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I am trying to decode a vehicle number from the data plate on the firewall for a 1939 one twenty. However, the number is C301141 which appears to possibly be a theft proof number? Could this be a replacement data plate and the wrong number was stamped? I appreciate any information. Thank you

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It might be an Engine Serial Number? Although 1940 had a "C" prefix while 1939 had a "B" prefix. Check the Serial Number stamped on your Engine. Just food for thought.

If that's the number stamped on the boss on the driver's side of the block, then it's an engine number but it should not begin with C0 as far as I know. If it IS an engine number, as Mal said, it is a 1940 engine which began with C for that year while 1939 began with B but none had the first digit as 0. Maybe photos of the data place and of the car itself would help.

If it's the large raised number stamped directly into the firewall, that's the Theft Proof Number.

But, many data plates were replaced over the years and sometimes stamped with incorrect numbers.

A proper 1939 Vehicle Number will be in a 12##-#### format. (Unless it's custom bodied car, which can differ)

But, the number you listed is more than likely a theft proof number based on it format.

I see from the photo you just added that the number has changed and now has one too many characters to be a theft-proof number. And the fastener screws on your plate are incorrect, yet additional proof that the plate has been changed. Once the original plate is gone, it's often virtually impossible to ever recover the original vehicle number without the availability of prior documentation accompanying the car.

And yes, your car has a reproduction plate so any information on it is suspect.

Thank you to all for the quick response. I will investigate all suggestions! picture added to original post.

While the delivery dealer and date maybe hand stamped, the vehicle number is as always "machine" stamped by the factory and is always an even, lined up number.

Also most of the big dealers (such as Earle C Anthony) had proper made stamps where their name and city were fixed stamps and and they had a rolling date stamp. This allowed for things to look nice and straight.

Your plate was stamped by a set of of hand stamps where every character was done individually.

It was not uncommon for small dealers to sell cars and fail to stamp them or they used an ink stamp, which quickly wore off.

There were many service and factory letters reminding the dealers to stamp these as this marked when the car was sold and more importantly when the warranty began.

Guessing that the original tag went missing and someone titled it to the engine number or something.

The 1938 models used a sticker which is often gone by now.

I would have thought a car delivered in Dec 1939 would have been a 1940 unless it was one that took awhile to sell.

What does the front of the car look like?

What is the engine serial number?

Would be interesting to find a casting date and the motor number if there is one. If the info that the car was sold by Earle C. Anthony is correct it would be a Calif car. Strange numbers that may have been dictated by Calif DMV have been found by others on their cars which have had replacement engines. Those odd numbers so far as I can recall have only been found stamped on the engine and not appeared on a patent plate though. If the motor number is the same and car was scrapped in a junkyard or patent plate was damaged or missing possibly the original number was not available and someone used the motor number instead of an unknown VN.