Chassis Number Sequences 1948 – 1958

Reprinted with permission from the Land Rover Series One Club where it was compiled from research by Michael Bishop and supplemented from other sources including an article by John Smith in LRW magazine February 2003


1948 Models (to February 1949)

Pre-Production         R or L 01 to 48                  R = RHD; L = LHD

Basic model            R or L 860001 to 863000.         First digit 8 = 1948 Model Year;
                                                        Second digit 6 = Model (Land Rover)

The production engine, gearbox and front and rear axles ran in their own 860001 onwards series.

1949 Models (February 1949 – July 1949)
Numbering changed to 7 digits with addition of third digit to designate sub-model

Basic model            R or L 8663001 to 8667920        Third digit 6 = Basic vehicle  

Station Wagon          R or L 8670001 to 8670070        Third digit 7 = Station Wagon

Mobile Welder          R or L 8680001 to 8680010        Third digit 8 = Mobile Welder

The engine gearbox and front and rear axles for these models continued in the 860001 onwards series.
No 96… series chassis number issued for ’49 model year…
Production subsequently began as early as September of the year previous to the model year – the factory prepared for the new run during the summer holidays.

1950 Models (August 1949 – July 1950)
Third digits simplified to 1-3 rather than 6-8 and numbering changed to 8 digits

Basic model            R or L 06100001 to 06115440      Third digit 1 = Basic vehicle

Station Wagon          R or L 06200001 to 06200480      Third digit 2 = Station Wagon

Mobile Welder          R or L 06300001 to 06300030      Third digit 3 = Mobile Welder

2 litre prototype      07100001 to 07100050             Second digit 7 = prototype

0… 1st digit designation introduced for 1950 model year onwards
The engine, gearbox and front and rear axles ran in their own 06100001 onwards series.

1951 Models
Third digit, addition of CKD models designated as 6. Fourth digit designating Home Market models (0) Right-Hand Drive (6) or Left-Hand Drive (3)

Basic model:
Home models            16100001 to 16103971             Fourth digit 0 = Basic Home vehicle
RHD export             16160001 to 16163268             Fourth digit 6 = Basic RHD export
LHD export             16130001 to 16137601             Fourth digit 3 = Basic LHD export

RHD export, (C.K.D)    16660001 to 16662322             Third digit 6 = Basic RHD CKD export
LHD export, (C.K.D)    16630001 to 16630078             Third digit 6 = Basic LHD CKD export

C.K.D stands for Completely Knocked Down which means that the vehicle was despatched out to its destination, unassembled and was assembled by the Local main dealer or importer.

Station Wagon:
Home models            16200001                         (Not used).
RHD export             16260001 to 16260020                          
LHD export             16230001 to 16230080

The 80″ Land Rover Station wagon was discontinued after 1951.

Mobile Welder:
Home models            16300001 to 16300004
RHD export             16360001 to 16360009
LHD export             16330001 to 16330007

First digit designation changed (1…) to identify new model year.
The engine, gearbox and front axle for these models are 16100001 onwards for RHD vehicles and 16130001 onwards for LHD vehicles.
The rear axles are all numbered 16100001 onwards.

1952 Models
As 1951 sequence with change of first digit for new model year

Basic model:
Home models            26100001 to 26105569
RHD export             26160001 to 26163614
LHD export             26130001 to 26136424

RHD export, (C.K.D)    26660001 to 26661092
LHD export, (C.K.D)    26630001 to 26631985

Mobile Welder:

Home models            26300001 to 26300014

RHD export             26360001 to 26360004
LHD export             26330001 to 26330013

The engine, gearbox and front axle for these models are 26100001 onwards for RHD vehicles and 26130001 onwards for LHD vehicles.
The rear axles are all numbered 26100001 onwards.

1953 models
As 1951 sequence with change of first digit for new model year

Basic model:
Home models            36100001 to 36104122
RHD export             36160001 to 36164007
LHD export             36130001 to 36134613

RHD export, (C.K.D)    36660001 to 36662240
LHD export, (C.K.D)    36630001 to 36637268             incl. Minerva – but without bodywork.

Mobile Welder:
Home models            36300001 to 36300008
RHD export             36360001 to 36360007
LHD export             36330001 to 36330007

The engine, gearbox and front axlenumbers for these models are 36100001 onwards for RHD vehicles and 36130001 onwards for LHD vehicles.
The rear axles are all numbered 36100001 onwards                

1954 and 1955 models
With the launch of the 86″ and 107″ vehicles, Land Rover changed the numbering system to 8 digits and re-ordered the sequence as follows:

First digit = model year           4 = 1954,  5 = 1955
Second digit = vehicle type        7 = Land Rover
Third digit = variant              1 = 86 inch                                  
                                   2 = 107 inch                                  
                                   6 = 86 inch CKD                                  
                                   7 = 107 inch CKD
Fourth digit = specification       0 or 1 = Home market                                  
                                   3 or 4 = LHD Export                                  
                                   6 or 7 = RHD Export


Examples:
4710…        1954 Land Rover 86 inch Home market vehicle
4766…        1954 Land Rover 86 inch CKD RHD Export
5720…        1955 Land Rover 107 inch Home market vehicle

Prototype 86 inch models were numbered P/86 to P86/9; Pre-production models were numbered 47100001 – 16
86 inch Station Wagons did not have any special numbering.
All LWB Station Wagons were 107 inch right up to the end of production in 1958 – there were no 109 inch Station Wagons.

 

1956 – 1958 models
Pre-empting the launch of the 88 inch & 109 inch models part way through 1956 (to accommodate the larger diesel engine planned), Land Rover moved to yet another chassis numbering sequence from 1956, this time with 9 digits.

For the 86 inch and 107 inch models the new sequence was as follows:

First digit = model type           1 = 86 inch,  2 = 107 inch, 8 = 107 Station Wagon
Second digit = vehicle type        7 = Land Rover
Third digit = variant              0 = Home market                                  
                                   3 = Export LHD                      
                                   4 = CKD LHD                                  
                                   6 = Export RHD
                                   7 = CKD RHD
Fourth digit = model year          6 = 1956                                  

For the 88 inch and 109 inch models now with diesel engine option (and the maintained 107 inch Station Wagon), the sequence changed as follows:

First digit for all vehicles       1 = Land Rover

2nd & 3rd digits = variant:

11 = Home RHD 88                  12 = Export RHD 88
13 = CKD RHD 88                   14 = Export LHD 88
15 = CKD LHD 88                   16 = Diesel Home RHD 88
17 = Diesel Export RHD 88         18 = Diesel CKD RHD 88
19 = Diesel Export LHD 88         20 = Diesel CKD LHD 88
21 = Home RHD 88                  22 = Export RHD 109
23 = CKD RHD 88                   24 = Diesel Export LHD 109
25 = CKD RHD 109                  26 = Diesel Home RHD 109
27 = Diesel Export RHD 109        28 = Diesel CKD RHD 109
29 = Diesel Export LHD 109        30 = Diesel CKD RHD 109
31 = Home RHD Station Wagon       32 = Export RHD Station Wagon
33 = CKD RHD Station Wagon        34 = Export LHD Station Wagon
35 = CKD LHD Station Wagon

Fourth digit = model year          6 = 1956
                                   7 = 1957
                                   8 = 1958


Examples;
1706…          1956 86 inch Home market
1116…          1956 88 inch Home market (Wheelbase extended by 2” to take diesel engine)
1117…          1957 88 inch Home market Petrol
1167…          1957 88 inch Home market Diesel
1138…          RHD CKD 1958 88 inch Petrol
1148…          LHD Export 1958 88 inch
1247…          1957 LHD Export 109 inch Diesel
1328…          1958 RHD Export 107 inch Station Wagon