VW Beetle (a.k.a. "Bug") Type 1 (1948-1979)
Model Year Starting Chassis Serial No. (VIN) Starting Engine Serial No.
1948 72 743 1-100 788
1949 91 921 1-122 649
1950 138 554 1-169 913
1951 220 133 1-265 600
1952 313 829 1-379 470
1953 428 156 1-519 136
1954 575 415 1-0695282
1955 781 885 1-0945527
1956 1 020 746 1-1120615
1957 1 394 119 1-4595946
1958 1 600 440 1-937450
1959 2 226 206 2-721-313
1960 2 528 668 3-072-320
1961 3 192 507 5-000-001
1962 4 010 995 5-958-948
1963 4 846 836 6-935-204
1964 5 677 119 7-893-119
1965 115 000 001 8-796-623
1966 116 000 001 F-0-000-001
1967 117 000 001 H-0-204-001
1968 118 000 001 H-0-204-001
1969 119 000 001 H-5-414-586
1970 110 2000 001 B-6-000-001
1971 111 2000 001 AE-0-005-901
1972 112 2000 000 AE-0-558-001 (USA)
AE-0-000-001 (Calif.)
1973 113 2000 001 AH-0-005-901 (Calif.)
113 2000 001 AE-0-917-264 (USA)
113 2212 117 AK-0-000-001 (USA)
1974 114 2000 001 AK-0-239-365 (USA)
AH-0-101-889 (Calif.)
1975 115 2000 001 AJ-0-000-001
1976 116 2000 001 AJ-0-012-406
1977 117 2000 001 AJ-0-095-936
1978 118 2000 001 AJ-0-119-688
1979 159 2000 001 AJ-0-200-000
ENGINE ID CODES
“CODE” below, denotes the engine serial number “prefix.”
TYPE 1
CODE YEAR ENGINE REMARKS
4 1960 1200 40 HP
5 61 1200 40 HP
6 62 1200 40 HP
7 63 1200 40 HP
8 64 1200 40 HP
9 65 1200 40 HP
FO 66 1300 8mm Oil-Pump Studs
HO/TO 67 1500 8mm Oil-Pump Studs
H5 68-69 1500 8mm Oil-Pump Studs
B6 70 1600 Dual Relief, Single-Port
AE 71-72 1600 Dual Relief, Dual-Port
AH 73-74 1600 8mm Head Studs w/Case Savers
AJ 75 1600 Fuel Injected, w/o Fuel Pump Mount
Replacement Cases
All cases service parts only – sold only over the counter, not supplied in new cars. All are dual relief and have 10mm oil passages.
F1 13/1600
F2 13/1600
DO 40-HP part when last digit is “X”
DI Sometimes a 40-HP part
AB 66-79 1600 Built since ’73 in Mexico, Brazil, Germany
AD 1600
AK 67-74 15/1600
AM 1600
AS Sometimes listed as Super Beetle original case, ’73 on
TYPE 2
CODE YEAR ENGINE REMARK
SEARLY BUS*
Numerals 61-63 1200 See Type 1, 40-HP listings
O 64 1500 Based on 1200, no cam bearings
H 65 1500
HO 66-67 1500 No Crossmember holes
B5 68-69 1600 8mm oil-pump stud, single-relief
B5 70 1600 Dual Relief
AE 71 1600 W/Crossmember holes
LATE BUS**
CB 72-73 1700 Dual Carb, Manual Transmission
CD 73 1700 Dual Carb, Automatic Transmission
AW 73-74 1800 Dual Carb, Manual or Automatic Transmission
AW 75 1800 Fuel Injected
ED 75 2000
GD 76-79 2000 ’79 has Vanagon Heads
GE 79 2000 California only, Vanagon Heads
VANAGON
CV 80-83 2000 Unique case and heads
* All Early Bus engines are similar to Type 1 & are single-carbureted.
** Late Bus engines are Type 4 style and are either dual carbureted or Fuel Injected. Late Bus engines w/ carburetors have the fuel pump hole in the lower right-front case half. Fuel injected versions do not. The dipstick and oil fill hole are on the right, rear case half.
TYPE 3
CODE YEAR ENGINE REMARKS
O 63-65 1500 Based on 1200. No cam bearings
TO 66-67 1500 6mm Oil Pump Studs
UO 68-69 1600 Fuel Injected. ’69 has crossmember holes
UO 70 1600 Crossmember holes. Dual Relief
U5 71-73 1600 Crossmember holes. 7.7:1 Compression
X 72 1600 7.3:1 Compression
Type 3 cases have no dipstick or oil pressure sending unit holes. Can be added by machine shop.
TYPE 4
CODE YEAR ENGINE REMARKS
W 71 1700
EA 72-74 1700
EB 73 1700 California only
EC 73 1700
914
CODE YEAR ENGINE REMARKS
W 70-71 1700 8.2:1 Compression, D-Jetronic
EA 72-73 1700 8.2:1 Compression, D-Jetronic
EB 73 1700 7.3:1 Compression, D-Jetronic
EC 74 1800 California only, 7.3:1 Compression, L-Jetronic
AN 1800 8.6:1 Compression, D-Jetronic
GA 73-74 2000 7.6:1 Compression, 3 Intake Studs, D-Jetronic
GB 2000 8.0:1 Compression, 3 Intake Studs, D-Jetronic
VO 1700 European only, magnesium,
1800 some brought into U.S.
2000 core engines, hardens and cracks like Type
1-3 case
Engines from VW of Brazil
GAS-Gasoline / Alcohol-ALC
BA - 1600 - BRASILIA (1976)
BD - 1600 BEETLE GAS
BG - 1600 GAS AND KOMBI KOMBI EXP
BJ - 1300 BEETLE GAS
BK - 1300 LAC BEETLE BRASILIA
BM - 1300 LAC GOL
BN - 1600 BRAZIL GAS
BV - 1600 GAS VARIANT
BX - 1600 LAC KOMBI KOMBI EXP
BY - 1300 GOL GAS
BZ - 1600 GAS VAN
UF - 1600 BEETLE GAS
UG - 1600 GAS VAN
UJ - 1600 LAC BEETLE
UK - 1600 LAC VAN
Motors above 90
UFA - 1600 BEETLE GAS
UJA - 1600 LAC BEETLE
UGA - 1600 GAS VAN CARAT
Exchange engines
These engines are normally marked with a VW recycle symbol and an X at the end.
Information from a 5/73 USA service bulletin issued 5/73:
Engines with the re-manufactured symbol, a letter, a number and ending with X, indicates a VW Exchange engine. Before Oct., 1968 the X was not stamped onto the block.
From April of 1972 Shortblocks were sold with the VW remanufacture symbol followed by a letter. No numbers were used, you were to stamp in the old engine number.