850 Vin Numbers

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Rohan said:
The NOC also has mentioned 235118 1973 and 235254 Jan/1973 just now.
Both 750, models unspecified.
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Can I ask where you saw that information?

Rohan said:
Seems maybe Joe has the ledgers, and the NOC and VMCC have microfiche of them ?
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Apparently AN has some records for the later models that the VMCC/NOC does not have copies of.

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ZFD said:
Firstly, I think I can verify which is the last Mk3 made because I have the original MK3 despatch book. I have several original despatch ledgers, late 750/850 era. These are NOT on the microfilms existing elsewhere.
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Rohan said:
The NOC already have those prewar records - the NOC Factory Records Project is in the process of having all those indecipherable scribblings computerised. Seems to have disappeared into thin air though, that was some years ago now.....
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Those pre-war records are nearly complete. I volunteered to transcribe some records, and was shipped a packet of photocopies of the original log books, and an Excel spreadsheet to fill in.

I was given the 5 weeks or so from about 4-9-39 to 6-10-39, which comprised about 1200 machines. It took over a year for me to do, and when I turned it in early this year, Chris Streather wrote back to say he only had a handful of records needed to complete the project.

The log book was handwritten, apparently by pen and inkwell, and often took a magnifying glass to interpret. One record that was particularly baffling to me was an order of six machines sent to a Police Department. It took a week to figure it the name 'Sleightholme'

If anybody has a machine from that time period, I can tell something about it. Those pre-war records had columns to record build card number, model, engine, frame, gearbox, forks, whether it had a mag or mag-dyno and over a dozen other bits of info, such as Kickstart (Y/N), gate or foot change, wheel type, tyre size, etc.

After 8 September, the bulk of production was for either the RAF or WD, and almost exclusively models 16H, 16HK and 18. The factory worked that Sunday, 10 September, and every Saturday. Most of the WD records only show build card, model, engine, frame, gearbox, Mag/Mag-dyno, and forks. Half the time, model wasn't even recorded.
 
I have the microfilms and 4 or 5 books that are not on microfilm. I (privately) bought the microfilm copies in the time the Science Museum still had them- and the costly viewer. The books came my way later by pure coincidence, so I bought them.

Those who have ever looked through the records will understand why I don't like to look a bike up in them, and why these records, whether in books or on microfilm, are of limited value. Some of the handwriting- though it often looks like "copperplate" in the old records- is virtually unreadable. I shall be interested to see what the transcriptions bring in ways of "interpretation" of these unreadable records.... Sometimes I could only decipher one because pages on the previously unreadable term was readable just once.

Also, a dealer's/distributor's name is worthless unless one knows who hides behind the name. Many members of the forum will know who "Berliner" was, but there are lots of other foreign dealers/distributors names few if anybody can place nowadays.

Joe/Andover Norton
 
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