diff --git a/scripts/cars-import.ts b/scripts/cars-import.ts
index 7067714..83a4a5e 100644
--- a/scripts/cars-import.ts
+++ b/scripts/cars-import.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 //   bun scripts/cars-import.ts --dry-run             fetch + build only, print a summary
 //   bun scripts/cars-import.ts --cache /tmp/cars     reuse raw downloads from that folder
 //   bun scripts/cars-import.ts --dry-run --out x.json   also dump the built catalogue
+//   bun scripts/cars-import.ts --renumber           reassign Dex numbers from #1 (oldest first)
 //
 // Sources (no API keys):
 //  - fueleconomy.gov vehicles.csv: every US EPA-tested car since 1984 (make, base model,
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@ import { join } from 'node:path';
 
 const args = process.argv.slice(2);
 const dryRun = args.includes('--dry-run');
+// --renumber: hand out Dex numbers from #1 again instead of keeping existing ones.
+const renumber = args.includes('--renumber');
 const cacheDir = args.includes('--cache') ? args[args.indexOf('--cache') + 1] : null;
 const outFile = args.includes('--out') ? args[args.indexOf('--out') + 1] : null;
 
@@ -927,12 +930,12 @@ async function write(brands: ReturnType<typeof build>) {
 			const existing = await tx<{ id: number; dex: number; brand_id: number; slug: string }[]>`
 				select id, dex, brand_id, slug from cars.models`;
 			const byKey = new Map(existing.map((e) => [`${e.brand_id}|${e.slug}`, e]));
-			let nextDex = Math.max(0, ...existing.map((e) => e.dex)) + 1;
+			let nextDex = renumber ? 1 : Math.max(0, ...existing.map((e) => e.dex)) + 1;
 			const all = brands
 				.flatMap((b) => b.models.map((m) => ({ b, m, brandId: brandIds.get(b.slug)! })))
 				.sort(
 					(x, y) =>
-						x.m.firstYear - y.m.firstYear ||
+						(x.m.firstYear ?? 9999) - (y.m.firstYear ?? 9999) ||
 						x.b.name.localeCompare(y.b.name) ||
 						x.m.name.localeCompare(y.m.name)
 				);
@@ -942,7 +945,7 @@ async function write(brands: ReturnType<typeof build>) {
 			await tx`delete from cars.variants`;
 			let variantCount = 0;
 			for (const { m, brandId } of all) {
-				const prev = byKey.get(`${brandId}|${m.slug}`);
+				const prev = renumber ? undefined : byKey.get(`${brandId}|${m.slug}`);
 				const dex = prev?.dex ?? nextDex++;
 				const { variants, ...cols } = m;
 				const row = {
diff --git a/src/lib/cars/shared.ts b/src/lib/cars/shared.ts
index 9b37ce2..9f698a1 100644
--- a/src/lib/cars/shared.ts
+++ b/src/lib/cars/shared.ts
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ export const BODIES = [
 ] as const;
 export const DRIVES = ['fwd', 'rwd', 'awd', '4wd'] as const;
 export const SORTS = {
-	dex: 'dex #',
 	popular: 'most common in NL',
+	dex: 'dex #',
 	name: 'name',
 	newest: 'newest',
 	oldest: 'oldest',
diff --git a/src/lib/server/cars.ts b/src/lib/server/cars.ts
index 343e25f..2518e96 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/cars.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/cars.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export function parseFilters(params: URLSearchParams): CarFilters {
 		market: pick(params.get('market'), ['nl', 'us'] as const),
 		from: year(params.get('from')),
 		to: year(params.get('to')),
-		sort: sort && sort in SORTS ? (sort as CarSort) : 'dex',
+		sort: sort && sort in SORTS ? (sort as CarSort) : 'popular',
 		page: Math.min(Math.max(1, Math.floor(Number(params.get('page')) || 1)), 1000)
 	};
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/trackers/cars/+page.svelte b/src/routes/trackers/cars/+page.svelte
index a27c77e..879b8f9 100644
--- a/src/routes/trackers/cars/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/trackers/cars/+page.svelte
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 	}
 
 	const quick = [
-		{ label: '🔥 most common in NL', params: { sort: 'popular', market: 'nl' } },
+		{ label: '📖 dex order', params: { sort: 'dex' } },
 		{ label: '⚡ electric', params: { fuel: 'electric', sort: 'popular' } },
 		{ label: '🍃 hybrids', params: { fuel: 'hybrid', sort: 'popular' } },
 		{ label: '🏎️ coupés', params: { body: 'coupe', sort: 'popular' } },