Re: 64 or 66 VIN Law/Regulations???/Sweet dreams

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Mahoney wrote:
The 13-place VIN followed what once was called "the "rivet label law"
and
followed the 10-place ID (so well documented by Mopar fans online)

http://tinyurl.com/8yw6e

and followed the first national VIN --- way back in 1954 (although GM
was using 12 places by 1960); it grew to 17 places in 1981 and was in
the "Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966" that is for sale at  

http://tinyurl.com/b77qa
---------------------------------
I'm confident that from memory and by comparing various serial numbers
prior to 1966, I've pieced together the requirements. I just wasn't
ready to go from memory alone! 

There was no "national VIN" required prior to the 1966 10-13 character
mandate. AMC only used 5-8 place serial numbers prior to 1966 (minimum
was a latter code for model/engine and a four digit consecutive serial
number, max was a two letter code with the first letter model/engine,
second letter plant or knock-down export indicator, then 4-6 digit
number). There may have been a law requiring that the engine size/type
be listed prior to 66, but that would have been all. The other
information was extraneous and depended on the manufacturer. 

I'm sure manufacturer input was used to create the 13 and 17 character
VINs, along with insurance companies and law enforcement agencies. Chevy
was using a 13 character VIN in 1965 with all the required info. I have
found a few Ford sites that state 11 characters through 1980, so the 13
character VIN wasn't mandated. From what I recall reading certain
information was required along with a six digit consecutive number, and
the entire VIN had to be unique. PLACEMENT of the numbers (except the
consecutive number as the last six) was left totally to the
manufacturer. 

Year, engine type (and/or size), car line, and body type had to be
indicated. Interestingly, there wasn't a code required for manufacturer.
That makes sense -- you'd presumably know if the car was an AMC, Ford,
etc. by badging and/or other markings if nothing else. Assembly plant
may not have been a requirement, but everyone had a plant listed in
66-80 VINs in one way or another (AMC got creative and used the starting
consecutive number to indicate plant). That left two optional
discretionary positions. So the minimum would have been 10 characters,
but I'm not positive there was a 13 character limit. 

Placement of the VIN itself was left up to the manufacturer until
January 1968 or 69 (I'll have to check my notes!), when the law stated
that the VIN had to be visible through the windshield. This was to make
it easy for law enforcement and insurance companies to check cars
without disturbing the owner or damaging the vehicle. Prevents
repossessing the wrong vehicle and such... ;>



MSgt Frank Swygert
436 CES/CECM (MilCon)
302-677-6436, Cell 302-363-0530