THE AIRCOOLED ARCHIVE
Decode your aircooled VW chassis number.
Enter a chassis stamping below — model year, body style, factory, paint, upholstery, and production sequence reconstructed in seconds.
TOOLS & ARCHIVES
Built for owners, restorers & enthusiasts
Chassis Decoder
Decode any chassis from 1938 to 1980. Model year, body style, factory, production era — all from the stamped serial.
OpenEngine Decoder
Look up letter-coded or pre-1960 numeric engine stampings. Displacement, HP, regional variants, platform compatibility.
OpenPaint Colors
Every factory Beetle paint color from 1938–1979 with visual chips, hex codes, VW codes, and refinish cross-references.
OpenCatalog Explorer
Browse paint, upholstery, trim, and model numbers by year, platform, and body variant. 2,500+ catalog entries.
OpenCompare
Side-by-side comparison of two chassis or engines. Spec deltas, M-code diffs, and rarity scoring.
OpenArchive Chat
AI-powered search across factory manuals and catalog data. Ask natural questions, get cited answers.
OpenMy Garage
Log chassis and engines, group them into restoration builds, track parts, and generate digital birth certificates.
OpenPublic Registry
Browse community VWs — chassis numbers, specs, and factory data shared by owners worldwide.
OpenGuides
Step-by-step how-tos: reading chassis numbers, understanding M-codes, and decoding factory paint codes.
OpenYour VWs, documented & preserved
Log every chassis and engine you own or are restoring. Group them into restoration builds, track parts, and generate digital birth certificates you can save, print, or share — factory-decoded specifications pulled straight from the archive.
Open My GarageVehicle Registry
Store chassis numbers with decoded model year, body, factory, and full production specs.
Engine Log
Pair engine stampings to your vehicles — displacement, HP, case type, and dating all auto-decoded.
Restoration Builds
Group a chassis + engine into a build. Add notes, track progress, and keep a parts checklist.
Birth Certificates
Generate printable digital certificates with every factory spec — perfect for shows or sales documentation.
Help build the archive
Spotted an error or have factory data we're missing? Submit a correction and help improve the decoder for everyone.
Submit a correctionFree forever, upgrade for API access
The decoder and archive are free. Pro and Premium plans unlock REST API keys, bulk decode, data exports, and priority support.
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