Enter the 17-character VIN of your VW-Porsche to see the factory basics. Free, with no registration.
Look on the dashboard, the driver's door frame or in the registration document.
Type all 17 characters. The letters I, O and Q are never used in a VIN.
See the factory basics for free, and order a full report for the history behind the VIN.
This page decodes VINs for VW-Porsche. Our data lists one model, the 914, with version data for model years 1969 to 1976 in the Roadster body style, and the highest power figure we hold is 110 hp. The decoder reads only the 17 characters of the VIN itself and returns the manufacturer, the model year and the country of manufacture, free and without registration.
It does not show accidents, mileage, theft or previous owners, because a VIN does not contain them. That information comes from a paid vehicle history report.
Pick a VW-Porsche model to see how its VIN works.
A 17-character VIN, the format used for cars built since 1981, is split into fixed blocks. Characters 1 to 3 are the WMI, which identifies the manufacturer. Characters 4 to 8 describe the vehicle, character 9 is the check digit, character 10 is the model year, character 11 is the plant and characters 12 to 17 are the serial number. The letters I, O and Q are never used.
For VW-Porsche we currently have no WMI codes mapped to the brand, so there is no list of codes or countries to show here. That only describes our own list and says nothing about any particular VIN you might hold.
Our version data for the 914 runs from 1969 to 1976, which is earlier than the 17-character format. The model year letters in position 10 start with B for 1981, so they do not apply to those years. If the number on a 914 does not follow the 17-character layout, the decoder may not be able to read it.
Every VIN has six parts. This is what each of them means.
| Part | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| WMI | 1 to 3 | World manufacturer identifier: who built the vehicle and where |
| VDS | 4 to 8 | Vehicle descriptor: model, body type and engine, as set by the manufacturer |
| Check digit | 9 | Control value that helps confirm the VIN is valid |
| Model year | 10 | Code for the model year |
| Plant | 11 | Code for the assembly plant |
| Serial | 12 to 17 | Production sequence number of this vehicle |
On the driver's side, visible through the windshield.
On a sticker on the door frame or the edge of the door.
Printed in the vehicle registration or title.
Stamped on the firewall or the frame on many models.
A VIN is built from six parts, and each one says something about the vehicle. Our guides explain how to read it and what it can and cannot tell you.
Enter the 17-character VIN and see the factory basics in seconds.
Start with the registration papers, where the VIN is normally printed, and then compare it with the number stamped or plated on the car itself. For an older car such as a 914, the number may be shorter than 17 characters.
The first three characters are the WMI, which identifies the manufacturer. We have no WMI codes mapped to VW-Porsche at the moment, so we cannot list any here.
In a 17-character VIN the model year is the 10th character, and the letter scheme begins with B for 1981. Our 914 data covers 1969 to 1976, before that scheme, so a position 10 letter is not the way to date those cars.
It cannot show accidents, mileage, theft or previous owners, since none of that is stored in the VIN. It reads only the manufacturer, model year and country of manufacture.
Make sure the VIN on the paperwork matches the number on the car, and that the characters are legible and consistent. Then compare the body style and power with the seller's description, remembering that our data for the 914 lists a Roadster with up to 110 hp.