Vehicle Identification Numbers and SUNBEAM LOTUS

WHILE PRODUCING A PRODUCTION CERTIFICATE for a member recently I had to write a note about the chassis number and change of company name, and just a few days later another member then quizzed me about this very subject. I think we have given breakdowns of the VIN here before on more than one occasion but perhaps an update (if you can indeed update something that hasn’t changed in 40 years…) might be due. So here it is:

Pre-production Sunbeam Lotus were built in 1979 model year (“9” series), but in late 1978. Serial numbers for 79MY had reset to start at 100000, just as they had done the previous model year. VINs commenced R4DCD9L, although some cars had these transposed to R4DCY9L when the registration paperwork was submitted (the Y signifying the Lotus model, which hadn’t existed when the car bodies had been assembled).

Production of Sunbeam Lotus commenced in March 1979, still within the 79MY but at a much later serial number (around 158000). VINs commenced R4DCY9L.

Model Year change was in July 1979, when 1980MY cars began (“A” series). These started at serial number 200000. VINs commenced R4DCYAL, still on Chrysler United Kingdom Ltd chassis plates. On January 1st 1980, the serial number restarted at 300000, still on 80MY. The company name changed to Talbot Motor Company Ltd, and this is reflected in the name on the

ID plate changing and the first letter of the VIN changing from R to T. VINs commenced T4DCYAL.

July 1980 saw a change to 1981MY (“B” series), when serial numbers started at 400000. VINs commenced T4DCYBL.

For January 1981, the serial number restarted at 400000. VINs continued to start T4DCYBL. Production stopped in May 1981 halfway through 420000 serial numbers, although regular Sunbeam production went up to 430000.

It is to be noted that the serial numbers were assigned consecutively for all Sunbeam and Avenger models. Sunbeam Lotus were built in batches within these numbers, in varying quantities; the final run of Moonstone cars were built in two large batches. All dates mentioned are for production; registration is another matter. You might have a 1980 model year car built in 1979 but not registered until 1981! The Year of Manufacture for this example would be 1979. Some chassis numbers are recorded incorrectly by DVLA (e.g. missing a letter), usually as a result of incorrect filing by the original dealer; this can be corrected, and we can help with this if anyone has a car affected in this way.

Graeme Lawton