The Vehicle Indentification Number (VIN) is a series of 17 digits that uniquely identifies every car in the United States. The table below will help you decipher the VIN of your Mustang to help ensure that it is, in fact, a genuine SVT Cobra.
Note the numbers in positions 8 and 10. If position 8 is not one of the four letters listed below, that car is not a real SVT Mustang Cobra.
| Position | Number | Description | Detail |
| 1 | 1 | These first 3 digits will always be the same. | 1FA is the code for Ford Motor Company |
| 2 | F | ||
| 3 | A | ||
| 4 | L | Type of Restraint System |
C = 1993 (Driver Airbag) L = 1994 - 1998 (Active Safety Belts-All Positions, First Generation Air Bags) F = 1999 - 2001 (Active Safety Belts-All Positions, Second Generation Air Bags) |
| 5 | P | Passenger Car | |
| 6 | 4 | Body Type |
42 = 1993 - 95 Coupe 45 = 1994 - 95 Convertible 46 = 1996 - 2001 Convertible 47 = 1996 - 2001 Coupe |
| 7 | 2 | ||
| 8 | D | Engine Code |
D = 1993 - 1995 Cobra (incl. 1993 R) C = 1995 Cobra R V = 1996 - 2001 Cobra H = 2000 Cobra R |
| 9 | 6 | Check Digit | Valid digits will be any number 0 - 9 or the letter X |
| 10 | R | Model Year |
P = 1993 R = 1994 S = 1995 T = 1996 V = 1997 W = 1998 X = 1999 Y = 2000 1 = 2001 |
| 11 | F | Assembly Plant | F = Dearborn Assembly Plant |
| 12 | 0 | Consecutive Unit Number | 1993 - Valid numbers in this area will be between
100001 and 599999.
1994 and up - Valid numbers in this area will be between 100001 and 600000 |
| 13 | 0 | ||
| 14 | 0 | ||
| 15 | 0 | ||
| 16 | 0 | ||
| 17 | 0 |