Fisher Body Number Plate Properties - Kansas City, Missouri (KAN)

»» Uses dash character (-) between year and style.

»» Uses dash character (-) after interior trim color and denotes seat type; "A" for front bench seat or "B" for front bucket seats. This notation is, for all practical purposes, redundant because there are different trim codes for bench or bucket seats that are the same color and material anyway. For example, code 761 is a Black Imitation Leather bench seat where code 763 is the same Black Imitation Leather bucket seat.

»» Example of trim code with -S following the trim number in lieu of -B on bucket seat Chevelles. It is believed to indicate optional headrests, RPO A81 on bucket seat models but no documented proof has surfaced to date. Since there were only 1,609 RPO A81 units sold for bucket seats and 924 RPO A82 units for bench seats the low production numbers may hamper proving or disproving the code. Also found is -E following the trim number in lieu of -A on bench seat Chevelles. This is also believed to indicate optional headrests, RPO A82 on bench seat models but no documented proof has surfaced to date.

»» Separates lower-upper body colors with dash character (-).

»» A 4-digit number is listed after the body date code. Source of this number is not known.

»» Group options coded.

»» Several trim tags are without a transmission designation code. Quite possibly the Kansas City plant did not code the base 3-speed manual transmission on non-SS 396 optioned Chevelles.

»» The Style designation does not indicate a V8 or L6 engine, only the VIN plate can identify that. There are numerous examples of body plate styles with an even 3rd-digit such as 13617 and the VIN showing an odd 3rd-digit such as 13517.

»» * There is great speculation about what the "Q" code meant 1966 & 1967. I have data on at least 19 1966 & 1967 trim tags from Atlanta, Flint, and Kansas City with this code where no other transmission code is shown.

It's found on bucket seat cars, bench seat cars, SS 396 series, Malibu series, and even one base 13480 El Camino so it's not unique to a seat type or series. The question is why would Fisher Body put a "Q" on a trim tag for an M21 when, as far as Fisher Body was concerned, a 4-speed should be a 4-speed as far as any floor pan modifications would be concerned?

The "Q" is used along side of the more typical "L" which is generally accepted to be a 4-speed (be it M20, M21, or M22) and, of course, there are "L" coded trim tags in the same time frames as "Q" coded ones found. It's found on bucket seat cars, bench seat cars, SS 396 series, Malibu series, and even one base 13480 El Camino so it's not unique to a seat type or series. It's found in the same body build time frames as "L" coded tags so it's not an early vs. late thing either.