www.jec.org.uk

Shown above is a label from a Pug/Citroen, there are numerious websites that can decode the ORGA number to give a build date.

I notice my XJS has a similar label on the passenger door pillar so I was wondering if a similar decoder is known for Jaguar numbers? (The Citroen one isn't universal, doesn't work on mine)

One for Paul I guess?

Pop,

That's a new one on me and one that I'd like to explore! There is a way that you can tell which month and year that your XJS was built, but I wasn't aware that you could pin it down to exact build day.

By coincidence, I'm just about to go out to my car now, so am going to have a look for any labels! If you post a pic of your label (blank out your VIN perhaps?) and I'll tell you what I can "read" from it.

Paul

Cheers Paul,
I always wondered what the 11602T number meant?
The car was registered on 11 Nov 1988, Glacier white, Magnolia leather.

Pop,

PM sent to you.

Paul

On the XJS VIN label or plate, I can tell you what 11602T stands for as it was my responsibility (and still is!) to obtain Type Approval for Jaguar, since going into the dept. in 1982 as a ('79) apprentice and learning from my peers. It is the UK National Type Approval Number.

It stayed with this approval number for it's life (wasn't on early cars), receiving numerous "notifiable alterations" or up-dates ove the years; face-lifts, brake changes, emissions, horn changes, exhausts, engines wheels and tyres, body styles etc.

A little bit different these days but same principle, except that the approval applies to all 28 EU member states (how that is going to change in future following Brexit is going to be ..... interesting! Who knows NTA may come back! In truth it didn't really go away as we can still obtain UK or National Small Series or even Individual Vehicle Approval, the latter most recently applied on F-TYPE Project 7. Keeps the days challenging with all of the standard and special projects being thought about! And I get paid for this!

The three boxes at the bottom of the VIN plate (as you may already know) contain the paint and trim codes and the two letters far right are the month and year of build in code.

Thanks Paul and Mike, at least I now know that there was no 'orga code' as such back then.
VIN decoding is well documented in many of the books on the XJS and is well worth investigating for peace of mind.

Many little oddities exist, for instance my previous Series 3 V12 Sovereign had a replacement engine that was out of an XJS, this was found out due to the engine number although I still don't know why Jaguar went to the bother of making a difference to what was essentially the same engine.