VIN Numbers Explained

A car's VIN or chassis number is a unique number assigned to each and every car. Unlike the registration number which can be changed and is not assigned until the car is sold the VIN number is assigned to the physical chassis in the factory. The VIN number is a code which can be broken down to give details about the car.
Using the above example, WMWRA32070TB00081, we can see a MINIs VIN can be read like this:

It's the last 6 digits that go some way identify the order the car was built. Often this is referred to as the last 7 digits, including the plant of manufacturer as well, in this case, TB00081.

You will notice that the above MINI ONE VIN starts with a B0, so what does this mean? It transpires it allows you to identify not only the model but also the gear box, region and whether the car is left hand or right hand drive. The below table further breaks down the Serial Number and explains the different possible prefixes known and relevant to 2001 MINIs.

I have also included Manual Cooper S (R53) VINs and MINI Cabrio (R52) for completeness in identifying early MINI VINs.