When talking about tracking production, a serial number does not really help. Already on early production cars, we are talking about road cars only, the factory used “assembly sequences”. Therefore we can identify the build-order of many cars. The Body Number does not really fit the assembly sequences.
The first model where the assembly number was more or less visible was the 308 GTB/GTS. Each car is individually numbered on the driver’s side, engine bay frame. Those assembly numbers have been a closed number range within the 308-model as it was with the “classic cars” as well.
It was not before the late 1980’s that the assembly number was stamped on a separate plate and normally placed in the engine bay, which proves the succession of the cars. The assembly number does not link to the numbering of a small series car such as the 348 Speciale, Challenge or the 550 Barchetta. On those cars, the number within the limited series is shown and later on, the factory did not number the limited series individually as in the Enzo, 575 Superamerica and 16M Scuderia Spider.
Location of the “Assembly Number” by model:
| Testarossa (late models) | Placed far down on the right of engine bay |
| 512 TR/F512 M | Placed far down on the right of engine bay |
| F40 | Placed near the VIN plate in the engine bay |
| F50 | Under the front hood/bonnet (because of the non-metal body) |
| 348/Mondial t /F355 | On the left side of the engine bay |
| 360/F430/FXX | On the frame at the rear of the engine bay |
| Enzo | Near the left rear wheel arch |
| 456/550/575/612/599/California/FF/F12 | On the engine bay under front hood/bonnet |
| 458 | On the engine bay under rear hood/bonnet |