Chassis numbers

Solihull changed how it numbered a Land Rover five times between 1948 and 2016 — L/R-prefixed numbers, eight digits with the year first, nine digits, the suffix-letter numbers of the Series IIA and III, and the VIN — and the registry has the factory manuals’ first numbers for every sequence, with a decoder.

• Series IL or R + six/seven digits · eight digits (L/R prefix on 1950 only) · eight digits · nine digits
• Series IInine digits
• Series IIAeight digits + suffix letter
• Series IIIeight digits + suffix letter · VIN, 14 then 17 characters
• Forward Controleight digits + suffix letter
• 101 Forward Controleight digits + suffix letter
• Defender17-character VIN · 17-character VIN, SAE form
• Perentie17-character VIN + Army Registration Number

Military Humvees are identified by the M-designation, contract and serial on the data plate and the Army registration; civilian Hummers and H1s carry 137 VINs and the H2 General Motors’ 5GR.

• HMMWVModel + contract + serial · Seventeen-digit VIN

Champs are identified by the FV1801 designation and their War Department census number; Gipsies by the BMC model code (G4M10, G4M15, GS4M) and chassis serial on the bulkhead plate.

• ChampFV designation + census number · Model code + serial

Chevrolet four-wheel drives are identified by the K in the model code: plant serials to 1971, the thirteen-character VIN of 1972–80 and the seventeen-digit VIN of 1981 under the 1GC (truck) and 1GN (Blazer, Tahoe, Suburban) WMIs.

• K-series and SilveradoSeries + year + plant + sequence · Thirteen characters · Seventeen-digit VIN

Daihatsu frame numbers are the model code (F10–F60 Taft, F70–F78 Rugger, F300 Rocky) with a serial on the plate and chassis rail; export vehicles carry JDA VINs and Indonesian ones MHK.

• Rugger, Fourtrak and Rocky F70Model code + serial · Seventeen-digit VIN

Campagnolas carry Fiat’s type number (1101, 1107) and a chassis number on plate and frame, with the AR designation on Army cars; Pandas carry ZFA VINs with the type code 141, 169 or 319.

• CampagnolaType + chassis number · Seventeen-digit VIN

Ford numbered its trucks and Broncos with an eleven-character serial — truck line, body series, engine, plant, year and a serial from 10001 — until the 17-character VIN of 1981 with the 1FM (multipurpose vehicle) and 1FT (truck) identifiers; the 4x4 is read from the body series (F11, F26, F36) or the model code. The M151 carries a data-plate serial and an Army registration, not a VIN.

• BroncoEleven-character Ford serial · 17-character VIN
• F-Series 4x4Eleven-character Ford serial · 17-character VIN
• MilitaryManufacturer serial + Army registration · Ford serial + Marmon-Herrington plate

GAZ’s wartime and Cold War four-wheel drives carry a bulkhead plate with the model, chassis and engine numbers and the year, and the chassis number on the frame; the 69s built at Ulyanovsk from 1954 carry UAZ plates.

• GAZ-69, M-72 and 46Plate model, chassis and engine numbers

International identified its Scouts and light trucks by a model code and serial on the door-pillar plate and the line-setting ticket — the option-by-option build record that International’s archives, now at the Wisconsin Historical Society, can supply by serial number.

• ScoutModel code + serial

Isuzu 4x4s carry a model code — UBS for the Trooper, KB and TF for the pick-ups, RT and RG for the D-Max, UC and UE for the MU — with a chassis number on the plate and frame and Japanese JAA/JAB/JAC or Thai MPA/MP1 VINs.

• Trooper and BighornUBS code + serial · KB / TF code + serial · RT / RG code + VIN

Iveco 4x4s carry ZCF VINs with the Daily’s W four-wheel-drive suffix; the Massif carries Santana’s VSE VIN, and military VM 90s and LMVs their army registration alongside it.

• Daily 4x4ZCF VIN + model code · VSE VIN · VIN + EI registration

Willys serial plates, the Willys and Kaiser prefixed serials of 1953–71, American Motors’ 13-character number of 1972–80 and the 17-character VIN from 1981 (1JC, 1J4, 1J8, 1C4 by era) — the model numbers 83, 84, 87 and 93 and 14 to 46 identify CJs, wagons and trucks in the AMC system.

• CJMB / GPW serial · Model prefix + serial · Five-digit prefix + serial · Four-digit prefix + serial · 13-character Jeep number · 17-character VIN
• Wrangler17-character VIN
• Full-size Jeep (SJ)Prefix + serial · 13-character Jeep number · 17-character VIN
• Cherokee XJ and Comanche17-character VIN

Nivas are identified by their VAZ model number — 2121, 21213, 21214, 2131, 2329 and the 2123 Travel — with a body number on the bulkhead plate and inner wing, and XTA or X9L VINs on later cars.

• Niva 2121 and 2131VAZ model + body number · Seventeen-digit VIN

Mahindras carry a model code (CJ-3B to MM 550, Thar, Scorpio) and chassis number on the bulkhead plate and frame, with MA1 VINs on modern vehicles.

• Thar and RoxorModel code + serial · Seventeen-digit VIN

Mercedes-Benz numbers the G-Class and the Unimog by model series and sub-code — 460, 461 and 463 for the G with the engine and wheelbase in the sub-code, 401 to 437.4 for the Unimog — followed by a serial, in the pre-VIN chassis number and in the WDB VIN alike; the Puch G carries Steyr-Daimler-Puch’s prefix and the Peugeot P4 a Peugeot VIN.

• G-Class14-digit Mercedes chassis number · 17-character VIN
• UnimogSeries + chassis number · 17-character VIN

Mitsubishi 4x4s carry a model code — J3 to J58 for the Jeep, L040 to V90 for the Pajero, K-series for the Triton and Pajero Sport — with a chassis number on the plate and frame and JMA/JMB/JMY or Thai MMB/MMT VINs.

• Pajero, Montero and ShogunModel code + serial · Model code + serial or VIN · Model code + VIN

Nissan 4x4s carry a model code — 4W60, 160/260 (MQ/MK), Y60 (GQ), Y61 (GU), D21 to D23, WD21, R50 — with a chassis number on the plate and frame, and export VINs under JN (Japan), VSK (Spain), MNT (Thailand) and 1N6/5N1 (North America).

• Patrol and SafariModel code + serial · Model code + serial or VIN · Pick-ups and wagons

Oshkosh trucks carry seventeen-digit VINs under the 10T WMI and, in service, the military model number (M1240, M1278, MK23, M1078) and registration on the data plate.

• M-ATV and JLTVSeventeen-digit VIN · M-number + Army registration

P4s are identified by their military type plate and French Army registration; Dangel conversions by the Peugeot VF3 VIN plus Dangel’s own bulkhead plate and conversion number.

• P4Type + Army registration · Peugeot VIN + Dangel number

Dodge four-wheel drives are identified by the W in the model code and VIN: serial plates to 1965, the thirteen-character VIN of 1966–80 and the seventeen-digit VIN since 1981 (1B7/1D7 Dodge, 1C6 Ram); military trucks by their M-designation and Army registration.

• Power Wagon, W-series and RamchargerPlant + serial · Thirteen characters · Seventeen-digit VIN · M-designation + registration

Steyr-Daimler-Puch identified the Haflinger and Pinzgauer by a type-plate model code — 700 AP, 710/712, 716/718, with M, K and W body suffixes — and a chassis number stamped on the backbone tube, with the VAN world manufacturer identifier once VINs came; Guildford-built Pinzgauer IIs carry a British prefix.

• PinzgauerType plate + chassis number · 17-character VIN

Suzuki 4x4s carry the model code (LJ10 to JB74, TA/TD for the Vitaras) and a serial on the plate and frame; export VINs run under JS (Japan), VSE (Santana, Spain), MA3 (Maruti, India) and 2CN (CAMI, Canada).

• LJ, SJ and JimnyModel code + serial · Model code + serial or VIN · Model code

Toyota numbered the Land Cruiser by model code and serial (FJ40-123456) stamped on the frame until the 17-character VIN, from 1981 in North America and later elsewhere; the year of a frame number comes from the charts the parts trade compiled, the year of a VIN from its tenth character.

• Land Cruiser 40 SeriesModel code + serial · 17-character VIN
• Land Cruiser 55 SeriesModel code + serial
• Land Cruiser 60 SeriesModel code + serial · 17-character VIN
• Land Cruiser 80 Series17-character VIN · Model code + serial
• Land Cruiser 100 Series17-character VIN
• Land Cruiser 200 Series17-character VIN

Soviet-era UAZs are identified by the plate under the bonnet — GOST model, body, chassis and engine numbers and the year — and Russian-built vehicles since the 1990s by a 17-character VIN beginning XTT with the six-digit model code (315195 Hunter, 316300 Patriot) in positions 4–9.

• 469, 3151 and HunterBody and chassis numbers · 17-character VIN

Volvo’s terrain vehicles are identified by the type plate’s model code — P2104, L3314 with SU/HT/PU body suffixes, L3315, C202, C303, C304, C306 — and a chassis number stamped on the frame, with the Swedish Army’s terrängbil designation and registration on military vehicles.

• TP21, Laplander and C300Type plate model + chassis number