strange VIN

[dbower]

I was looking at a shell of an E9 today at Bobby Thrash's "Strictly German" recycling yard next to Road Atlanta. Nothing much left but the shell. I tried to decipher the VIN from the ID plate in the engine compartment to enter here in the Registry, but it is an odd one: 5040045. (The steering column pad VIN was long gone.) It looked like an original plate and I'm pretty sure I read it right. The Registry has no VINs beginning with 504, of course. It appeared to have been a big-bumper car. Any ideas?

Don

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

There should be another VIN (or the same one) stamped on the inside edge of the cowl where the hood latches are attached on the passenger's side. I think-

 

[HB Chris]

5 040 001 - 5 040 423 which includes 5040045 is a 3.0Si US e3.

 

[dbower]

3.0Si

Now that's interesting. It was definitely an E9. I bet there's a story from back in the day about swapping VIN tags.