The “last six” of a 1968 Lincoln VIN started at 800001;
when the 1969 Mark III production began about 20,000 of the 1968
models had already been built. A typical 1968 Lincoln VIN might be
8Y82G801234: 8 = 1968; Y = Wixom Assembly; 82 = Lincoln
Continental Sedan; G = 462 cubic inch V-8 engine; 801234 = the
1,234th Lincoln scheduled for production for the 1968 model year.
of
The Mark III was a 1969 model, so it had to have the number 9
in position #1 of the VIN. But instead of using a new pool of “last
six” sequence numbers, Ford instead used the 1968 VIN
sequencing. It should be noted that when the Mark III production
began, the 462 cubic inch V-8 was terminated, and the new 460 V-8
took its place for all Lincolns, using the code letter “A”. Let’s
consider that maybe the last 462 car was 8Y82G820000, and the
first 460 car was 8Y82A820001.
If the next production order was for a Mark III, that car would have
received the VIN of 9Y89A820002, “89” being the serial code for the
Mark III. Maybe another Mark III order followed and it became 9Y89A820003. If the order of a 1968 Lincoln Coupe was next, it would have been
8Y81A820004. So the “last six” VIN sequence was incremented by 1 with each order, but the year identifier of 8 was used for the Coupe and Sedan,
while the Mark III got the number 9.
NEW INFO: The Lincoln Registry has access to over 90,000 factory invoices, and it has been learned that “early” Mark IIIs were, for the most part,
ordered in consecutive blocks, usually after the 54 (Seattle) DSO cars. These blocks comprise as few as 2 or as many as 400 Mark IIIs.
This VIN assignment resulted in a misleadingly high VIN for 1968 production, because 1968 Lincolns had 7,770 VINs of the ‘69 Mark III mixed in. That’s
how many Mark IIIs were built in March, April, May, June, and July of 1968, and maybe into the first part of August. The highest 1968 VIN last-six is into
the 847000+ range.
When “pure” 1969 production started in mid-August of 1968, there had to be an adjustment of first VIN assignment so as not to duplicate a VIN already
produced. So, in this unique instance of accounting at Ford, the regular 1969 VIN sequence started at 848000, which resulted in another misleadingly
high VIN, well into the 900000+ range for 1969.
The 1969 Mark III production spanned 16 months which meant that Ford had to dip into its “second year” date code letters, a plan which had been in
place since the 1950s, and had already been used on 1957 and 1960 Thunderbirds, and the 1965 Mustang. March 1969 was the second March of 1969
model year production, April, May, June, and July were likewise seconds. When January 1969 rolled around, Mark IIIs got to use the letter N, followed by
P,Q,R, S, T, and U…. instead of A,B,C, D, E, F, and G. But the 1969 Coupes and Sedans stuck with the other more common sequence of A,B, C, D, E, F, and
G for the February through July. See the examples below of a Sedan data plate from April and a Mark III data plate from January and February (1969).
First Production Year Monthly Date Codes
A = January
B = February
C = March
D = April
E = May
F = June
G = July
H = August
J = September
K = October
L = November
M = December
Second Production Year Monthly Date Codes
N = January
P = February
Q = March
R = April
S = May
T = June
U = July
V = August
W = September
X = October
Y = November
Z = December
Production usually began in
August, therefore the typical
date sequence would be H-J-
K-L-M-A-B-C-D-E-F-G
The use of the second production year codes
would kick in at the 13th month, whenever
that happened to be.
1957 Thunderbird production started in
September 1956 and ended in December 1957
so the month date code sequence was J-K-L-M-
A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-W-X-Y-Z.
The 1965 Mustang sequence ran C (March
1964)-D-E-F-G-H-J-K-L-M-A-B-Q-R-S-T-U-V.
1969 Lincoln Continental Coupe and Sedans
sequenced with H-J-K-L-M-A-B-C-D-E-F-G, while
the 1969 Mark III had a month code sequence
of A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-J-K-L-M-N-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V.
This is why there is no 1964 Mustang and
there is no 1968 Lincoln Continental Mark III.
The earliest Mustang is legally a 1965 and the
earliest (post-1958) Mark III is a 1969.
Below: 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III data plate with date
code of 23N (January 29, 1969)
Below: 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III data plate with date
code of 20P (February 20, 1969)
Below: 1969 Lincoln Continental Sedan data plate with date code of
16D (April 16, 1969)
Understanding the VIN assignment for 1968 Lincoln Continentals and “early” 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III
The
“last
six”
of
a
1968
Lincoln
VIN
started
at
800001;
when
the
1969
Mark
III
production
began
about
20,000
of
the
1968
models
had
already
been
built.
A
typical
1968
Lincoln
VIN
might
be
8Y82G801234:
8
=
1968;
Y
=
Wixom
Assembly;
82
=
Lincoln
Continental
Sedan;
G
=
462
cubic
inch
V-8
engine;
801234
=
the
1,234th
Lincoln
scheduled for production for the 1968 model year.
of
The
Mark
III
was
a
1969
model,
so
it
had
to
have
the
number
9
in
position
#1
of
the
VIN.
But
instead
of
using
a
new
pool
of
“last
six”
sequence
numbers,
Ford
instead
used
the
1968
VIN
sequencing.
It
should
be
noted
that
when
the
Mark
III
production
began,
the
462
cubic
inch
V-8
was
terminated,
and
the
new
460
V-8
took
its
place
for
all
Lincolns,
using
the
code
letter
“A”.
Let’s
consider
that
maybe
the
last
462
car was 8Y82G820000, and the first 460 car was 8Y82A820001.
If
the
next
production
order
was
for
a
Mark
III,
that
car
would
have
received
the
VIN
of
9Y89A820002,
“89”
being
the
serial
code
for
the
Mark
III.
Maybe
another
Mark
III
order
followed
and
it
became
9Y82A820003.
If
the
order
of
a
1968
Lincoln
Coupe
was
next,
it
would
have
been
8Y81A820004.
So
the
“last
six”
VIN
sequence
was
incremented
by
1
with
each
order,
but
the
year
identifier
of
8
was
used
for the Coupe and Sedan, while the Mark III got the number 9.
NEW INFO: The Lincoln Registry has access to over 90,000
factory invoices, and it has been learned that “early” Mark IIIs
were, for the most part, ordered in consecutive blocks, usually
after the 54 (Seattle) DSO cars. These blocks comprise as few
as 2 or as many as 400 Mark IIIs.
This
VIN
assignment
resulted
in
a
misleadingly
high
VIN
for
1968
production,
because
1968
Lincolns
had
7,770
VINs
of
the
‘69
Mark
III
mixed
in.
That’s
how
many
Mark
IIIs
were
built
in
March,
April,
May,
June,
and
July
of
1968,
and
maybe
into
the
first
part
of
August.
The
highest 1968 VIN last-six is into the 847000+ range.
When
“pure”
1969
production
started
in
mid-August
of
1968,
there
had
to
be
an
adjustment
of
first
VIN
assignment
so
as
not
to
duplicate
a
VIN
already
produced.
So,
in
this
unique
instance
of
accounting
at
Ford,
the
regular
1969
VIN
sequence
started
at
848000,
which
resulted
in
another
misleadingly high VIN, well into the 900000+ range for 1969.
The
1969
Mark
III
production
spanned
16
months
which
meant
that
Ford
had
to
dip
into
its
“second
year”
date
code
letters,
a
plan
which
had
been
in
place
since
the
1950s,
and
had
already
been
used
on
1957
and
1960
Thunderbirds,
and
the
1965
Mustang.
March
1969
was
the
second
March
of
1969
model
year
production,
April,
May,
June,
and
July
were
likewise
seconds.
When
January
1969
rolled
around,
Mark
IIIs
got
to
use
the
letter
N,
followed
by
P,Q,R,
S,
T,
and
U….
instead
of
A,B,C,
D,
E,
F,
and
G.
But
the
1969
Coupes
and
Sedans
stuck
with
the
other
more
common sequence of A,B, C, D, E, F, and G for the February through July.
For more detailed information please visit the Lincoln Registry full
website on a computer screen.
Understanding the VIN assignment for 1968
Lincoln Continentals and “early” 1969
Lincoln Continental Mark III
