Manufacture date question - Year then Month?

Which way do these pillar stickers read. I bought a 2011 but got it in 2012. January to be exact. Everything, even the Mulrony sticker says Model Year is 2011 which is what I bought. It had just arrived on the lot and I was looking at another when the service dept drove this one out and parked it next to the one I was getting out of and had just test drove. It was almost identical but the one I was driving was a slightly dealer optioned II and this one a similarly priced III. I decided to test it instead and ended up taking it for the day... and bought it eventually...

But the wife then asks me why if it was built in 10/11 is it a 2011? I read the pillar too and its is 10/11 but everything that came with the car and is associated with the car is 2011. I told her that the only thing I can think of is we are read (And they mark the) pillar backwards. It could be, even though they had just gotten it onto the lot (it was shipped to them from the get go according to the Mulrony sticker) it might mean not October 2011 but perhaps it really means November of 2010.

What say you experts? does Toyota do theirs Year then Month on the door pillar plate?

EVERYTHING I find says Month then Year.... so what is going on here. I got a date plate of 10/11 on a 2011 Prius...

Is it possible that Toyota extended the manufacturing date of its 2011 model year to make up ground lost to the Earthquake?

By that I mean they did not shut down, retool and change over in September to making 2012's and continued to make 2011's until after at least October that year due to those unusual circumstances?

 

Gotcha. Thanks guys