Prior to 1965, the numbers for each serial number (model line) were serial
(3000,3001... or N001,N002...) Even that varied to some degree - the early
years they rolled over to the next year, the later years (1958+) they would
start over each year, but then some years (and by factory), they did not!
1965 and later they were sequence numbers, and were scattered across all the
model serial numbers by factory. 001 might have been a Tradewind, 002 a
Sovereign, 003 a Caravel, etc.. Of course then there is the 5NN numbers for
double bed layouts for a couple of years.
The serial aspect makes it easier to determine production numbers for the early
years.
The only to male sense of all this is on a year by year, factory by factory,
model by model case...
RJ
>
> All,
>
> Jon's email below including his unit number brings to
> mind a question about how Airstream numbering was done.
> Jon's 1969 Globetrotter is #134 while my 1969 Caravel is #508.
>
> Did each model and length unit have its own set of
> sequential numbers or did all of one year's production get
> lumped together? For that matter, did the model numbers
> continue until a major design change through year after year?
>
> In boat production building circles, Ericson for example,
> each model had its own number set that ran through to the
> next year but if a totally new design of lets say a 25 foot
> boat was developed, the numbering would start the next
> hundred higher. For example let's say that the last number
> of an old design 25 ended as hull #438, well the new design
> of that same length would be hull #501.
>
> Regards,