Time for a Technical Article

Lets decode the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of Rolls Royce and Bentley Cars manufactured from 1980.

Lets take this ebay snap. Can you guess the car? You will know it by the end of this article!


The rubber is actully hiding the last digit. It's a 5.

SCBZK14E9XCX61845

It's 17 digits and they all mean something!

Here is the key.


So straight away we can tell a few things.
-Its made by "SC" = Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Bentley Motors (1931) Limited
-"B" It's a Bentley
-Made in the Crewe factory
-Is left hand drive

Now to look up the model, engine and year

ZK = Azure
14 = 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, OBDII
X = 1999


1, 2 Manufacturer
SC Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Bentley Motors (1931) Limited

3 Branding
A Rolls-Royce, B Bentley

4, 5 Model
Bnote that when Digit 4 is a Z, that denotes an SZ-series chassis platform.
PM Phantom Vl
PT Phantom Vl Landaulette
PT Phantom Vl Armoured
YD Corniche to 1982
YJ Camargue
ZA Silver Dawn
ZB Continental R, Continental S
ZC Corniche S
ZD Corniche and Continental 1982 to 1996
ZE Bentley Eight from1987, Bentley Brooklands
ZF Brooklands LWB
ZG Flying Spur
ZK Azure, Corniche from 2000
ZL Silver Spur with Division
ZN Silver Spur, Mulsanne LWB, Mulsanne Turbo L, Turbo RL prior to1989
ZP Turbo RL prior to 1989
ZR Turbo R from 1989
ZS Silver Spirit, Mulsanne, Mulsanne Turbo, Eight prior to 1987, Turbo R prior to 1989
ZT Turbo S
ZU Continental T
ZV Silver Spur Park Ward Limousine
ZW Silver Spur Touring Limousine
ZX Silver Spur Limousine, 1998
ZY Silver Spur, Extended
ZZ Continental SC
LA Silver Seraph
LB Arnage, Arnage Green Label, Arnage Birkiin
LC Arnage Red Label, Arnage Le Mans Arnage R
LD Park Ward from 2000
LE Arnage LWB
LF Arnage T

6, 7 Engine Type
00 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst exhaust system
01 6.75 Litre V8, Phantom VI
02 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter from 1988
03 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, cross-bolted crankshaft from 1988
04 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, cross-bolted crankshaft, non catalyst, from 1988
05 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter (Turbo S
06 6.75 Litre V8, turbochargned non-catalyst (Turbo S
0T 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst (pre -1988
42 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter (pre-1988
80 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst {Bentley Eight
11 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter, OBDII
12 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter OBDI
13 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst
14 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, OBDII
15 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter, OBDI
16 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst
17 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, catalytic converter, OBDI, Traction Assistance
18 6.75 Litre V8, naturally aspirated, non-catalyst, OBDI, Traction Assistance
19 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, non-intercooled
20 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDl, non-intercooled
21 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, non-intercooled
22 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, intercooled, 400 bhp
23 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbochargermcatalytic converter OBDl, intercooled, 400 bhp
24 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, intercooled, 420 bhp
25 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, intercooled, 420 bhp
26 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDl, intercooled, 420 bhp
27 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, intercooled, 420 bhp
28 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDl, intercooled, 325 bhp
29 6.75 Litre V8, single Garrett turbocharger, catalytic converter OBDlI, intercooled, 325 bhp
30 6.75 Litre V8, low pressure single Garrett turbocharger, non-catalyst, intercooled,325 bhp
31 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, OBDII, intercooled, 400 bhp
32 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, OBDI, intercooled, 400 bhp
33 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, non-catalyst, intercooled, 400 bhp
34 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, intercooled, 450 bhp
36 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, non-catalyst, intercooled, 450 bhp
37 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, catalytic converter, intercooled, 400 bhp
38 6.75 Litre V8, twin turbochargers, non-catalyst, intercooled, 400 bhp non+ataly4s0t,0 bhp
50 4.4 Litre V8, non-catalyst
51 4.4 Litre V8, catalytic converter
60 5.4 Litre V12, non-catalyst
61 5.4 Litre V12, catalytic converter OBDll
62 5.4 Litre V12, catalytic converter EOBD


8 Restraint Type
0 Other than USA prior to 1987
A Active seat belts, B Passive front seat belts, C Twin airbags, D Driver only airbag
E Twin airbags witih seat belt pretensioning, F Twin airbags, side curtains


9 Checksum Digit
0-9 or X

10 Model Year (note that the model year commences in the European spring of the previous year)
A 1980, B 1981, C 1982, D 1983, E 1984, F 1985, G 1986, H 1987
L 1988, J 1989, K 1989, L 1990, M 1991, N 1992, P 1993, R 1994
S 1995, T 1996, V 1997, W 1998, X 1999, Y 2000,
1 2001, 2 2002, 3 2003

11 Factory Location
C Crewe, W Willesden

12 Steering Location
H Right hand drive, X Left hand drive

13 to 17 Chassis Serial Number
Five digit number starting from 01001. Some numbers are not used (eg 16531 to 2000 inclusive), and some are used more than once.

And now SCBZK14E9XCX61845 in full.