Yes, all of them WERE made at Abingdon (except for the M cars noted), making
the G suffix rather redundant for the Sprites and Midgets. But BMC had
other facilities for other lines of their products, and the addition of the
G appears to have been as a result of a change in corporate policy
concerning the numbering system.
The pattern of Big Healey VIN numbers changed almost at the end of
production, in the summer of 1967, and cars with the new pattern also got
the G suffix (all except the earliest Big Healeys were assembled at
Abingdon); so I would peg the appearance of the G for Sprites and Midgets
about this time.
Steve Byers
Havelock, NC USA
'73 Midget GAN5UD126009G "OO NINE"
"It is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool
than to speak, and remove all doubt" -- Mark Twain
----- Original Message -----
From: Brent, Tatiana & Monito Wolf <brent.wolf@gte.net>
To: Gerard Chateauvieux <pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com>; Jim Algar
<JamesA@hi-torque.com>; Steve Byers <byers@cconnect.net>; Spridget List
<spridgets@autox.team.net>; MidgetSpriteClub <midgetspriteclub@listbot.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 16, 1999 12:34 AM
Subject: Re: Chassis I.D. number
> The little info seciton in the M*ss Catalog says that the entire
> Sprite/Midget line was produce in Abingdon except for 489 Sprites and 476
> Midgets which came from Cowley in 1967. these are marked with an "M"
suffix.
>
> Just 0.02
> Brent
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Gerard Chateauvieux <pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com>
> To: Jim Algar <JamesA@hi-torque.com>; Steve Byers <byers@cconnect.net>;
> Spridget List <spridgets@autox.team.net>; MidgetSpriteClub
> <midgetspriteclub@listbot.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 15, 1999 11:18 PM
> Subject: Re: Chassis I.D. number
>
>
> > Yep, mine's the same way. I remember doing some resaerch on this when I
> > first got the car and was wondering the same thing. Came up with the
same
> > answer. I don't know when they started using the 'G', but I think most
if
> > not all Sprite were made at Abingdon.
> >
> > Mine is 772xx. Yours must be a very early '69 since AN9's end at 85286.
> >
> > Gerard
> >
> > At 9:06 PM -0400 10/15/99, Steve Byers wrote:
> > >The G means the car was assembled at the Abingdon plant, and the fact
> that I
> > >know that means I am a truly obsessive personality
> > >.
> > >Steve Byers
> > >Havelock, NC USA
> > >'73 Midget GAN5UD126009G "OO NINE"
> > >"It is better to remain silent, and be thought a fool
> > >than to speak, and remove all doubt" -- Mark Twain
> > >
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: Jim Algar <JamesA@hi-torque.com>
> > >To: Spridget List <spridgets@autox.team.net>; MidgetSpriteClub
> > ><midgetspriteclub@listbot.com>
> > >Sent: Friday, October 15, 1999 7:47 PM
> > >Subject: Chassis I.D. number
> > >
> > >
> > >> Here's one for the truly obsessive among us:
> > >>
> > >> My '69 Sprite Mk.IV carries the following Chassis I.D. #:
> > >> H-AN9U-79140 G
> > >>
> > >> wherein:
> > >> H - Austin Healey
> > >> A - Engine (A series)
> > >> N - 2-seater
> > >> 9 - Series (Mk.IV)
> > >> U - USA (left hand drive)
> > >>
> > >> 79140 - Serial Number (build date sometime after Dec. 1968)
> > >>
> > >> G - ??????????
> > >>
> > >> And that's the question; none of my references mentions a
> > >> trailing letter suffix or what it might mean.
> > >>
> > >> Anybody?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Regards,
> > >> Jim Algar
> > >>
> > >>
> >
> >
> > If you can stay calm, while all around you is chaos... then you
> > probably haven't completely understood the seriousness of the situation.
> >
> > G G Gerard Chateauvieux
> > E A
> > R R pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com
> > A A
> > R G Pixelsmith on Duty
> > D E
> > S http://www.gerardsgarage.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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