Best company/model/trim/engine naming/labelling system (ideas)

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Engines:

#AS[R] - PD[O]

Where:

  • # of cylinders
  • A rrangement:
    • L (inline), V, and eventually when they add them H (horizontal-opposed)
  • S eries:
    • A, B, C, etc. A series is unique to both a cylinder count and arrangement, you can have an A series inline 4, A series inline 6, A series V6, etc and they are all distinct
  • [R]:
    • Optional alphabetic revision code for if the engine is logically a continuation of an older engine. So if you revise a family to say have a 4 valve head instead of a 2 valve head but its otherwise the same, you would tack a B, C, D or whatever the current revision is on the end.
  • P erformance class:
    • This is basically a moniker for the came profile. E for economy, P for performance, R for sport / racing, and so on. Currently, my company, Fenton Holdings Ltd, only uses the E and P codes prior to about 1980. But around 1980 they start using a deeper designation system as follows: L for low rpm, W for wide range of RPM - your flat torque curve engines, H for high RPM, and S for super-high RPM.
    • If an engine has VVL, then it has two P codes which identify each cam profile, lower one first.
  • D isplacement
    • Cubic inches or litres. If it is litres, the decimal is not shown. My company uses cubic inches up to about 1980 (again) and then uses litres.
  • [O] ptions
    • Anything really noteworthy / additional on the engine such as J for single point EFI, M for multipoint EFI, D for direct injection. Turbo is naturally T. V for VVT. And so on…

Example:

The code for a C series V8 of 4.5L displacement, which has been revised twice, has multipoint EFI, and has a VVL setup for a luxury car would be:

  • 8VCC - LH45M

Cars

Cars I am not nearly so formulaic :laughing:

My luxury brand, Fenton, uses something of a formulaic system though its really loose. Basically, a Fenton car’s name will look something like:

Fenton AA# [trim]

Where:

  • AA is a two letter designator of the line like GT, ZL, SE, LE, ST, and so on. Usually short from something like “Grand Touring car” or “Luxury Executive car”
  • # is the engine displacement
    • In the pre 1980 years, its just cubic inches.
    • In the post 1980 years, its cubic centimeters divided by 10.

And trim is just some gibberish they put on to make it look special like V8, or GS, GL, etc.

Example:

  • Fenton LE 397GS

Or in regular speak, Luxury Executive car, 397 cubic inch displacement, Grand Sport trim.

My pleb brand, Everette, uses the very American scheme of naming the car using a proper noun that sounds cool. And as some of you maybe have suspected – I don’t actually know; no one has said anything – all Everette cars have been named after cities and towns in Washington state, USA, where I grew up (I live in Michigan now). So far the only exception is the Ellston.

After 1971, Everette does have a formulaic trim system though:

  • S / GS + vehicle class + cylinder count

So for instance the top of the line station wagon with a V8 would be called a GSE8 – E is for “estate”. Or a base model sedan with a straight 6 would be called an R6 – R being for “road”.

Example:

  • Everette Twisp SR6

Or in regular speak, a mid trim Everette Twisp with a 6 cylinder engine.

EDIT: I spaced this but I actually do assign my vehicles chassis codes because geeky reasons

Chassis Codes

Up until the 17 digit VIN was standardized and mandated in 1981, FHL uses a very similar 13 / 14 digit code.

PRBT - FYYMM - ####

Where:

Model designator:

  • P latform:
    • Pretty self explanatory. FHLuses the first letter (that is not also an existing platform code) of the nameplate of the vehicle that the platform was initially developed for. For instance, the T Body was originally developed for the Everette Twisp, hence T.
  • R evision:
    • Numeral for the current revision of the platform where the first production version is 1.
  • B rand:
    • Brand the car is sold under. E for Everette. F for Fenton.
  • T rim:
    • An alphabetic designator for the trim. Can be anything but there is something of a convention:
      • C for two door (coupe)
      • S for four dour (sedan)
      • W for estate / station wagon
      • G is normally for a top trim sport variant
      • L is normally for a top trim luxury variant

Production Origin / Serial Number / Tracking Code
(however you want to think about it)

  • F actory:
    • Alphabetic designator for the factory that conducted final assembly the car.
  • YY / Year:
    • Last two digits of the year the car was produced
  • MM
    • The month the car was produced. January is 01 and December is 12
  • ####
    • Serial number. A serial number is unique to a factory, year, and month. Each factory starts production each month at S/N 0001.
    • High volume vehicles may have a fifth digit in their serial number.

Example:

  • S1FG - C6905 - 0001

S body, Initial version, Fenton brand, GS trim designator, Lansing C Plant, 1969, May, S/N #1

This is actually the chassis code for the Fenton LE 397GS that was owned by the company’s founder, Charles Fenton Trunt.

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