want only one version, I'd prefer Mini (lower case); MINI would look very weird alongside the pre-1990 classic shape models, and Mini with the 2000+versions is more easily digestible and only slightly out of line.

I'd suggest holding off making changes for a week or so until I've tried to chop that list down and have a better idea what's lurking within it. I'm fairly sure I can put chassis codes on all the Minis (though some might be fingers-crossed guesses if poor pictures, and the Moke code is unknown at the moment). I'd guess some of the MINI codes - even with MINI experts joining in - may not be ID-able.

I wait a little before deciding something for MINI then

In the meantime, I fixed the few bugs of the admin-vehicle page (edit/add vehicles).

I've started to split the various "Eagle" brands.
The original entry will be kept for the Chrysler brand: https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Eagle.html (it still some others to move to new makes)
There is already one for the busses: https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Eagle-Bus.html
Also for the Chinese brand, previously partially listed as Suzhou Eagle: https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Suzhou-Eagle.html
I've made one for all the racecars, but maybe some should even be split among these: https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Eagle-Racecars.html
I'll continue the reorganization of these tomorrow

Weirdly this was one I was going to mention, think it might be our name with most different actual brands? The kit car company and the E-Type people are even different companies.

Yes I think it is the most used brand name
In addition to the E-Type and the kit car jeep, I also have to separate the Vauxhall-based hearses and limousines, and probably the TT ground conveyor.

About Mini/MINI again:

I've gone through that list one by one, so it now contains only uncoded MINIs, plus Portugese-build Mini Mokes which I can't code because I don't know an applicable code. I tried to enter the MINIs as MINIS to make things clearer as I went down the list, but the new system wouldn't accept the change.

All Mini vans and pick-ups are now ADO15, which clears them off the list. There was a very short-lived and rare attempt to sell a van MINI in 2012-14 as the MINI Clubvan, but the different name should avoid confusion if we ever get one.

If we have to have a code for Portugese Mokes to get the filters to work, there's a slight argument to use the Australian YDO18 code. "Moke production moved to Portugal in 1980. Once again, there was an overlap and the early Portuguese Mokes were very much like the late Australian Mokes (in fact they were built from Australian ‘kits’)." However in 1986 the Australian kits ran out, and there was a revamp co-ordinated with UK which started supplying various Metro bits and broke the Australian link - this would have generated a new UK code, but no trace found. Another problem is that YDO18 only applied for some Aus Mokes - various Aus Mokeists have objected to its use on our pages after 78
.
There were also other Aus Moke codes - YDO8, YDO30 - but they were earlier older versions so not applicable here

So if a code is needed to get the system to work, YDO18 could satisfy the filters, but it's a flimsy bodge and fairly tenuous, particularly for post 1986 Portugese Mokes.

Nothing within the list changed my comments above about having Mini and MINI as separate makes, or if they can't easily be split by the system a preference to use Mini (lower case) for the combined collection.

My brain hurts now, so I'm going to have a lie-down in a quiet room.

New Eagle pages:
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Eagle-E-Type
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Eagle-Kit-Cars (according to Gemini, these two cars are from the same company)
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Eagle-Tugs
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Eagle-Specialist-Vehicles
and possibly one to merge with the 2nd one in the above list;
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle.php?id=250101

I think that split the Mini entries (classic models) from MINI (the BMW ones) and have two separate brands would be a good idea.

Same would go with the new MG Chinese brand that has nothing to do with the MG that everybody knows.