Assuming that the factory in Osnabruck painted the chassis in "batches", is it correct to assume the 914 colors were consecutive according to chassis number, rather than VIN? Or maybe the paint wasn't even applied to an unbroken sequence of chassis #s.

Great question!

The info I have can only amount to a clue, nothing definitive. Awhile back I made a table of a sample of LE cars from the 914 LE Registry, including the VIN/chassis number and paint code data to look for this trend, and sorted the table for consecutive chassis number order rather than VIN

The LE Registry does not include every consecutive VIN/chassis # so there are gaps, but the hint is there that cars with close CHASSIS NUMBERS are also painted the same color code. The VIN sequence is not as closely related to the paint code.

If its true that the chassis were fabbed then sent to paint, then later assembled and the VIN attached only as a car was fully complete, then it would stand to reason that chassis with close chassis numbers would share the same paint code. Here is an excerpt from my study of the LE cars:

As the rather meager evidence is collected with regards to the manufacturing of the 914, it appears that the assignment of VIN, chassis # and paint (code) was done without the usually expected German trait of exactness

From the few color photos that I've seen of the assembly line, coupled with the data available (largely) from this site, it seems to me that the 914 chassis were fabricated and stamped in sequence, selected in general groupings for paint code assignment, then went through final assembly with VIN data applied.

It would be fascinating to see all the pictures that might exist as prints, negatives or slides of industrial, commercial or personal photographs taken at the Karmann Werks in Osnabruck while the 914 was produced. These pictures probably exist in someones' forgotten photo file, on dusty corporate storage shelves, or in some 35mm slide tray lost in some professional photographers' archival material.

Paul

My understanding is that the VIN was applied at the end of the production/testing process, not early on or even mid production line. The chassis # was used as the control number, then the VIN applied when the car became a 'complete' vehicle.

That explains why there is a correlation between paint code and chassis number and there is no correlation between the VIN number and chassis number.

I could envision that the VIN would be one of the very last items applied to the completed vehicle. VIN stamped into the front fender, plate attached to the right headlight bucket, plate riveted to the A-pillar windshield installed then loaded onto the railcar...

Great stuff guys!

Exactly why I have been doing the research. I have over 300 chassis/body numbers now. However, with the exception of the LE series the data I have is too sparse to be of great value. With the exception of the late cars (week 40 in 1974 when the body number went to base 9000 from base 9500) the body number was stamped into the rear trunk floor before painting.