How to decode your 1949-1954 Pontiac Serial Number
The serial number is composed of:
1st: A letter indicating the factory of origin. (Shown in chart)
2nd: A figure indicating the number of cylinders, six or eight. (6-Six Cylinder;
8-Eight Cylinder)
3rd: Two letters indicating first the year of manufacture and the transmission
used. (Shown in chart)
4th: The sequence in which your car was built starting with 1001
| 1st: The first letter in the serial number indicates the factory of origin. |
| Letter: | Assembly Plant: |
| A | Atlanta |
| C | South Gate |
| L | Linden |
| W | Wilmington |
| K | Kansas City |
| F | Framingham |
| P | Pontiac, Michigan |
| 3rd – The two letters indicating the year of manufacture and the transmission used (S-Manual; H-Hydramatic) between 1949 and 1954 are as follows |
| Year: | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 |
| Manual | RS | TS | US | WS | XS | ZS |
| Automatic | RH | TH | UH | WH | XH | ZH |
Now for a complete example, if your cars serial number
is W8WH14479 the decode would be; W-Wilmington, 8-Straight Eight, W-1952,
H-Hydramatic, 14479-13,478th car built at the Wilmington plant.
