I requested a Heritage Certificate for my 1988 XJ-S giving only VIN number in order to know the original numbers of the car.
When I received it, I remained surprised because, VIN and engine numbers are equals, while body number is different.
XJ-S in my knowledge is a single-body car and I cant't understand how is possibile that the VIN (punched on the body and reported also in a plate reveted on the body) could be different from the body (reported on a small plate reveted on another part of the body, in the certificate 5W 049421 while in the car 5X 4223). See attached photos.
I wonder if it's possibile that original data were not right (also the external colour doesn't correspond: Crimson in Heritage certificate while PDH Black in the car)?


Body number different from the one written in Heritage Certificate




VIN; Paint and trim




VIN punched on the body

 

The body number is different. It is really just a identifier from the body pressing firm for internal purposes so the body - which at that stage has no engine, internal trim, colour or VIN - can be identified inside the factory. The VIN is awarded to the car as an entirely separate matter.

 

Dear Greg,
I asked for clarification to British Museum sending them same photos and they required me to destroy the Heritage Certificate and they issued a new certificate with the right numbers and colour!
I wonder if it was a typing mistake of the certificate or in Jaguar archive?