W123 Bremen

Every W123 has one and none comes out without it, the

In 1981, the VIN, which was unambiguous and standardized worldwide, replaced the previously used chassis numbers. It has 17 digits and contains, depending on the manufacturer, information about the vehicle. In Germany, however, the designation chassis number is still common, although the VIN is meant.
The VIN according to ISO 3779 is composed as follows:

1.   1st to  3rd place - World manufacturer identifier (WMI)
2.   4th to 11th place - "Description" of the vehicle (VDS)
3. 12th to 17th place - Consecutive number (VIS)

This is only the basic classification. In Europe, some places are of particular importance. Thus, the 10th digit is used as the model year code (ISO 3779-1983) and the 11th digit indicates the manufacturer.
However, there are other rules in other parts of the world. In the USA it is compulsory to specify a check digit in the 9th place and manufacturers with a production of less than 500 units per year contain the unique manufacturer identification in the places 12 to 14.