P2 engine and chassis numbers

[wooster]

According to the V5 my P2 '14' was registered in November 1938. However the chassis number and engine number start with a 9 which I'm told means the car is a '39. Is this true? Also should the two numbers be the same? If they are different does that mean the engine has been replaced? Thanks.

[GOY189]

9 in the first position of the chassis number means it was a 1939 season car. The season usually ran from August the previous year, starting after the Factory annual shutdown so that new models were available at the October Motor show at Earls Court or Olympia. So a November 1938 registration date is quite normal for a 1939 season car. However, for at least some models, the 1940 season seems to have started in June 1939. Could it be that factories were placed on warning that war was likely?

The practice of aligning engine number with chassis number changed from early in the 1939 season, so both your car and engine numbers commenced from 921001. The engine number range was shared with the 1939 14 sports saloon, so if your car has an engine number 921xxxxx it is likely to be an original fitment.

Regards

Mike

[wooster]

Thanks Mike that's all good stuff. The V5 list the engine number and chassis number as 921646. But the engine in the car is numbered 921885.