Land Rover Series One Chassis Number Location

THE ROVER SYSTEM

Land-Rover used Rover’s system for numbering each vehicle with ‘Model Years’ changing during the summer – new Models being launched in the August when workers returned from their summer holiday. This means a vehicle built between August 1954 and July 1955 is described as a 1955 ‘model’. Click below to see how chassis number sequences identify the ‘Model Year’ and different models in the range.

You may want to try our Series One Chassis Number Decoder which saves searching for a particular chassis number in the list below…

MODEL FROM/TO: KEY
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 series from 860001 onwards.

Numbering changed to 7 digits with addition of third digit to designate sub-model

MODEL FROM/TO: KEY
Basic model R or L 8663001 to 8667920 Third digit 6 = Basic vehicle
Tickford 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

Third digits simplified to 1-3 rather than 6-8 and numbering changed to 8 digits with first digit designating model year.

MODEL FROM/TO: KEY
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. Production subsequently began as early as August of the year previous to the model year – the factory preparing for the new run during the summer holidays.

Removal of R or L designations and instead chassis numbers change to designate particular markets – eg. Fourth digit designating Home Market models (0) Right-Hand Drive (6) or Left-Hand Drive (3); Third digit, addition of CKD models designated as 6.

BASIC MODEL

MARKET FROM/TO: KEY
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:

MARKET FROM/TO: KEY
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:

MARKET FROM/TO: KEY
Home models 16300001 to 16300004
RHD export 16360001 to 16360009
LHD export 16330001 to 16330080

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.

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

BASIC MODEL

MARKET FROM/TO: KEY
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

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.

MOBILE WELDER:

MARKET FROM/TO: KEY
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.

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

BASIC MODEL

MARKET FROM/TO: KEY
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.

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.

MOBILE WELDER:

MARKET FROM/TO: KEY
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.

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:

DIGIT/DESIGNATION KEY
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.

Pre-empting the launch of the 88 inch & 109 inch models part way through 1956 (to accommodate the larger diesel engine planned), 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:

DIGIT/DESIGNATION KEY
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:

DIGIT/DESIGNATION KEY
First digit = all vehicles 1 = Land Rover
Second & Third digit = 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 109
22 = Export RHD 109
23 = CKD RHD 109
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

If you can’t find your vehicle’s chassis number on a brass plate on the dash or engine side of the bulkhead, check to see if the original stamped number is present in the locations shown on the photo. Enter your chassis number below and we’ll decode it for you, showing the MODEL YEAR, BODY TYPE, RHD/LHD etc.


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