Date of build: the date(s) between Off Trim Line and Date Advised. If you
had access to the actual original records at BMIHT, you would see that
several dates in the manufacture process are recorded: Off Trim Line, Off
Body Line, Off Test, Off Rectification, Off Finishing, and Date Advised.
These individual dates are not identified on the certificates, but the span
of time is. I assume that "Date Advised" is the date that production
considered the manufacturing process complete, and advised shipping that the
car was ready to go).
Date of despatch: the date the car was shipped from the factory.
Destination (dealer): Usually gives the Port of Entry (into the U.S. or
other countries, or the actual dealer's name for UK cars). This is not
necesarrily the city (or even the state) where the car was first sold. Many
certs unfortunately only specify "USA" as the destination. Another option
here is "Personal Export Delivery". This is the case where the car waw
ordered and picked up in the UK for initial use there, and eventual export
out of the UK (typically, when a U.S. service person stationed in England
bought the car new there and later took it home with him). For Personal
Export Delivery cars, the certs sometimes identify the name of the original
owner if that was recorded ("Personal Export Delivery to Mr. Joseph J.
Blow").
Other numbers (where recorded): Gearbox number, rear axle number, Key
number. Frequently, either some of all of these numbers are not given on
the certificate. There were long strings of cars where these numbers appear
not to have been recorded in the original records, especially the rear axle
number.
Part 3 to follow.
Steve Byers
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC USA
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