1972 El Camino Vehicle Identification Number Plate
1972 VIN Breakdown
Do not confuse the Vehicle Identification Number plate information with that found on the Fisher Body Number plate (trim tag). The series depiction on the VIN plate does NOT have the meaning as the Fisher Body Number plate.
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) has much the same information as the Trim Tag such as the model, year, and assembly plant. The big change is how that data are coded differently than earlier VIN plates. A single letter (B, C, D, or H) replaces the two-digit series number, the body style retains a two-digit number, and new for 1972 is a letter (D, F, H, J, U, or W) indicating the engine installed. In previous years only the base engine type (L6 or V8) was indicated by an odd or even number on the VIN. The sixth digit is the model year followed by a letter for the final assembly plant and the sequence assembly number for that plant.
A typical 1972 El Camino VIN might read: 1D80W2L530184 meaning a Chevrolet (1), Malibu (D) pickup (80) with a 454-4 (W) engine and assembled in Los Angeles, CA. (L).
First Digit: Division of General Motors
1 - Chevrolet
Second Character: Series Designation
C - Chevelle, El Camino, Greenbrier (133/134xx Fisher Body Style)
D - Malibu, Concours, Custom El Camino (135/136xx Fisher Body Style)
Third and Fourth Digit: Body Style/Model
80 - 2-door sedan pickup
Fifth Character: Engine size/type
D - 250cid L-6 1-bbl (L22)
F - 307cid V8 2-bbl (L14)
H - 350cid V8 2-bbl (L65)
J - 350cid V8 4-bbl (L48)
U - 402cid V8 4-bbl (LS3)
W - 454cid V8 4-bbl (LS5)
Sixth Digit: Year of Production
2 - 1972
Seventh Character (Alpha Designation): Final Assembly
Plant
B ~ Baltimore, Maryland
K ~ Kansas City, Missouri
L ~ Van Nuys, California
Eighth through Thirteenth Digits: Sequential Production Number
The sequential starting number for the 1972 Chevelle was 500001 at all Chevelle assembly plants. Each assembly plant sequenced Chevelles of all series/models without regard to specific series/models. For example, if a series 13435 station wagon followed a 13667 Malibu convertible, the sequence number would be one unit higher for the wagon. It's also entirely possible to have the same sequence number from all four 1972 U.S. assembly plants (five if you include Oshawa, Ontario) with the only difference between the VINs being the plant code.
Production at the Arlington assembly plant exceeded 100,000 units in early June, the Baltimore plant exceeded 100,000 units in mid February, and the Kansas City plant exceeded 100,000 units sometime in late March, so the VIN sequence from those time frames to the end of production would be 6nnnnn for the Arlington, Baltimore, and Kansas City plants.
