Vehicle identification numbers

On most cars, the number can be found if you lift the bonnet. It is stamped on the horizontal surface where the bonnet catch/lock drops in.
Later cars have the number in front of the rightmost screen wiper: lift the bonnet and look in the small 'ditch' where the upper edge of the bonnet drops in.

• From 1968 until 1978, the vehicle number started with 1M.
  For RHD cars this 1M was followed by a 4-digit number, starting with 1001, and running up to and including 3616. LHD cars had 5-digit numbers, from 20001 up to and including 20151. Behind the number, hearses usually had an H attached. Around 1974, the letters BW were sometimes attached; these stood for 'Borg Warner' automatic gearbox. But all cars before July 1980 had a Borg Warner gearbox. Examples of this format are: 1M2060, 1M1629H, and 1M20125.
   
• During a short period in 1978-1979, just before the production moved from VandenPlas in London to Jaguar in Coventry, the numbers were a plain 5-digits: 10001-10209. An example of this would be: 10135.
   
• The first few years of limo production in Coventry (1979-1981), a plain 6-digit number was used, starting with 200001 for limousines, and 400001 for hearses.
   
• In March 1981, Jaguar started using the international standard VIN-number format. This looked as follows:
   

  SAD (or SAJ)

  The first three characters indicate the manufacturer: SAD is Daimler. In April 1987 Jaguar started using SAJ for Jaguar, even on Daimler cars.

  D

  Marque of the car: D for Daimler; omitted on USA-spec cars.

  W

  Model range: W was for the DS420

  A

  Class: A was the baseline specification; USA-spec cars had V.

  T or W

  Body type: T for limo, W for hearse. USA-spec cars had 2

  L

  Engine: L is for the 4.2 litre XK-engine. USA-spec cars had 3

  3 or 4

  3 for RHS steering, 4 for LHS steering, These codes imply automatic transmission.

  A

  Model range (again): A for DS420. USA-spec cars differed.

  C

  Produced at the Browns Lane plant. After 1987 this position can deviate, since a few countries required a 'year-of-built' code here.

  6 digits serial number

  The 6-digit format that was already in use, and which had started from 200001 for limos and from 400001 for hearses, continued as part of the VIN-coding. The maximum reached (in 1992) with these numbers was 201631 for limos, and 400425 for hearses.

  Examples of this would be: SADDWATL4AC200423 and SAJDWATL3AA201334. The prefix SAD or SAJ is not always attached. Only two USA-spec cars were manufactured.