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Classic Mopar · 1968 – 1980 · 13-Character VIN + Fender Tag

Decode a classic Mopar VIN — plus the fender tag that names every option.

Decode a

Hemi Cuda

the way the factory built it.

Hemi Cuda. Challenger R/T SE. Charger Daytona. Superbird. GTX. Road Runner 440 Six-Pack. Duster 340. Every muscle-era Mopar carried a 13-character VIN AND a fender tag with the full factory build code — here is how to read both.

17-character VIN? Check it free
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Pre-1981 VIN (11 or 13 characters)? The check above only accepts 17-character VINs — the 1981+ federal standard. Read the position tables below to decode your classic VIN by hand.
0 chars
VIN length (1968-1980)
0 sources
VIN + fender tag + broadcast sheet
0+
US assembly plants
0 yrs
Format in service
Why a classic VIN decodes differently

The 17-character VIN did not exist yet

From the 1968 model year forward Chrysler used a 13-character VIN across Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth. Read position by position it names the car line (B-body, E-body, A-body), the price class, the body style, the engine code, the model year, the assembly plant, and the sequential production number. Mopars have a second reference that the other US manufacturers do not: the fender tag mounted on the driver-side inner fender apron carries the full sales-order data — every option, the paint code, the trim code, the engine, the transmission, the rear axle ratio, and the scheduled production date. Between the VIN, the fender tag, and the broadcast sheet (sometimes found under the rear seat or above the fuel tank), a properly documented muscle-era Mopar has more factory build data than any other American car of the period. Galen Govier's registries and the Chrysler Registry are the authenticator-of-record for real Hemi cars, real Six-Pack cars, and real winged cars.

Position-by-position VIN decode

Read your VIN one character at a time

Different eras used slightly different conventions — the tables below cover each. Match your car's model year to the correct era, then read left to right.

1968-1974 E-body / B-body / A-body

13-character VIN
BS23R0B1234561970 Plymouth Cuda 340, Hamtramck plant
PositionMeaningExample
1Car lineB
2Price classS
3-4Body style23
5Engine codeR
6Model year0
7Assembly plantB
8-13Sequential production number123456
Pos 1: B=Plymouth Barracuda / Cuda (1970-74 E-body) · J=Dodge Challenger (E-body) · R=Plymouth Satellite / Road Runner / GTX (B-body) · X=Dodge Charger / Coronet / Super Bee (B-body) · V=Plymouth Valiant / Duster / Demon (A-body) · L=Dodge Dart (A-body) · C=Chrysler
Pos 2: E=Economy · L=Low · M=Medium · H=High · P=Premium · S=Sport · O=Special (Six-Pack, Hemi, T/A, AAR) · K=Police · G=Government/Fleet
Pos 3-4: 23=2-dr hardtop · 29=2-dr sports hardtop · 27=convertible · 21=2-dr coupe · 41=4-dr sedan · 45=station wagon
Pos 5: 6=225 slant-six · G=318 2V · H=340 4V · J=340 Six-Pack (1970 T/A & AAR only) · L=360 2V · M=400 · N=383 2V · P=383 4V · T=440 4V · U=440 Six-Pack · V=440 Six-Barrel (T/A prefix) · R=426 Street Hemi
Pos 6: 8=1968 · 9=1969 · 0=1970 · 1=1971 · 2=1972 · 3=1973 · 4=1974
Pos 7: A=Lynch Road (Detroit, MI) · B=Hamtramck (Detroit, MI) · C=Jefferson (Detroit, MI) · D=Belvidere (IL) · E=Los Angeles · F=Newark (DE) · G=St. Louis · R=Windsor (Ontario)
Pos 8-13: Starts at 100001 each model year at each plant. Sequential per plant, not per model.

Notes: Position 5 (engine code) is what separates a real 426 Hemi (R) from a 440 Six-Pack (U or V), and either of those from a base 383 (N) with a re-badged air cleaner. The engine code in the VIN cannot be re-stamped legally. Cross-check the VIN engine code against the fender tag engine code and the block casting to confirm. A 1970 Hemi Cuda with a VIN 5th-character of anything other than R is not a real Hemi Cuda regardless of what is under the hood today.

1975-1980 Volare / Aspen / Cordoba

13-character VIN
HL29G8B1234561978 Dodge Aspen R/T, Hamtramck plant
PositionMeaningExample
1Car lineH
2Price classL
3-4Body style29
5Engine codeG
6Model year8
7Assembly plantB
8-13Sequential production number123456
Pos 1: H=Plymouth Volare / Dodge Aspen (F-body) · S=Chrysler Cordoba · X=Charger / Magnum · N=Dodge / Chrysler personal luxury
Pos 2: Same class letters as 1968-74. R/T and Super Coupe packages fall under H (High) or S (Sport).
Pos 5: G=318 2V (dominant late-70s engine) · J=360 2V · L=360 4V · K=400 4V lean-burn · T=440 (Cordoba/Chrysler large cars) — no 426 Hemi and no 440 Six-Pack after 1971.
Pos 6: 5=1975 · 6=1976 · 7=1977 · 8=1978 · 9=1979 · 0=1980

Notes: The high-compression muscle-era engines are gone by 1972. From 1975 forward the Six-Pack, Hemi, and 440 Magnum are all discontinued. The Volare/Aspen Road Runner and R/T packages of 1976-80 use the 360 4V or the 400 4V lean-burn — not the muscle-era big-blocks the badges reference.

Reading it like an authenticator

What the position tables don't tell you

The fender tag carries what the VIN does not

The VIN gives you seven fields. The fender tag (driver-side inner fender apron) gives you thirty. Sales codes for every option, paint code, upper-and-lower body paint on two-tone cars, interior trim, transmission, axle ratio, and scheduled production date. On any claimed Hemi, Six-Pack, T/A, AAR, Daytona, or Superbird, the fender tag has to be present and has to agree with the VIN. A missing fender tag is not automatic disqualification — cars are restored — but it materially reduces authentication confidence.

The broadcast sheet is the goldstandard third reference

Chrysler printed a paper broadcast sheet that traveled with the car through assembly. It lists every option and cross-references the VIN. The sheet is sometimes found stuffed under the rear seat springs or above the fuel tank — an original broadcast sheet in agreement with the VIN and fender tag is the strongest single provenance document available for a muscle-era Mopar. Many surviving cars have lost the sheet; a car that still has one commands a premium.

Fender tags CAN be reproduced — engine pads cannot

Reproduction fender tags are widely sold. That is why a full authentication cross-checks the VIN, the fender tag, the engine block pad stamping (partial VIN + build date + engine code), the transmission case stamping, and the rear-axle date code. On a real 1970 Hemi Cuda every one of those references agrees on the drivetrain and the build window. Any single reference in disagreement is a conversation with the seller before the deposit clears.

Coverage across the era

Which model year sits where

1968-1969Hemi and Six-Pack introduction

1968 introduces the 426 Street Hemi as a factory option in B-body Chargers, Road Runners, and GTXs. 1969 adds the 440 Six-Pack, the Charger Daytona (winged aero car), and the Super Bee.

1970-1971E-body launch and peak muscle

1970 Barracuda / Cuda and Challenger launch on the new E-body platform. Hemi Cuda, Hemi Challenger R/T, AAR Cuda, T/A Challenger. Superbird (1970 only) joins the winged Daytona. 1971 is the last year of the Hemi and the last year of the AAR/T/A.

1972-1974End of the E-body

Compression drops for unleaded fuel in 1972. The 340 becomes the 360 for 1974. Last E-body Cuda and Challenger built for the 1974 model year.

1975-1980F-body Volare / Aspen era

Volare and Aspen replace the Dart and Valiant. Aspen R/T and Volare Road Runner keep the muscle badges but the drivetrain top-outs at a 360 4V or a 400 4V lean-burn.

Where to authenticate

The archives serious buyers use

Position tables tell you what the car was supposed to be. These archives — some free, some paid — are what confirm what the factory actually built. Standard-of-care due diligence on any claimed halo car.

Paid

Galen Govier / Govier's Muscle Car Registries

The authenticator of record for real Hemi cars, Six-Pack cars, AAR/T/A cars, and winged cars. Galen Govier's certification is the reference auction houses cite. Multi-hundred-dollar per-VIN report but the standard for six- and seven-figure claims.

Free

Chrysler Registry

Owner-run registry that tracks known surviving muscle Mopars by VIN and fender-tag. Free registry search; useful cross-reference for confirming a car has documented ownership history.

Free

Mopar Fender Tag Decoder (public references)

Fender tag decoder tables (paint codes, trim codes, sales codes, axle codes) republished from period Chrysler service manuals. The starting reference before you pay for professional authentication.

Free

For B Bodies Only forums

Owner-run forums with decades of archived fender-tag photographs, broadcast-sheet finds, and engine-pad discussions. Invaluable for pattern-matching a suspect fender tag or engine pad against known-real examples.

Free

NHTSA vPIC (17-character VINs only)

The free federal decoder. Only supports 17-character VINs (1981 model year forward). Modern Challengers, Chargers, Vipers, and every 1981+ Chrysler decode through vPIC.

Frequently asked

Mopar (Chrysler / Dodge / Plymouth) VIN decoder — questions we get most

How do I decode a classic Mopar VIN from the 1960s or 1970s?

Read the 13-character VIN one position at a time. Position 1 is the car line letter (B=Barracuda/Cuda, J=Challenger, R=Road Runner/GTX/Satellite, X=Charger/Coronet/Super Bee, V=Duster/Demon/Valiant, L=Dart). Position 2 is the price class. Positions 3-4 are body style. Position 5 is the engine code — the letter that names 426 Hemi (R), 440 Six-Pack (U or V), 340 (H), or the base engines. Position 6 is the last digit of the model year. Position 7 is the assembly plant. Positions 8-13 are the sequential production number.

Where is the VIN on a classic Mopar?

From 1968 forward the VIN is on a plate visible through the driver-side windshield. On earlier cars (1966-1967) the VIN is on the driver-side door jamb. Every muscle-era Mopar also carries a fender tag on the driver-side inner fender apron under the hood; the fender tag repeats the VIN and adds the full sales-order data. Engine block and transmission case carry a partial VIN stamping (the last eight digits of the VIN) that must agree with the plate.

Can NHTSA decode a 1970 Hemi Cuda or Charger VIN?

No. The NHTSA vPIC decoder only supports 17-character VINs (1981 model year forward). A 1970 Cuda has a 13-character VIN and returns nothing from vPIC. Decoding is done against the Chrysler position tables (above), the fender tag, and — for high-value claims — Galen Govier's authentication service.

How do I authenticate a real 426 Hemi car?

Four references in agreement. First, position 5 of the VIN is R (Hemi). Second, the fender tag lists engine code R and the Hemi sales codes (H51 heater delete, N96 fresh-air hood, etc. as applicable). Third, the engine block pad stamps confirm a Hemi block (the last eight VIN digits match the car, and the engine build date precedes the car's scheduled production date by no more than about 60 days). Fourth, Galen Govier's certification or a Chrysler Registry documented-provenance history. Without all four, the correct term is 'Hemi tribute' or 'Hemi clone' — accurate cars carry that language in the listing.

What is a 440 Six-Pack vs a 440 Six-Barrel?

Same engine, different marketing. Plymouth called it the 440 Six-Barrel; Dodge called it the 440 Six-Pack. The VIN engine code is U (1969-1971 with three 2-barrel Holley carbs) or V on some 1970 A-body T/A and AAR cars. Confirming: fender tag engine code U or V, three-2bbl intake manifold with Holley carburetors, and the correct block casting number for the year. Not to be confused with the base 440 4V (code T).

Do you decode 1981-and-newer Chryslers, Dodges, and Plymouths?

Yes — those cars use the 17-character VIN standard, decoded free through our NHTSA-backed lookup. That includes the modern Challenger and Charger, every Viper, the SRT-8 platform cars, and every 1981+ Mopar minivan and truck. Run the VIN through the free 17-char check on the classic VIN check page.

What are the major Chrysler assembly plants and does the plant matter?

Hamtramck (VIN position 7 = B) built most E-body Barracuda / Challenger production and a large share of B-body Chargers. Lynch Road (A) built the balance of B-body production. Los Angeles (E) served West Coast delivery. Windsor Canada (R) built A-body and B-body cars for the Canadian and export markets. For most muscle Mopars the plant matters for provenance research, not for authenticity — all plants used identical VIN structures. Windsor-built cars can be relevant for confirming original Canadian-market delivery.

Keep decoding

Sister decoder pages

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Classic GM VIN decoder (all divisions)

Cross-reference to the GM 13-character format that Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac all shared.

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1981-and-newer classic VIN check

Modern Challenger, Charger, Viper, SRT-8, and every 1981+ Mopar carries the 17-character VIN — decoded free through NHTSA.

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Cross-marque overview of every major American VIN format before 1981 — Mopar alongside Ford, Chevy, and GM.

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For 1981-and-newer classics — run the check.

Our free 17-character VIN check decodes every modern classic through the NHTSA feed. Fox-body Mustangs, C4/C5/C6 Corvettes, third-gen Trans Ams, first-year Vipers, air-cooled 911s — instant, no signup.

Run a Classic VIN Check