AMC VIN decoder, 1960-1980

1960

Looks like B100001 (7 characters)

1960 serial starts at 100001 (TPOCR). Plate on the right-hand wheelhouse (wheelwell) panel under the hood (TPOCR). The 1963 Rambler service manual says the car serial number plate is welded to the top of the right wheelhouse panel under the hood (RAMB63).

The serial carries no model-year character and the letter tables for neighbouring years overlap, so the decoder may offer several years for the same number. Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR60]

1961

Looks like C400001 (7 characters)

1961 letters as printed by TPOCR. Plate on the right-hand wheelhouse (wheelwell) panel under the hood (TPOCR). The 1963 Rambler service manual says the car serial number plate is welded to the top of the right wheelhouse panel under the hood (RAMB63).

TPOCR prints first serial numbers in a second column beside the letter table: 1961 lists Ambassador 125001, American 221001, Classic 6 400001 and Classic V8 118001. The page does not tie them to individual letters, so they are not encoded.

The serial carries no model-year character and the letter tables for neighbouring years overlap, so the decoder may offer several years for the same number. Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR60]

1962

Looks like C375001 (7 characters)

1962 letters as printed by TPOCR. Plate on the right-hand wheelhouse (wheelwell) panel under the hood (TPOCR). The 1963 Rambler service manual says the car serial number plate is welded to the top of the right wheelhouse panel under the hood (RAMB63).

TPOCR prints first serial numbers in a second column beside the letter table: 1962 lists Ambassador 8 at 16001, American 6 at 375001 and Classic 6 at 625001. The page does not tie them to individual letters, so they are not encoded.

The serial carries no model-year character and the letter tables for neighbouring years overlap, so the decoder may offer several years for the same number. Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR60]

1963

Looks like B515001 (7 characters)

1963 letters as printed by TPOCR. Listing-site examples agree with letter B for the American 6: B523953, B566391 and B532081 appear on listings of 1963 Rambler Americans. Plate on the right-hand wheelhouse (wheelwell) panel under the hood (TPOCR). The 1963 Rambler service manual says the car serial number plate is welded to the top of the right wheelhouse panel under the hood (RAMB63).

TPOCR prints first serial numbers in a second column beside the letter table: 1963 lists Ambassador 210001, American 6 515001 and Classic 6/V8 100001. The page does not tie them to individual letters, so they are not encoded.

The serial carries no model-year character and the letter tables for neighbouring years overlap, so the decoder may offer several years for the same number. Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR60]

1964

Looks like G500001 (7 characters)

1964 letters as printed by TPOCR. Plate on the right-hand wheelhouse (wheelwell) panel under the hood (TPOCR). The 1963 Rambler service manual says the car serial number plate is welded to the top of the right wheelhouse panel under the hood (RAMB63).

TPOCR prints first serial numbers in a second column beside the letter table: 1964 lists Ambassador V8 255001, American 6 650001, Classic 6/V8 500001 and Classic V8 155001. The page does not tie them to individual letters, so they are not encoded.

The serial carries no model-year character and the letter tables for neighbouring years overlap, so the decoder may offer several years for the same number. Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR60]

1965

Looks like Q100001 (7 characters)

1965 is the last year of the seven-character serial (one letter or digit plus six digits). The first character gives the model line and engine. Serial starts at 100001 (TPOCR).

Marlin Auto Club agrees for Marlins: the first character is the engine (2 = 232 six, 3 = 287 V-8, 4 = 327 V-8), serials run 100001 through 110327, and all 1965 Marlins were built at Kenosha (MARLIN). Marlin plate: under the hood on the passenger side, on the spring tower (MARLIN).

Plate on the right-hand wheelhouse (wheelwell) panel under the hood (TPOCR). The 1963 Rambler service manual says the car serial number plate is welded to the top of the right wheelhouse panel under the hood (RAMB63).

The serial carries no model-year character and the letter tables for neighbouring years overlap, so the decoder may offer several years for the same number. Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR60] [MARLIN]

1966

Looks like A6KC55E100001 (13 characters)

13 characters: A, year digit 6, plant letter, transmission, body type, body class, engine, six-digit sequence.

The seventh character names both the model line and the engine, so each line has its own letters (TPOCR). Marlin engine letters S-W are in the separate Marlin 1966 format and are excluded here.

Plate: stamped into a stainless steel plate welded to the right front fender under the hood (TPOCR).

TPOCR gives 100001 and up. For Marlins the Marlin Auto Club gives 100001 at Kenosha and 104547 at Brampton; no source gives non-Marlin Brampton starting numbers.

Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR66] [MARLIN]

1966

Looks like A6KS97W100001 (13 characters)

Only the Rambler Marlin (hardtop, body class 7) is documented by this source. Other 1966 AMC cars use a 13-character number too, but their body and series codes are not in our sources.

Sequence numbers start at 100001 at Kenosha and 104547 at Brampton (Marlin Auto Club).

Sources: [MARLIN]

1967

Looks like A7KC55E100001 (13 characters)

Same 13-character layout as 1966 with year digit 7 (Marlin Auto Club: the 13-digit number continued from 1966 except for the 2nd and 7th characters).

Marlin engine letters S-W are in the separate Marlin 1967 format and are excluded here.

Plate: stamped into a stainless steel plate welded to the right front fender under the hood (TPOCR).

TPOCR gives sequence starts of 100001 (American-built) and 700001 (Canadian-built). The Marlin Auto Club gives 100001 at Kenosha and 102545 at Brampton for Marlins.

Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Sources: [TPOCR67] [MARLIN]

1967

Looks like A7KM97V100001 (13 characters)

Only the Rambler Marlin is documented by this source.

Sequence numbers start at 100001 at Kenosha and 102545 at Brampton (Marlin Auto Club).

Sources: [MARLIN]

1968

Looks like A8S795B300678 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit: A (American Motors), year digit 8, transmission, series, body type, body class, engine, six-digit number.

Plate: stamped into a stainless steel plate welded to the right front fender under the hood (TPOCR).

TPOCR labels the two number ranges 'American' (100001 and up) and 'Canadian' (700001 and up) without naming plants. Gans's AMC Info reads the first digit of the number 1-6 as Kenosha, Wisconsin and 7-9 as Brampton, Ontario (PURPLE); the Kenosha/Brampton reading is applied to the labels only through that source.

The year digit 8 is also the last digit of another year (8 is 1968 or 1978, and so on); the year here is fixed by this format's year range.

Example VIN is a number seen on a listing for that year; this site did not verify the car.

Sources: [TPOCR68] [PURPLE]

1969

Looks like A9C797M214716 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit: A (American Motors), year digit 9, transmission, series, body type, body class, engine, six-digit number.

Plate: stamped into a stainless steel plate welded to the right front fender under the hood (TPOCR).

TPOCR labels the two number ranges 'American' (100001 and up) and 'Canadian' (700001 and up) without naming plants. Gans's AMC Info reads the first digit of the number 1-6 as Kenosha, Wisconsin and 7-9 as Brampton, Ontario (PURPLE); the Kenosha/Brampton reading is applied to the labels only through that source.

The year digit 9 is also the last digit of another year (8 is 1968 or 1978, and so on); the year here is fixed by this format's year range.

Example VIN is a number seen on a listing for that year; this site did not verify the car.

Sources: [TPOCR69] [PURPLE]

1970

Looks like A0C797X206971 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit: A (American Motors), year digit 0, transmission, series, body type, body class, engine, six-digit number.

Plate: top of the dashboard on the driver's side, visible through the windshield, and also attached to the left front door beside the latch (TPOCR). Gans's AMC Info says VINs are on the top of the dashboard and on the door jamb (PURPLE).

TPOCR gives American numbers up through 6xxxxx and Canadian numbers from 700001 through 9xxxxx, assembled at Kenosha and Brampton. Gans's AMC Info agrees: first digit of the number 1-6 Kenosha, 7-9 Brampton, letter K knockdown export (PURPLE). Number ranges are not model-year-specific beyond the year digit.

The year digit 0 is also the last digit of another year (8 is 1968 or 1978, and so on); the year here is fixed by this format's year range.

Example VIN is a number seen on a listing for that year; this site did not verify the car.

TPOCR prints engine X as 8-390 4-bbl 325 hp and Y as 8-390 2-bbl 340 hp; Gans's AMC Info reads X as 390 4-bbl and Y as 'Machine'. Shown as TPOCR prints them.

Sources: [TPOCR70] [PURPLE]

1971

Looks like A1C797N100001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit: A (American Motors), year digit 1, transmission, series, body type, body class, engine, six-digit number.

Plate: top of the dashboard on the driver's side, visible through the windshield, and also attached to the left front door beside the latch (TPOCR). Gans's AMC Info says VINs are on the top of the dashboard and on the door jamb (PURPLE).

TPOCR gives American numbers up through 6xxxxx and Canadian numbers from 700001 through 9xxxxx, assembled at Kenosha and Brampton. Gans's AMC Info agrees: first digit of the number 1-6 Kenosha, 7-9 Brampton, letter K knockdown export (PURPLE). Number ranges are not model-year-specific beyond the year digit.

The year digit 1 is also the last digit of another year (8 is 1968 or 1978, and so on); the year here is fixed by this format's year range.

Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Gans's AMC Info calls its own engine and group lists incomplete; letters and classes here are TPOCR's.

Sources: [TPOCR71] [PURPLE]

1972

Looks like A2C797N000001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit: A (American Motors), year digit 2, transmission, series, body type, body class, engine, six-digit number.

Plate: top of the dashboard on the driver's side, visible through the windshield, and also attached to the left front door beside the latch (TPOCR). Gans's AMC Info says VINs are on the top of the dashboard and on the door jamb (PURPLE).

TPOCR gives American numbers up through 6xxxxx and Canadian numbers from 700001 through 9xxxxx, assembled at Kenosha and Brampton. Gans's AMC Info agrees: first digit of the number 1-6 Kenosha, 7-9 Brampton, letter K knockdown export (PURPLE). Number ranges are not model-year-specific beyond the year digit.

The year digit 2 is also the last digit of another year (8 is 1968 or 1978, and so on); the year here is fixed by this format's year range.

Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Gans's AMC Info calls its own engine and group lists incomplete; letters and classes here are TPOCR's.

TPOCR lists only body class codes 5, 7 and 8 for this year; the pattern accepts any digit so cars with other class codes still decode, with the class shown as not a code our sources list.

Sources: [TPOCR72] [PURPLE]

1973

Looks like A3C797N000001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit: A (American Motors), year digit 3, transmission, series, body type, body class, engine, six-digit number.

Plate: top of the dashboard on the driver's side, visible through the windshield, and also attached to the left front door beside the latch (TPOCR). Gans's AMC Info says VINs are on the top of the dashboard and on the door jamb (PURPLE).

TPOCR gives American numbers up through 6xxxxx and Canadian numbers from 700001 through 9xxxxx, assembled at Kenosha and Brampton. Gans's AMC Info agrees: first digit of the number 1-6 Kenosha, 7-9 Brampton, letter K knockdown export (PURPLE). Number ranges are not model-year-specific beyond the year digit.

The year digit 3 is also the last digit of another year (8 is 1968 or 1978, and so on); the year here is fixed by this format's year range.

Example is built from the published code table, not a recorded car.

Gans's AMC Info calls its own engine and group lists incomplete; letters and classes here are TPOCR's.

TPOCR lists only body class codes 5, 7 and 8 for this year; the pattern accepts any digit so cars with other class codes still decode, with the class shown as not a code our sources list.

Sources: [TPOCR73] [PURPLE]

1974

Looks like A4S055A100001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit. The guide places the plate on the upper left of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield.

Example is constructed from the guide's code tables, not a real vehicle.

Position 6 groups several models under one code; the guide's printed list shows Ambassador Brougham, Hornet, Javelin and Matador under code 7, and Javelin AMX and Matador X under code 8.

Sources: [AMCG]

1975

Looks like A5S055A100001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit. The guide places the plate on the upper left of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield.

Example is constructed from the guide's code tables, not a real vehicle.

Sources: [AMCG]

1976

Looks like A6S055A100001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit. The guide places the plate on the upper left of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield.

Example is constructed from the guide's code tables, not a real vehicle.

Sources: [AMCG]

1977

Looks like A7A055A100001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit. The guide places the plate on the upper left of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield.

Example is constructed from the guide's code tables, not a real vehicle.

Engine codes G and K both read 4-121 (2.0) 2-bbl in the guide; no difference is given.

Sources: [AMCG]

1978

Looks like A8A055A100001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit. The guide places the plate on the upper left of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield.

Example is constructed from the guide's code tables, not a real vehicle.

Sources: [AMCG]

1979

Looks like A9A037A100001 (13 characters)

13 characters, no check digit. The guide places the plate on the upper left of the instrument panel, visible through the windshield.

Example is constructed from the guide's code tables, not a real vehicle.

The guide prints the 2-door sedan on a continuation line with the Pacer hatchback code 6; no separate code is shown.

Sources: [AMCG]

1980

Looks like A0A060C100001 (13 characters)

The guide's sample VIN is A0A060C100001. 13 characters.

1981 and later AMC use the 17-character VIN and are out of scope.

Sources: [AMCG]