TR7 Chassis Numbers and what they mean
Because Triumph used a variety of different chassis numbering systems this page attempts to explain what each letter should mean – while this will be correct for the vast majority of cars you should note that it is not unusual to find cars with the wrong lettering and designation such as TCG and ACW cars which are FHC’s also having some DHC models in amongst as well – why? who knows other than all sorts of strange things happened at BL during the 70’s and 80’s.
EXP all Year Cars
EXP cars are exactly that experimental – most of these cars have been destroyed but a few remain – all have an X??? number and in the case of the TR7/8 are likely to be in the 900 series. The table below lists some of the better known ones that have survived.
| EXP | Spec | Model |
|---|---|---|
| X905 | UK | LYNX (Heritage Museum Gaydon UK) |
| X919 | US DHC | TR8 |
| X921 | UK | TR8 |
| X923 | UK | TR8 |
| X924 | US DHC | TR8 |
| X925 | US DHC | TR8 |
Speake North America 1975/76 Year Cars
TR7 FHC – prefix (ACL)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | A = Speake |
| 2: Model range: | C = TR7 |
| 3: Specification | L = TR7 FHC |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | U = North American |
| 6: Suffix | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 7: Suffix | A = Automatic gearbox |
| 8: Suffix | L = the other left-hand drive cars |
| 9: Suffix: | C = exhaust control is fitted |
| 10:Suffix: | M = Canadian specification |
1975 model year – ACL 1 to 7248 (Jan 75 to Sept 75)
1976 model year – ACL 10001 to 34099 (Sept 75 to Oct 76)
Maximum production possible by chassis numbers: 29798
Speake Europe / Home 1976/78 Year Cars
TR7 FHC – prefix (ACG)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | A = Speake |
| 2: Model range: | C = TR7 |
| 3: Specification: | G = TR7 FHC |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 6: Suffix | A = Automatic gearbox |
| 7: Suffix | L = the other left-hand drive cars |
ACG 1 to 4688 (Jun 75 to Oct 76) approx. 50 cars
ACG 10001 to 23406 (Oct 76 to Jun 77)
ACG 25001 to 27053 (Jun 77 to Aug 77)
ACG 35001 to 37661 (Aug 77 to May 78)
Maximum production possible by chassis numbers: 22808
Speake North America 1977/78 Year Cars
TR7 FHC – prefix (ACW)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | A = Speake |
| 2: Model range: | C = TR7 |
| 3: Specification | W = TR7 FHC* |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | U = North American |
| 6: Suffix: | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 7: Suffix: | A = Automatic gearbox |
| 8: Suffix | L = the other left-hand drive cars |
| 9: Suffix: | C = exhaust control is fitted |
| 10:Suffix: | M = Canadian specification |
| 11:Suffix | T = Hand built DHC* |
1977 model year – ACW 1 to 17115 (Sep 76 to May 77)
1978 model year – ACW 30001 to 33051 (Jun 77 on)
ACW 40001 to 44328 (Aug 77 to May 78)
*There are some DHC’s in this group ala ACT but IMHO these cars are either simply wrongly stamped, or an after thought with the T for DHC at the end of the chassis number stamped later.
Chassis number – ACW40004UCFT – see below for break down.
1 A = SPEAKE
2 C = TR7
3 W = FHC (T Should have been placed here not at the end)
4 Number = 400004
5 U = North American
6 C = Cat fitted (This is in the wrong position should be No 7)
7 F = 5 SPEED (This is in the wrong position should be No 6)
8 T = DHC (This is in the wrong position should be No 3)
Maximum production possible by chassis numbers: 24494
Speake Europe / Home 1977 Year Cars
TR7 SPRINT 16 Valve FHC – prefix (ACH)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | A = Speake |
| 2: Model range: | C = TR7 |
| 3: Specification: | H = TR7 Sprint 16 valve FHC |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 6: Suffix: | A = Automatic gearbox |
| 7: Suffix | L = the other left-hand drive cars |
ACH 1 to 700 (Feb 77 to Oct 77)
Note: Not all numbers were used. Max of 60 cars built Feb – Oct 1977.
Speake Prototype DHC 1978 Year Cars
TR7/8 DHC – prefix (ACT)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | A = Speake |
| 2: Model range: | C = TR7/8 |
| 3: Specification: | T = TR7/8 Hand built DHC |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 6: Suffix: | A = Automatic gearbox |
| 7: Suffix | L = the other left-hand drive cars |
| 8: Suffix: | C = exhaust control is fitted |
| 9:Suffix: | M = Canadian specification |
ACT 1 to 110 (Apr 78 to May 78)
Note Not all numbers used. Approximately 10 cars were built Apr – May 1978. These cars were DHC’s converted by hand – some of these cars were later given TR8 engines so would have been pre-production TR8 DHC’s. some were finished off at Canley.
Canley North America 1978/79/80 Year Cars
TR7 FHC – prefix (TCW)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | T = Canley |
| 2: Model range | C = TR7/8 |
| 3: Specification: | W = TR7 FHC |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | U = North American |
| 6: Suffix: | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 7: Suffix: | A = Automatic gearbox |
| 8: Suffix | L = the other left-hand drive cars |
| 9: Suffix: | C = exhaust control is fitted |
| 10:Suffix: | M = Canadian specification |
TCW 100001 to 115604 (Oct 78 to Oct 79
TR7 DHC – prefix (TCT)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | T = Canley |
| 2: Model range: | C = TR7/8 |
| 3: Specification | T = TR7 DHC |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | U = North American |
| 6: Suffix: | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 7: Suffix: | A = Automatic gearbox |
| 8: Suffix | L = the other left-hand drive cars |
| 9: Suffix: | C = exhaust control is fitted |
| 10:Suffix: | M = Canadian specification |
1979 model year TCT 100001 to 105825 (Jan 79 to Jun 79)
1980 model year TCT 110001 to 115897 (Jun 79 to Oct 79)
Note Contrary to opinions these cars actually do exist.
79 model year had their own Commission number series, 80 model year shared the commission number series with TCG and TCW.
Canley Europe / Home 1978/79 Year Cars
TR7 FHC – prefix (TCG)
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Assembly: | T = Canley |
| 2: Model range: | C = TR7/8 |
| 3: Specification: | G = TR7 FHC* |
| 4: Number: | 012345 etc = number in series |
| 5: Suffix: | F = 5 speed gearbox |
| 6: Suffix: | A = Automatic gearbox |
TCG 100001 to 114122 (Oct 78 to Oct 79)
*Some early convertibles have this chassis number
Canley/Solihull 1980 Year Cars
From here on in all TR7’s and TR8’s share the same series of numbers, individual letters are now the only way to differentiate between a TR7 or TR8 – Different market cars – FHC or DHC.
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Make of car | T = Triumph |
| 2: Model range: | P = TR7/8 |
| 3. Specification: | A = UK or Europe |
| K = Australia | |
| V = U.S.A., Federal (49 states) | |
| Z = U.S.A., California | |
| L = Canada | |
| J = Japan | |
| 4. Type of body: | E = Coupe |
| D = Convertible | |
| 5. Type of engine: | J = 2 litre (TR7) |
| V = 3.5 litre V8 (TR8) | |
| 6. Steering, Gear box: | 3 = RHD. Automatic |
| 4 = LHD, Automatic | |
| 7 = RHD, Manual | |
| 8 = LHD, Manual | |
| 7. Model year change: | A = 1980 Model Year |
| 8. Assembly plant: | T = Canley |
| 9. | Number 6 digits |
European / Home Non USA/Canada Solihull 1980/81 Year Cars
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| 1: Global ID | SAT = Triumph World ID (Not used on all cars!) |
| 2: Make of car | T = Triumph |
| 3: Model range: | P = TR7/8 |
| 4. Specification | A = UK or Europe |
| K = Australia | |
| V = U.S.A., Federal (49 states) | |
| Z = U.S.A., California | |
| L = Canada | |
| J = Japan | |
| 5. Type of body: | E = Coupe |
| D = Convertible | |
| 6. Type of engine: | J = 2 litre (TR7) |
| V = 3.5 litre V8 (TR8) | |
| 7. Steering, Gear box: | 3 = RHD. Automatic |
| 4 = LHD, Automatic | |
| 7 = RHD, Manual | |
| 8 = LHD, Manual | |
| 8. Model year change: | A = 1980 Model Year |
| B = 1981 Model Year (not have been used on rest or the world cars – USA CANADA Only) | |
| C = 1982 Model Year (not have been used on rest or the world cars – CANADA Only) | |
| 9. Assembly plant: | T = Canley |
| A = Solihull | |
| 10. | Number 6 digits |
USA/Canada Solihull 1981/2 Year Cars
Solihull built American and Canadian specification TR8s and TR7s for 1981/82 carried another variation of the VIN system. These new VINs were introduced to comply with new American and Canadian chassis numbering regulations. They were in many respects similar to the European system except that a ‘Check Digit’ was now incorporated, which increased the length to 17 digits.
The Check digit was inserted at the 9th position of the series and could check the validity of the entire chassis number. The other digits that differed from the European system were the 6th, 7th and 8th digits. The check digit is calculated as follows:
| Chassis | Wgt | Wgt | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dig | Represent | No | Fct | ||
| 1. | Continent | S | Europe | 2 | 8 |
| 2. | Country: | A | UK | 1 | 7 |
| 3. | Manufact | T | Triumph | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Range | P | TR7/8 | 7 | 5 |
| 5 | Spec | V | 49 states | 5 | 4 |
| Z | U.S.A., Calif | 9 | 4 | ||
| L | Canada | 3 | 4 | ||
| 6 | Body | 5 | FHC | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | DHC | 4 | 3 | ||
| 7 | Engine | 1 | 2 litre four cylinder (TR7) | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | 3.5 litrV8 (TR8) | 5 | 2 | ||
| 8 |
Steering Trans |
4 | LHD, Auto | 4 | 10 |
| 8 | LHD, Man 5spd | 8 | 10 | ||
| 9 | Check Digit: | see below | |||
| 10 | Major model | A | 1980 Model Year | 1 | 9 |
| B | 1981 Model Year | 2 | 9 | ||
| C | 1982 Model Year | 3 | 9 | ||
| 11 | Plant | A | Solihull | 1 | 9 |
| 12 | Serial number: | 1ST | 7 | ||
| 2ND | 6 | ||||
| 3RD | 5 | ||||
| 4TH | 4 | ||||
| 5TH | 3 | ||||
| 6TH | 2 |
Taking my own TR8 with a chassis number of SATPV458*BA407609 (*has been left for the check digit), each of the chassis digits must be converted into its equivalent numeric and multiplied by its weight factor.
Chassis Weight
Digit Numeric X Factor = Product
S 2 8 = 16
A 1 7 = 7
T 3 6 = 18
P 7 5 = 35
V 5 4 = 20
4 4 3 = 12
5 5 2 = 10
8 8 10 = 80
? CHECK DIGIT
B 2 9 = 18
A 1 8 = 8
4 4 7 = 28
0 0 6 = 0
7 7 5 = 35
6 6 4 = 24
0 0 3 = 0
9 9 2 = 18
(Add the products together = 329)
This value is then divided by modulus 11, In this instance 329/11 = 29 with a remainder of 10. This remainder value is then added to the chassis number in the 9th position. When the remainder is 10 as is the case here an “X” is used instead.
SATPV458XBA407609
Just to confuse matters further SATPV458XBA407609 has the earlier European / Home Non USA/Canada Solihull 1980/81 Year Cars numbering system without the check number stamped in the boot/trunk rain gutter. It may have been that the body shells were built much earlier hence the earlier style chassis number.
In addition SATPV458XBA407609 also has the chassis number with the check digit stamped round the left hand suspension turret quite why this happened is a puzzle – It may have been because this car is a European export TR8 (sold to US/Can Forces, Diplomats in Europe) and a number in the engine bay was required to get past some sort of legal / type approval issue.
BL/Triumph used a number of chassis number systems for the TR7/8 range, on the whole they appear to have been used correctly but there are a number of instances where this hasn’t happened. Certainly late cars for the UK appear to have all been designated 1980 model year, where cars destined for the USA and Canada appear to have all been stamped correctly with both 1981 and 1982 year models appearing as well as the 17 digit check number chassis system.