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Hi all! I'm trying to find out background info on my car, day it was made and such. I've done it with other vehicles, but this one has me stumped. Does anyone out there have a link that I can type in my VIN and get this information? Thanks!

Technically, no Packard has a VIN number. If you tell the friendly folks here which numbers (data plate, engine, body) you have, we'll try to help. Also, have you looked for the build sheet - there are some typical places these are tucked away.

Just to elaborate a bit on the previous answer, the VIN numbers of today have a format dictated by Federal regulation and such was not the case when Packard was in business, all manufacturers used their own formats and systems. But Packards have vehicle numbers (VNs) which appear on the Patent Plate (from the 20s thru 1953?) and on the vehicle number plate from 1954 thru 1956. The vehicle number,depending on the vintage of your car, can tell you which series or year, model or chassis, body style, and an approximation of its placement in the production sequence for that model. But things like date of manufacture can only be obtained if you can find the "build slip" or obtain a copy of it, and precious few of these remain. Using casting dates from engine blocks and the like is not particularly useful in this regard.

From 1929 on they also have a "body serial number" or thief-proof number embossed on the firewall in large numbers usually bracketed at the ends by triangles. These can also be useful in guestimating whether a particular car is early or late production.

Why not just post your vehicle numbers and see what we can tell you about it?

Ok, here are the numbers that I have. The first is the "body" number (also what passes for the VIN on my title)26724967. The second is the number embossed into the firewall between the two small triangles: B86420.
Its a 1953 Cavalier and that is about all I know about her so far. Thanks for your time and info!

Scottie

OK, your vehicle number (VN, not VIN) is 2672 4967. The 2672 denotes a 1953 Cavalier and the 4967 denotes that it is the 2967th Cavalier built (numbering started at 2001). Your thief-proof is the lowest 1953 # known to me indicating that it's a very early car and that Cavalier production started early. The highest known 2672 known to me is 11,7XX indicating that at least 97XX were built. How about giving us the Briggs body # (tag near the heater box).

OK, your vehicle number (VN, not VIN) is 2672 4967. The 2672 denotes a 1953 Cavalier and the 4967 denotes that it is the 2967th Cavalier built (numbering started at 2001). Your thief-proof is the lowest 1953 # known to me indicating that it's a very early car and that Cavalier production started early. The highest known 2672 known to me is 11,7XX indicating that at least 97XX were built. How about giving us the Briggs body # (tag near the heater box).

PS - generally accepted # for 1953 Cavalier production is 10,799 units.

All good information, but for the life of me I can't remember how to spell VIN

Ok, here goes. The numbers on the Brigg's Body tag are the same as the numbers I've already listed. The tag inside the driver's door has the same numbers, plus paint scheme "x" and trim code "83". I assume that the Briggs tag number you are asking about is this one. It does say Briggs on it. Other than these, I haven't been able to find any other tags or identification numbers. This is my first vintage vehicle, so I am kinda stumbling around in the dark here. Previous to this the oldest vehicle I've owned would be a 1969 Ford XL. Thanks for all your time and information,

Scott

paint code X is black, even if it doesn't show on that year's chart

Starting in 1941 and thru 1954 Packard contracted their body building to Briggs who also built bodies for Chrysler. As Briggs built these bodies they applied their tag with the body type number (for example 2672) and their production sequence number, for example 4967. But the bodies were not necessarily assembled into finished cars in the same sequence as Briggs built them so it's not uncommon for the Briggs number to not match the VN, though they are almost always within 25 or so numbers during the 22nd-23rd series run EXCEPT in the cases where a left-over 1948 car was renumbered with a -9- in the VN to make it a 1949 model. Ditto again for left-over 1949 23rd series cars to make them a 1950 model by inserting a -5- into the VN. But the Briggs tags were left unchanged in these cases so the differences between the VN and the Briggs# can often be a clue to a factory-renumbered leftover.