Mystery VIN Number

[Simonld]

Hi All. I have the possibility to buy an R4 in Switzerland but there is no paperwork with the vehicle. Without this I can’t register etc. The Seller and I found the stamped number below and deciphered to be R112900E0022312. However when I try and do a VIN check there should be 17 figures! There could be a V at the beginning? Is there a standard prefix? Does the photo of the plate below assist?
Please help me solve the mystery and I can then save another R4

 

[JdeW]

Hi All. I have the possibility to buy an R4 in Switzerland but there is no paperwork with the vehicle. Without this I can’t register etc. The Seller and I found the stamped number below and deciphered to be R112900E0022312. However when I try and do a VIN check there should be 17 figures! There could be a V at the beginning? Is there a standard prefix? Does the photo of the plate below assist?
Please help me solve the mystery and I can then save another R4
View attachment 32902View attachment 32903

The Oval plague says it is a GTL (R1128).
The stamped VIN number next to the lateral chassis beam passengers side is somewhat unreadable.
There should be a rectangular plate on the bulkhead as well with the VIN, next to the oval plague.

R4's build in Europe always start with a V
See my partial VIN of a GTL made in France at Flint on the rectangular plate. The VIN must be identical as the one stamped on the lateral chassis beam passenger side.

 

[688D7/12]

Mine starting VF1128.....

 

[reidalpine]

Welcome to The Words Best R4/4L/F4 forum Simonld!
Apropos:
(Don' mean to steal you post)
but since you're near Italy;
-Anybody knows how to identify an Italian-made R4 ? (actually an Alfa Romeo R4 with different rearligths (Fiat/Alfa) etc etc ??

 

[angel]

The 17-digit VIN number was first used by Renault in 1980 model year. From your oval plate number your car seems to have been built in 1979, so it has the earlier format of chassis number. The plate showing the chassis number should be diamond shaped, not rectangular.
The E digit is rather strange...it looks bigger in size than the numbers and I think there were no letters in an old format chassis number other than the initial R.

 

[petak]

Renault VIN number always start with VF1 - code for france car manufacturer in this case Renault
Following with model number 1129 in this case.
Although 1129 is strange and rare model number in EU.

We discoused abot it some time ago in this topic

R1129-what is it?

Occasionally, on aftermarket parts catalogs, I used to see some references on a mystery R1129 type of R4. Yesterday, while reading the last "Votre Auto" edition of Gazoline, I saw that it had been produced from 1976 to 1979 in about 35.000 examples. But, nothing else is referred in the text...

www.renault4.co.uk

 

[Piet]

That “9” is too squiggly to be a nine, looking at it close up I’d say it’s an 8 that hasn’t been fully stamped. So I’d say it’s definitely an early R1128. Let’s see the diamond plate.

 

[angel]

It's an 8 if you look carefully. Evident from oval plate, too.