RAT MotorsportIndependent Porsche Specialists

Vehicle identification numbers (also called VINs) are critical pieces of information for identifying the exact Porsche you have and the engine that was put into it when it was built. A car‘s vehicle identification number (VIN) is the automotive equivalent of human DNA.

In the mid 1950s, automobile manufacturers began stamping and casting identifying numbers on cars and their parts. The obvious purpose was to give an accurate description of the vehicle as mass production numbers were starting to climb to very significant numbers. Research has shown that early VIN’s came in all sorts of variations, depending on the car manufacturer.

In the early 1980s, administration began requiring that all road vehicles contain a 17-character VIN. This established the fixed VIN system for major vehicle manufacturers as it is known today and thus, created a unique “DNA” style number for each unique vehicle that rolled off the assembly line.

The Vehicle Identification Number was “officially” described in ISO Standard 3779 in February 1977 and last revised in 1983.

Explanation of Unique Identifiers Within Your Porsche’s VIN
Vehicle identification numbers are standardized - all contain 17 characters. VIN characters may be capital letters A through Z and numbers 1 through 0; however, the letters I, O and Q are never used in order to avoid mistakes of misreading. No signs or spaces are allowed in the VIN.

The position of each letter or number in the VIN code reveals important information about where and when your Porsche was made, the type of engine it has, the model or series of the car, various equipment/attributes and its production sequence. Each character or digit has a particular purpose as follows:

• 1st Character: The 1st character of your Porsche’s vehicle identification number identifies the country where it was manufactured, in this case ‘W’ for Germany.
• 2nd Character: The 2nd character in your Porsche’s VIN specifies the manufacturer, ‘P’ standing for Porsche.
• 3rd Character: The 3rd character in your Porsche’s vehicle identification number indicates the vehicle type, or manufacturing division.
• 4th - 8th Character: The 4th through 8th characters in your Porsche’s VIN reveals its type, model, series, etc. you will see “ZZZ96” on a 964, and “ZZZ99” on a 993 and 996 etc etc.
• 9th Character: The 9th character in your Porsche’s vehicle identification number is a VIN accuracy check digit, verifying the previous numbers
  within the VIN. This check digit is a single number or letter “Z” used to verify the accuracy of the vehicle identification number.
• 10th Character: The 10th character in your Porsche’s VIN tells you the model year. see the chart in the “Here’s How to Find Your Car’s VIN” section below for specific locations by car make.)
• 11th Character: The 11th character in your Porsche’s vehicle identification number reveals the assembly plant for the vehicle, ‘S’ is for Stuttgart.
• 12th - 17th Character: The 12th through the 17th character in your Porsche’s VIN indicate the sequence of the vehicle for production as it rolled off the assembly line. The last four characters are always numeric.

VIN Character - Model Year Codes
1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	A
1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
B	C	D	E	F	G	H	J	K	L
1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
M	N	P	R	S	T	V	W	X	Y
2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	A

How to Find Your Porsche’s VIN

Below will help you locate your Porsche’s unique VIN number, which are normally located in several locations on a car, but the most common places are:

• 356’s stamped on an alloy plate on the front panel under the bonnet.
• Early 911’s alloy plate on the front panel, and stamped behind petrol tank left side.
• Later 911’s 993’s, 996’s on the dash lower part of the windshield, and stamped behind the spare wheel.
• 924 on the windshield pillar and on the strut top mount, on 944’s and 968’s there should be a sticker in the boot and stamped on the engine bay fire wall.
• 928 Is again seen on the windshield pillar.
• Also on your car’s registration, guarantee/maintenance book or on your insurance policy.

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