A car platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components, over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of cars , often from different, but somewhat related, marques . It is practiced in the automotive industry to reduce the costs associated with the development of products by basing those products on a smaller number of platforms. This further allows companies to create distinct models from a design perspective on similar underpinnings. A car platform is not to be confused with a platform chassis , although such a chassis can be part of an automobile's design platform, as noted below.
51-738: A vehicle identification number ( VIN ; also called a chassis number or frame number ) is a unique code, including a serial number , used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles , towed vehicles , motorcycles , scooters and mopeds , as defined by the International Organization for Standardization in ISO 3779 (content and structure) and ISO 4030 (location and attachment). There are vehicle history services in several countries that help potential car owners use VINs to find vehicles that are defective or have been written off . VINs were first used in 1954 in
102-469: A SUV . The Volkswagen A platform -mates such as the sports-oriented Audi TT and the economy-focused Volkswagen Golf also share much of their mechanical components but are visually entirely different. Both the Volkswagen Group and Toyota have had much success building many well-differentiated vehicles from many marques , from the same platforms. One of the least conspicuous recent examples
153-473: A character string . Serial numbers identify otherwise identical individual units, thereby serving various practical uses. Serial numbers are a deterrent against theft and counterfeit products, as they can be recorded, and stolen or otherwise irregular goods can be identified. Banknotes and other transferable documents of value bear serial numbers to assist in preventing counterfeiting and tracing stolen ones. They are valuable in quality control , as once
204-562: A 17-character VIN, which does not include the letters O (o), I (i), and Q (q) (to avoid confusion with numerals 0, 1, and 9). After the introduction of the ISO norm, the manufacturers which produced vehicles for the American market very quickly adjusted to this standard. The ISO introduced recommendations for applying the VIN standard and its structure, and the VIN was also used in Europe. However,
255-421: A VIN with a check digit , first either (a) remove the check digit for the purpose of calculation or (b) use a weight of zero (see below ) to cancel it out. The original value of the check digit is then compared with the calculated value. If the calculated value is 0–9, the check digit must match the calculated value. If the calculated value is 10, the check digit must be X. If the two values do not match (and there
306-419: A defect is found in the production of a particular batch of product, the serial number will identify which units are affected. Some items with serial numbers are automobiles , firearms , electronics, and appliances. In smartphones , serial numbers are extended to the integrated components in addition to the electronic device as a whole, also known as serialization. This gives unique individual parts such as
357-609: A final rule amending 49 CFR Part 565, "so that the current 17 character vehicle identification number (VIN) system, which has been in place for almost 30 years, can continue in use for at least another 30 years", in the process making several changes to the VIN requirements applicable to all motor vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States. There were three notable changes to the VIN structure that affect VIN deciphering systems: Compulsory in North America and China
408-444: A fixed number of bits, and will wrap around after sufficiently many numbers have been allocated. Thus, recently allocated serial numbers may duplicate very old serial numbers, but not other recently allocated serial numbers. To avoid ambiguity with these non-unique numbers, RFC 1982 "Serial Number Arithmetic", defines special rules for calculations involving these kinds of serial numbers. Lollipop sequence number spaces are
459-477: A greater variety of vehicles from one basic set of engineered components. Pictured below is the Nissan MS platform , where designs including 5-door hatchback, sedan, compact SUV and minivan were built on a common floor panel and many shared functional assemblies such as engine, transmission and chassis components. Many vendors refer to this as product or vehicle architecture . The concept of product architecture
510-710: A lower cost to consumers. Additionally, economies of scale are increased, as is return on investment. Originally, a "platform" was a literally shared chassis from a previously-engineered vehicle, as in the case for the Citroën 2CV platform chassis used by the Citroën Ami and Citroën Dyane , as well as the Volkswagen Beetle frame under the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia . These two manufacturers made different category of vehicles under using
561-461: A more recent and sophisticated sit for dealing with finite-sized sequence numbers in protocols. Automobile platform A basic definition of a platform in cars, from a technical point of view, includes underbody and suspensions (with axles) — where the underbody is made of the front floor, rear floor, engine compartment, and frame (reinforcement of underbody). Key mechanical components that define an automobile platform include: Platform sharing
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#1732779601341612-451: A risk of losing the tangible uniqueness of the product. The companies have to make a trade-off between reducing their development costs and the degree of differentiation of the products. Platform sharing is a practice commonly employed by various brands within a corporate group. The fundamental components of a shared platform typically include the chassis and the drive unit. The extent to which different automobile or motorcycle models utilize
663-405: A single instance of the content being protected. The term serial number is also used in military formations as an alternative to the expression service number . In air forces , the serial number is used to uniquely identify individual aircraft and is usually painted on both sides of the aircraft fuselage, most often in the tail area, although in some cases the serial is painted on the side of
714-491: A strategy affects the development process and also has an important impact on an automaker's organizational structure. A platform strategy also offers advantages for the globalization process of automobile firms. Because automakers spend the majority of time and money on the development of platforms, platform sharing affords manufacturers the ability to cut costs on research and development by spreading it over several product lines. Manufacturers are then able to offer products at
765-412: Is 2, and not 1. There is no left-alignment linearity. The following is the weight factor for each position in the VIN. The 9th position is that of the check digit. It has been substituted with a 0, which will cancel it out in the multiplication step. Consider the hypothetical VIN 1M8GDM9A_KP042788 , where the underscore will be the check digit. With a check digit of X , the VIN 1M8GDM9A_KP042788
816-408: Is a product development method where different products and the brand attached share the same components. The purpose with platform sharing is to reduce the cost and have a more efficient product development process. The companies gain on reduced procurement costs by taking advantage of the commonality of the components. However, this also limits their ability to differentiate the products and imposes
867-500: Is a simple sequential number. The North American implementation of the VIS uses the 10th digit to encode the model year of the vehicle. Besides the three letters that are not allowed in the VIN itself (I, O and Q), the letters U and Z and the digit 0 are not used for the model year code. Outside North America the 10th digit is usually 0. The year 1980 was encoded by some manufacturers, especially General Motors and Chrysler , as "A" (since
918-434: Is different. A software serial number, otherwise called a product key , is usually not embedded in the software but is assigned to a specific user with a right to use the software. The software will function only if a potential user enters a valid product code. The vast majority of possible codes are rejected by the software. If an unauthorised user is found to be using the software, the legitimate user can be identified from
969-610: Is known as the N-J-L platform, arguably the most prolific of GM's efforts on one platform. Once more, GM's four lower-level divisions all offered various models on this platform throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. The 1988 Fiat Tipo was one of the first European cars utilizing a modular platform , also used for the Fiat Tempra . Japanese carmakers have followed the platform sharing practice with Honda 's Acura line, Nissan 's Infiniti brand, and Toyota's Lexus marque, as
1020-441: Is the scheme by which the function of a product is allocated to physical components. The use of a platform strategy provides several benefits: The car platform strategy has become important in new product development and in the innovation process. The finished products have to be responsive to market needs and to demonstrate distinctiveness while – at the same time – they must be developed and produced at low cost. Adopting such
1071-452: Is the use of the 11th character to identify the assembly plant at which the vehicle was built. Each manufacturer has its own set of plant codes. In the United States and China, the 12th to 17th digits are the vehicle's serial or production number. This is unique to each vehicle, and every manufacturer uses its own sequence. A check-digit validation is used for all road vehicles sold in the United States and Canada. When trying to validate
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#17327796013411122-432: Is written 1M8GDM9A X KP042788 . A VIN with straight-ones (seventeen consecutive 1 s) has the nice feature that its check digit 1 matches the calculated value 1 . This is because a value of one multiplied by 89 (sum of weights) is 89, and 89 divided by 11 is 8 with remainder 1 ⁄ 11 ; thus 1 is the check digit. This is a way to test a VIN-check algorithm. The VIN is marked in multiple locations; normally in
1173-712: The International Standard Serial Number or ISSN used on magazines, journals and other periodicals , an equivalent to the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) applied to books, is assigned to each periodical . It takes its name from the library science use of the word serial to mean a periodical. Certificates and certificate authorities (CA) are necessary for widespread use of cryptography . These depend on applying mathematically rigorous serial numbers and serial number arithmetic, again not identifying
1224-595: The Shuttleworth Collection , or K5054 —the prototype Supermarine Spitfire . The serial number follows the aircraft throughout its period of service. In 2009, the U.S. FDA published draft guidance for the pharmaceutical industry to use serial numbers on prescription drug packages. This measure is intended to enhance the traceability of drugs and to help prevent counterfeiting . Serial numbers are often used in network protocols . However, most sequence numbers in computer protocols are limited to
1275-571: The Volvo S40 . Differences between shared models typically involve styling, including headlights , tail lights, and front and rear fascias . Examples also involve differing engines and drivetrains . In some cases such as the Lexus ES that is a Toyota Camry, "same car, same blueprints, same skeleton off the same assembly line in the same factory", but the Lexus is marketed with premium coffee in
1326-491: The dealership's showroom and reduced greens fees at Pebble Beach Golf Links as part of the higher-priced badge. Platform sharing may be less noticeable now; however, it is still very apparent. Vehicle architectures primarily consist of "under the skin" components, and shared platforms can show up in unusual places, like the Nissan FM platform -mates Nissan 350Z marketed as a sports car and Infiniti FX positioned as
1377-615: The 17-digit VIN was not mandatory until 1981, and the "A" or zero was in the manufacturer's pre-1981 placement in the VIN), yet Ford and AMC still used a zero for 1980. Subsequent years increment through the allowed letters, so that "Y" represents the year 2000. 2001 to 2009 are encoded as the digits 1 to 9, and subsequent years are encoded as "A", "B", "C", etc. On April 30, 2008, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted
1428-589: The GM-T body image, KLATF08Y1VB363636 , do not pass the North American check-digit verification. Transliteration consists of removing all of the letters, and replacing them with their appropriate numerical counterparts. These numerical alternatives (based on IBM's EBCDIC ) are in the following chart. I , O , and Q are not allowed in a valid VIN; for this chart, they have been filled in with N/A ( not applicable ). Numerical digits use their own values. S
1479-627: The United States in 2021. In practice, each is assigned to a country of manufacture, although in Europe the country where the continental headquarters is located can assign the WMI to all vehicles produced in that region (Example: Opel/Vauxhall cars whether produced in Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom or Poland carry a WMI of W0L because Adam Opel AG is based in Rüsselsheim, Germany). In
1530-519: The United States), 1G1 represents Chevrolet passenger cars; 1G2 , Pontiac passenger cars; and 1GC , Chevrolet trucks . The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the US assigns WMIs to countries and manufacturers. The first character of the WMI is typically the region in which the manufacturer is located although there are exceptions e.g. the WMI 7SA was assigned to Tesla Inc. in
1581-549: The United States. From 1954 to 1981, there was no accepted standard for these numbers, so different manufacturers and even divisions within a manufacturer used different formats. By 1966, GM had settled on a 13-digit VIN, and standardized its VIN format across its divisions in 1972. In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States standardized the format. It required all on-road vehicles sold to contain
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1632-422: The VIN are the vehicle descriptor section or VDS. This is used, according to local regulations, to identify the vehicle type, and may include information on the automobile platform used, the model, and the body style . Each manufacturer has a unique system for using this field. Most manufacturers since the 1980s have used the eighth digit to identify the engine type whenever there is more than one engine choice for
1683-613: The VIN. Modern VINs are based on two related standards, originally issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1979 and 1980: ISO 3779 and ISO 3780, respectively. Compatible but different implementations of these ISO standards have been adopted by the European Union and the United States. The VIN comprises the following sections: more than 500 vehicles/year 500 or fewer vehicles/year more than 2,000 vehicles/year 2,000 or fewer vehicles/year The first three characters uniquely identify
1734-663: The VIN. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) assigns the WMI (world manufacturer identifier) to countries and manufacturers. The following list shows a selection of world manufacturer codes. Note: Vehicles to be registered in Australia without a 17 character VIN Serial number A serial number is a unique identifier used to uniquely identify an item, and is usually assigned incrementally or sequentially. Despite being called serial "numbers", they do not need to be strictly numerical and may contain letters and other typographical symbols , or may consist entirely of
1785-613: The aircraft's fin/rudder(s). Because of this, the serial number is sometimes called a tail number . In the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) the individual serial takes the form of two letters followed by three digits, e.g., BT308 —the prototype Avro Lancaster , or XS903 —an English Electric Lightning F.6 at one time based at RAF Binbrook . During the Second World War RAF aircraft that were secret or carrying secret equipment had "/G" (for "Guard") appended to
1836-401: The code. It is usually not impossible, however, for an unauthorised user to create a valid but unallocated code either by trying many possible codes, or reverse engineering the software; use of unallocated codes can be monitored if the software makes an Internet connection. The term serial number is sometimes used for codes which do not identify a single instance of something. For example,
1887-648: The entry-level luxury models are based on their mainstream lineup. For example, the Lexus ES is essentially an upgraded and rebadged Toyota Camry . After Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler , Chrysler engineers used several M-B platforms for new models including the Crossfire which was based on the M-B SLK roadster . Other models that share platforms are the European Ford Focus , Mazda 3 , and
1938-420: The first car companies to use this product development approach was General Motors in 1908. General Motors used a single chassis for certain class of model across most of its brands like Chevrolet , Buick , Pontiac and Oldsmobile . Later, Chrysler Corporation would do the same for Plymouth , DeSoto and Dodge cars. Ford followed the same principle for Ford and Mercury in US markets. The chassis unit
1989-696: The letter "K" to indicate their shared platform. In later stages, the "K" platform was extended in wheelbase, as well as use for several of the Corporation's different models. In the same decade, Fiat and Saab jointly developed cars using the Type Four platform to compete with the German-dominated European executive car segment. General Motors used similar strategies with its "J" platform that debuted in mid-1981 in four of GM's divisions. Subsequently, GM introduced its "A" bodies for
2040-405: The lower corner of the windshield on the driver's side, under the bonnet (North America: "hood") next to the latch, at the front end of the vehicle frame, and inside the door pillar on the driver's side. On newer vehicles VINs may be optically read with barcode scanners or digital cameras, or digitally read via OBD-II . There are smartphone applications that can pass the VIN to websites to decode
2091-463: The manufacturer of the vehicle using the world manufacturer identifier or WMI code. A manufacturer who builds fewer than 1,000 vehicles per year uses a 9 as the third digit, and the 12th, 13th and 14th position of the VIN for a second part of the identification. Some manufacturers use the third character as a code for a vehicle category (e.g., bus or truck), a division within a manufacturer, or both. For example, within 1G (assigned to General Motors in
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2142-3202: The notation below, assume that letters precede numbers and that zero is the last number. For example, 8X–82 denotes the range 8X, 8Y, 8Z, 81, 82, excluding 80. AA-AH South Africa AJ-AK Côte d'Ivoire AL-AM Lesotho AN-AP Botswana AR-AS Namibia AT-AU Madagascar AV-AW Mauritius AX-AY Tunisia AZ-A1 Cyprus A2-A3 Zimbabwe A4-A5 Mozambique A6-A0 unassigned BA-BB Angola BC Ethiopia BD-BE unassigned BF-BG Kenya BH Rwanda BJ-BK unassigned BL Nigeria BM-BP unassigned BR Algeria BS unassigned BT Swaziland BU Uganda BV-B2 unassigned B3-B4 Libya B5-B0 unassigned CA-CB Egypt CC-CE unassigned CF-CG Morocco CH-CK unassigned CL-CM Zambia CN-C0 unassigned J Japan KA-KE Sri Lanka KF-KK Israel KL-KR Korea (South) KS-KT Jordan L China MA-ME,MH,MY-M0 India MF-MK Indonesia ML-MR Thailand MS Myanmar MU Mongolia MX Kazakhstan NA-NE Iran NF-NK Pakistan NL-NR Turkey NS-NT Uzbekistan NU-N0 unassigned PA-PE Philippines PF-PK Singapore PL-PR Malaysia PS-PT Bangladesh PU-P0 unassigned RA-RE United Arab Emirates RF-RK Taiwan RL-RP Vietnam RS-RT Saudi Arabia R1-R7 Hong Kong SA-SM United Kingdom SN-ST Germany (former East Germany) SU-SZ Poland S1-S2 Latvia S3 Georgia S4 Iceland S5-S0 unassigned TA-TH Switzerland TJ-TP Czech Republic TR-TV Hungary TW-T2 Portugal T3-T5 Serbia T6 Andorra T7-T8 Netherlands T9-T0 unassigned UA-UC Spain UD-UG unassigned UH-UM Denmark UN-UR Ireland US-UT unassigned UU-UX Romania UY-UZ unassigned U1-U2 North Macedonia U3-U4 unassigned U5-U7 Slovakia U8-U0 Bosnia and Herzegovina VA-VE Austria VF-VR France VS-VW Spain VX-V2 France V3-V5 Croatia V6-V8 Estonia V9-V0 unassigned W Germany (former West Germany) XA-XC Bulgaria XD-XE Russia XF-XH Greece XJ-XK Russia XL-XR Netherlands XS-XW Russia (former USSR) XX-XY Luxembourg XZ-X0 Russia YA-YE Belgium YF-YK Finland YL-YM unassigned YN Malta YP-YR unassigned YS-YW Sweden YX-Y2 Norway Y3-Y5 Belarus Y6-Y8 Ukraine Y9-Y0 unassigned ZA-ZU Italy ZV-ZW unassigned ZX-ZZ Slovenia Z1 San Marino Z2 unassigned Z3-Z5 Lithuania Z6-Z0 Russia 1, 4, 5 or 7 United States 2 Canada 3A-3X Mexico 34 Nicaragua 35 Dominican Republic 36 Honduras 37 Panama 38-39 Puerto Rico 30 unassigned 6 Australia 6Y-61 New Zealand 8A-8E Argentina 8F-8K Chile 8L-8R Ecuador 8S-8W Peru 8X-82 Venezuela 82-82 Bolivia 83-80 unassigned 9A-9E Brazil 9F-9K Colombia 9L-9R Paraguay 9S-9W Uruguay 9X-92 Trinidad & Tobago 93–99 Brazil 90 unassigned The fourth to ninth positions in
2193-663: The same chassis design at different years though the primary vehicle was still in production. In the United States, platform sharing has been a common practice since the 1960s. This was when GM used the same platform in the development of the Pontiac LeMans , the Buick Skylark , the Chevrolet Chevelle , and the Oldsmobile Cutlass . In the 1980s, Chrysler 's K-cars all wore a badge with
2244-399: The same components can vary, leading to different degrees of structural equality and platform similarity: The remaining vehicle parts are categorised into "head" parts and system parts: Platform sharing facilitates the efficient production and development of vehicles by leveraging common components across different models, thereby reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency. One of
2295-459: The same four divisions using the same tread width/wheelbase of the "X" body platform, but with larger bodywork to make the cars seem larger, and with larger trunk compartments. They were popular through the 1980s, primarily. Even Cadillac started offering a "J" body model called the Cimarron , a much gussied-up version of the other four brands' platform siblings. A similar strategy applied to what
2346-399: The screen, battery, chip and camera a separate serial number. This is queried by the software for proper release for use. This practice by manufacturers limits the serial number electronic devices. Serial numbers may be used to identify individual physical or intangible objects; for example, computer software or the right to play an online multiplayer game. The purpose and application
2397-499: The serial, denoting that the aircraft was to have an armed guard at all times while on the ground, e.g., LZ548/G —the prototype de Havilland Vampire jet fighter , or ML926/G —a de Havilland Mosquito XVI experimentally fitted with H2S radar . Prior to this scheme the RAF, and predecessor Royal Flying Corps (RFC), utilised a serial consisting of a letter followed by four figures, e.g., D8096 —a Bristol F.2 Fighter currently owned by
2448-534: The sets of information contained in it were introduced gradually. For example, Volkswagen started to encode bigger chunks of information during 1995–1997, and the control digit during 2009–2015 for selected models from the group. The VIN control digit is also used, although not in all brand-models. In the European vehicles, it can be found e.g. in Audi A1. There are at least four competing standards used to calculate
2499-525: The vehicle. Example: for the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette, U is for a 6.0-liter V8 engine , and E is for a 7.0-liter V8. One element that is inconsistent is the use of position nine as a check digit , compulsory for vehicles in North America and China, but not Europe. The 10th to 17th positions are used as the vehicle identifier section or VIS. This is used by the manufacturer to identify the individual vehicle in question. This may include information on options installed or engine and transmission choices, but often
2550-406: Was common with many shared mechanical components while the exterior styling and interior trims were designed according to its individual brand and category. In recent years for monocoque chassis, platform-sharing combined with advanced and flexible-manufacturing technology enabled automakers to sharply reduce product development and changeover times, while modular design and assembly allow building
2601-471: Was no error in the calculation), then there is a mistake in the VIN. However, a match does not prove the VIN is correct, because there is still a 1/11 chance that any two distinct VINs have a matching check digit: for example, the valid VINs 5GZCZ43D13S812715 (correct with leading five) and SGZCZ43D13S812715 (incorrect with leading character "S"). The VINs in the Porsche image, WP0ZZZ99ZTS392124 , and
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