VIN Countries of Origin
The very first character of a VIN encodes the country where the vehicle was manufactured — not where the brand is headquartered. A Toyota built in Kentucky starts with 1 (United States), not J (Japan). A BMW built in South Carolina also starts with 5 (United States).
Australia
6Brazil
9Canada
2China
LCzech Republic
TFinland
YFrance
VGermany
WIndia
MItaly
ZJapan
JMexico
3Portugal
VRomania
USouth Africa
ASouth Korea
KSpain
VSweden
YUnited Kingdom
SUnited States
1 4 5How VIN Country Codes Work
VIN position 1 is assigned based on where the vehicle was physically assembled, per ISO standard 3780 (also known as the WMI standard). The assignment is geographic, not brand-based. For example:
- A Toyota Camry built in Georgetown, Kentucky starts with
4Tor1T(United States). - The same Camry model built in Japan starts with
JT(Japan). - A BMW 3 Series made in Spartanburg, SC starts with
5UorWBdepending on the exact plant and model.
Some countries are assigned multiple digits or letters — the United States uses 1, 4, and 5.
Some letters are shared between geographically close countries (France, Spain, and Portugal share V).