Cadillac VIN decoder, 1946-1980

1946-1947

Looks like 8420001 (7 characters)

The sources give serial blocks, not a coded layout. CDB-4650 lists: 1946: Series 61 5400001-5403001, Series 62 8400001-8418566, Series 60 Special 6400001-6405700, Series 75 3400001-3401927. 1947: Series 61 5420001-5428555, Series 62 8420001-8459835, Series 60 Special 6420001-6428500, Series 75 3420001-3425036. The year is told by the block: numbers from x400001 up to the 1946 end are 1946, numbers from x420001 up are 1947.

Series 62 ranges are confirmed by AMAZING-CAD47 (1947: 8420001 to 8459835) and AACA-CAD46 (1946: 8400001 to 8418566, search snippet). The first-digit rule for the other series is inferred from CDB-4650 and is marked unconfirmed.

No source reached states the location of the number for these years.

Sources: [CDB-4650] [AMAZING-CAD47] [AACA-CAD46]

1948-1949

Looks like 486200001 (9 characters)

CDB-4650 ranges: 1948 Series 61 486100001-486148663, Series 62 486200001-486252704, Series 75 487500001-487546088. 1949 Series 61 496100001-496192554, Series 62 496200001-496292554, Series 60 Special 496000001-496092554, Series 75 497500001-497592554. Hagerty decodes 496272478 as 49 / 62 / 72478.

The year-series-sequence reading is the same scheme the sources describe for 1950-53 (see the 1950-1953 format in the other GM file); CDB-4650 itself does not explain the structure.

Sources: [CDB-4650] [HAGERTY-CAD49] [OPGI-CAD49]

1950-1953

Looks like 506297360 (9 characters)

AMAZING-CAD53: 1953 serial and engine numbers are the same; found on the right side of the crankcase above the water pump and on the right frame side bar behind the engine support; the unit number began with 00000 for all series.

Year 1950 corroborated by one auction listing (HAGERTY-CAD50), 1953 by one history page (AMAZING-CAD53). 1951-52 are inferred from the continuous scheme and not independently documented here.

Sources: [HAGERTY-CAD50] [AMAZING-CAD53]

1954-1956

Looks like 546231558 (9 characters)

Serial and engine numbers are the same (AMAZING-CAD55, AMAZING-CAD56). All series share the same ending number per the same pages.

For 1954 only the Series 62 layout is shown by a source (an auction chassis number 546231558 and two other 1954 listings 546233940, 546279236, seen in search results); the 60 and 75 series for 1954 follow the 1955 page by assumption, so a 1954 number with 60 or 75 is less certain.

The 1953-57 lubrication plate is on the left front door pillar (AMAZING-CAD57), with the number also on the right frame side member and an engine block boss.

Sources: [AMAZING-CAD55] [AMAZING-CAD56] [RMS-CAD54]

1957

Looks like 577000001 (9 characters)

Locations (AMAZING-CAD57): a boss on the front right-hand face of the engine block; the lubrication plate on the left front door pillar; the right frame side member behind the motor support. Serial and engine numbers are the same.

The example sequence is a placeholder.

Sources: [AMAZING-CAD57]

1958

Looks like 58K181865 (9 characters)

The number is on the front of the left-hand frame side bar; the motor serial number matches it and is on the center left-hand side of the block above the oil pan (AMAZING-CAD58).

Letters for the Series 60 Special Fleetwood, the Eldorado Seville and Biarritz and the Eldorado Brougham were not found in any source reached. A decoder listing of 58M104130 and 58M110324 exists in search results but its meaning of M was not retrievable. These letters show as "not a code our sources list".

Sources: [AMAZING-CAD58] [AMAZING-CAD58F]

1959-1964

Looks like 61L100009 (9 characters)

RTRW-CAD: first two digits year, third character body style letter, last six production number (example 61L100009, "6 Window Sedan DeVille" for 1961). Number is stamped on the frame (left side), engine block (left side) and door pillar (left side center).

Single-source. Example is the one printed in RTRW-CAD text (production # 100009).

Sources: [RTRW-CAD]

1965

Looks like E5100001 (8 characters)

8 characters: body letter, year digit, six-digit number. Stamped into the top right frame rail forward of the front coil suspension and on the left rear bank of the engine block (TPOCR-CAD2).

TPOCR footnotes the Fleetwood Sixty Special (M) as the Brougham option. Example number is a placeholder.

Sources: [TPOCR-CAD2]

1966

Looks like G6414991 (8 characters)

8 characters: body letter, year digit, six-digit number (100001 and up). Frame rail top right forward of the front coil suspension, and left rear bank of the engine block (TPOCR-CAD3).

G6414991 is a 1966 Calais example seen in a decoder search result (the other GM file cites it).

Sources: [TPOCR-CAD3]

1967

Looks like H7100001 (8 characters)

8 characters: body letter, year digit, six-digit number (100001 and up) (TPOCR-CAD3). Example number is a placeholder.

Sources: [TPOCR-CAD3]

1968-1970

Looks like H8100001 (8 characters)

8 characters: body letter, year digit (8 = 1968, 9 = 1969, 0 = 1970), six-digit number (100001 and up). VIN plate riveted to the lower left cowl bar below the windshield for 1968-69; top of the left dashboard, visible through the windshield, for 1970; also stamped on the engine block pad behind the intake manifold (TPOCR-CAD4, TPOCR-CAD5).

The 13-character form begins with the 1971 model year (see the cadillac-1971 format).

The letter L is "6-window Sedan DeVille" on the 1968-69 page and "Sedan DeVille" on the 1970 page; both are shown as the 1968-69 wording. Example number is a placeholder.

Sources: [TPOCR-CAD4] [TPOCR-CAD5] [CDEC-CAD]

1971

Looks like 683471Q100001 (13 characters)

The first digit 6 is the GM division code for Cadillac. Position 6 is the model year digit. TPOCR-CAD6 gives no engine code for 1971. The number is on top of the left dashboard, visible through the windshield, and on the engine block pad behind the intake manifold.

The example is built from the tables, not a verified vehicle.

Sources: [TPOCR-CAD6] [CDEC-CAD]

1972-1980

Looks like 6L67S5Q268761 (13 characters)

A 1975 Eldorado convertible VIN 6L67S5Q268761 was seen in search results (CAMALL-ELDO75), matching this layout (6 Cadillac, L Eldorado, 67 convertible, S engine letter, 5 = 1975, Q Detroit).

CADB says the model-year character is a digit through 1979 and a letter from 1980 (A = 1980). 1971 Cadillac is excluded (position 5 not an engine code per CDEC-CAD).

Series-letter meanings come from the Cadillac Database and a Cadillac styling-code table for 1974-1990 (RTRW-CADMOD); the VIN-letter equivalence is inferred from the style-code prefix and is not stated by either source.

Sources: [CADB] [CDEC-CAD] [CAMALL-ELDO75]