62 Midget VIN# ?

My car has two tags the one on the right is BGE 12847 the one on the left is GBE 12857 what does this mean? Mike

Not sure, my '62 starts with GAN and Austin Healey's start with AHH

Your VIN should start with HAN7 or HAN8 and will be on the frame at the front left of the car under the bonnet. What you've found so far are body numbers or commission numbers or some such.

I hope that helps!

Oops! I got confused by Rusty's post, I thought you had a Sprite! A '62 Midget VIN will start with GAN2 or GAN3.

Is it bad if the only ID number you have for your car is the GBE # inside the door?

Rusty was asleep at the wheel. HAN is Sprite...
Seth that is a body number.

Engine number stamped on plate on the right side of the block above the genny/alt
Body number onm a plated on the left hand front door piller (A post)...shut face=B post C post would be rear of second door NLA as an MGB :)
Rear axle number on the front of the left hand rear axle tube next to the spring mount
Chassis number on a plate on the left inner wheel arch valance under the hood/bonnet
Gearbox stamamped on the top of the casting.

Chassis # is same as VIN
Engine # is the other important plate.

Body # is meaningless for most purposes.
scroll to bottom page 9
http://www.victoriabritish.com/pdfcatalogs/pdf/sm/SM01.pdf
http://www.mgmidgets.net/techdata.htm
http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/kitcar/kb.php?aid=329

Yeah, I'm aware that the GBE # is a body number. ...at least, I'm aware now. Between that number and the number on the engine, though, that's all I've got to work with...

What's on the title?

Chassis # "under the carbs" if that makes it easier

As mentioned before: these are indeed the body numbers. The "GBE" indicating a Midget body whereas the Sprite used "ABL" (on the right hand door pillar this would be "BAL").
Interesting thing is that the body numbers starting with either GBE or ABL were recorded on the factory build sheet. Indeed on some exceptionally original cars, the number can be found written in yellow crayon on the rear axle tunnel behind the seats.
If you apply for a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate, the GBE number will be mentioned in combination with the original GAN-xxxxx chassis number and 9CG-xxxxx (or 10CG-xxxx) engine number. It is NOT going to be cheap to let them search for a body number though, but it is possible.
On many occasions the BMIHT Certificate is accepted as evidence you own a genuine vehicle when applying for a title.
Hope this helps...

Nick, '63Midget

Seth
Maybe another reason to be looking at that other "similar" car....

Could be that in New York once a car gets that status its mandatory to dispose or remove the vin plate. Don't know each state is different. Sooner of later some kind of resolution needs to happen. Might be possible to apply for a title with the body number but the issue would carry on to the next purchaser...
FWIW, the blank plates are available and so are"stamping" services but I wouldn't advise makeing up a number letter sequence...

A 62 will be a GAN 1, or GAN 2 if it is a late one, ie,, made in Nov - Dec time frame.

my car has the # 12859 written in yellow crayon behind the seats they alao wrote the the word blue in blue crayon on the blue paint. why the two tags? mike

I don't know. Could be a Monday made car where the worker stamped the erroneous plate BGE and later installed the correct plate GBE...

The photo shows why you can find a body number on your Midget.
All bodies were assembled elsewhere (welded/painted) before being shipped to Abingdon. A chassis number (or VIN#) was allocated much later during the assembly process of the vehicle. So the build sheet of any particular car could only refer to the body number to indicate how it should be assembled (colour upholstery, wire wheels, other options, RHD/LHD, USA or home market spec etc.)
The yellow crayon was there to assist the asembly line workers. "Strange" thing is that only the GBE number was used and recorded; the presence of the other is a mystery.

Nick, '63Midget

Let's see if I can upload another one...

Hey, isn't that Seths car levitating over the two on the lorry?


:thumbsup:

That does look a lot like mine... though its obviously in a lot better shape. =P

Seth to find your vin number clean the passenger side area near the front shock
as all sprites have the vin stamped there will post a pic if it helps

Where did I get AHH from?! :P

GAN1L1974 on the old girl.

Im new to the Vin#s game, but, I have located my vin/chassis number, the body number and the engine number.. what do the intials GBE/ABL stand for? or GAN/HAN mean?

My vin starts with GAN 4 L what does the "4" mean? or the "L"? also, is there any significance to the number sequence following the GBE?

Someone will probably post a link to a site that breaks it down. I'm at work and don't have it here, only at home. If no one has done it by the time I get home, I'll post the link. But essentially GAN means MG, HAN means Healey. The 4 is model series and L means left hand drive, import. As for the GBE/ABL I'm not really sure, I believe they are body number.

GAN means a Midget (HAN was Sprite) 4 is the model series (Midget MK3) L means left hand drive, the numbers are which one it was.
http://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/sm/full.aspx?Page=9

Also this has a breakdown.

Spridget ID info

Im more confused than ever now...... my 67 midget that VB says is a mark 3.... is actually a mark 2... according to that link...... even tho my build number is toward the middle of the range that VB provides.... for the year 1967

Jeff,

If it is a GAN 4 car, it is a mk3. The MK1 Midget had two GAN numbers (GAN 1 and 2) because of a major revision part way through the run. MK 4 has two GAN numbers for the same reason.

The body number is on the left A pillar. No one is quite sure what the number on the right pillar is. Some control number. Someone out ther knows what it is, but I have never heard.

GAN 1&2 are MK1
GAN 3 is MK 2
GAN 4 is MK 3
GAN 5&6 are MK 4, even though a lot of people call GAN 6 cars Midget 1500's.


Fun huh??? :S

so.... let me have a crack at this....

G = MG (is the G also for the Abingdon assembly plant?)
A = "A" series engine
N = 2-seat tourer

4 = mark 3
L = left hand drive
57499 = 57,499th midget made. (#4870 of the 8069 made in '67)


How about the GBE 057260 body number?? any ideas

That's about right, except they started at GAN1 101. So yours is the 57399th production model according to the vin.

Body number (57260) is normally within a couple hundred of the chassis (vin) number (57499), so yours is right on.

Mine is
GAN2L 18259
Body Number is GBE 18130.

Almost like i know what im talking about....... what does the GBE stand for??? and is there anyway to know if the engine in my car is the same motor that they installed at the factory?

G'Day Jeff,

your body number sounds about right to me.

My 67 Midget has GBE055962. Not too far from yours.

Only thing is mine now has a Lenham fibreglass body

Chassis number is GAN4 55879

John Shep.

Jeff,

If you are willing to part with a few dollars ( Quite a few actually ), you can obtain a Heritage certificate for your car which will answer all your questions regarding the originality of your car.
Here's the link to BMIH http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/shop/heritage-certificate/index.html

The search is done using your vin or engine number, but I don't think it can be done off commission or body numbers.
The certificate will give you all the details on your car as it was built, including dates for build and "despatch", and where the car was shipped to. A valuable piece of documentation to "authenticate" your car.

Andy, Thanks again... im definitely doing that. Do i need ALL the info? like the date of first registration? Or the Registration mark? ( i dont even know that that is). Or would I just be able to give them what i have.... ?

Nope..............just your vin is the important one. You can put in the engine# too, but that's the one you were wondering about, so I'd just go for the vin.

In the UK, cars keep their tags for life, so the date of first registration and registration mark don't really apply to export market cars, unless you know the car to have been first registered in the UK. ie: servicemen who might have purchased a car while stationed in the UK.

You can add other information if you choose, and it will either be supported or refuted on the certificate, with some possible comments from BMIH.

Wow, mine was really early! Body GBE 2001

Rusty,

I would consider your Mk1 to in fact be a 1961, In many states these cars were given a registeration year based upon when they sold for the first time. My Mk1 is number 8390 and is a '61.

Dave

Rusty,
Yes your Midget is early ! It was built somewhere July/August 1961: the Midget was three or four months in production by then.
You won't find many older Spridgets....:)