Fun with numbers

[Fredvon4]

This is a code you should be able to easily break (google is your friend)

WME4504321J285914

or this one

WME4503321J279376

There is a significance of the first 3 numbers

A week ago these items were for sale on a advertisers site here at SCOA...they each had a price listed -- Today they are still there but you must call for the price

Hint one is Noir Black and silver, the other Panther pink and silver

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by Fredvon4

This is a code you should be able to easily break (google is your friend)

WME4504321J285914

or this one

WME4503321J279376

There is a significance of the first 3 numbers

A week ago these items were for sale on a advertisers site here at SCOA...they each had a price listed -- Today they are still there but you must call for the price

Hint one is Noir Black and silver, the other Panther pink and silver

So here's my guess:

Digit 1: The W stands for Germany (German manufacturer even though it's a french car)
Digits 2&3: ME makes it a Smart (MW would make it a MINI)
Digits 4-6: 450 is the model
Digits 7&8: more on these later
Digit 9 is a check sum
Digit 10: manufactured in 2001
Digit 11: J for Humburg factory
Digits 12-17: serial number

First VIN is a real car, the second isn't registered (at least not in the U.S)

[spdickey]

450 for sale at Lake Oswego, Oregon. Want some more smart VINS? Here's one from a 451 USA spec car at the smart House.

[Fredvon4]

Interesting breakout lhoboy both are listed as 2006 models at Oswego Lux

The USA spec VIN has me thrown for a loop..... the Brits say the 451 is in the VIN of the New design Smart as was the 450 from the old design.... very curious

[CruisingAZ]

Originally Posted by spdickey

450 for sale at Lake Oswego, Oregon. Want some more smart VINS? Here's one from a 451 USA spec car at the smart House.

It is possible that this is a manufacturers temporary VIN as it does not start with a county designation. The actual vin would be applied to the dash, but manufacturers are allowed to use temp VINs to bring vehicles into the country for inspection & testing without an actual VIN. They however cannot be sold in that condition.

[spdickey]

Originally Posted by CruisingAZ

It is possible that this is a manufacturers temporary VIN as it does not start with a county designation. The actual vin would be applied to the dash, but manufacturers are allowed to use temp VINs to bring vehicles into the country for inspection & testing without an actual VIN. They however cannot be sold in that condition.

Doesn't the W=Germany? I've collected eight VINS from USA smarts and they all start WME.

This is a photo through the windshield of a smart at the smart House in Venice, CA

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by spdickey

Doesn't the W=Germany? I've collected eight VINS from USA smarts and they all start WME.

This is a photo through the windshield of a smart at the smart House in Venice, CA

Yes, Germany is W and Smart is ME. What has me stumped is the factory codes are different. Digit 11 is J for the 450 and K for the 451. Where the 2 models built in different factories. Perhaps a different factory(assembly facility) in the same town?

[lhoboy]

The VIN in the window is definitely not a valid registration VIN as the check digit (digit 9) should be a "1" not an "8" for this sequence of alphanumerics.

See:VIN Facts

[Fredvon4]

I wonder about the decode to a 450 model 2001 car set for sale as a 2006 model.... did G&K/ZAP play games with their modified smart cars?... hummm

I poked all 5 VINs from Oswego into a free decoder and they are returned as invalid...

WME4504321J285914 is Oswego 06 Passion

Digit 1: The W stands for Germany (German manufacturer even though it's a french car)
Digits 2&3: ME makes it a Smart (MW would make it a MINI)
Digits 4-6: 450 is the model
Digits 7&8: more on these later
Digit 9 is a check sum
Digit 10: manufactured in 2001
Digit 11: J for Humburg factory
Digits 12-17: serial number