This may be one of those things where the answer is right in front of me, but I'd still like some suggestions. It was the thread about the 1958 444 vs. 544 that got me to thinking. My 445 Duett, which is (California) registered as a 1957, has the features of a 1958. These include a later style "square" type grille, and trim strips which start on the hood, instead of at the front edge of the doors. There may be other little details of which I'm not aware, but my big issue is the actual VIN for the vehicle. The title lists a 4 digit number which isn't to be found anywhere, either on a plate, or stamped into the frame/body. I'm thinking that the 4 digits were on the original engine block, just like on my 444K sedan model.

Of course, that B-16, (or was it possibly a B-14?) is long gone, replaced with a B-20 when I bought it. I own the vehicle legally, the title is clear, so there's no question there. However, I could see that somewhere down the line, if I had insurance claims, or wanted to sell it out of state, someone would want to see the actual VIN on the vehicle, not just in the paperwork. Has anyone else had this issue with the pre-1959 (PV544/ B-210) Volvo cars? How did the factory actually deal with this? I mean, what if (hypothetically) you had 10 Duetts on a dealers lot, and someone removed (or switched) all the little firewall tags? How would they tell one car from another? I could see all this really sneaking up and biting someone on the posterior, just when they least expect it. Ideas, experiences, or suggestions?