COMING VERY SOON: US 500E & E500 VIN database + analytics

[gerryvz]

More work done on the global (non-North America) VIN Datalist list, including most interior and exterior colors.

Created another "Non-NA" Summary tab that will provide details on the numbers of interior/exterior combos and such for these cars, similarly to the US/Canada Summary tab. We will also have a per-country table, detailing the exact numbers of cars imported to each country. This information already resides in the Wiki here, but it will be much easier to find, more digestible and more visually attractive in the VIN Database format.

This expansion is turning this into a HUGE project, quite quickly.

 

[gerryvz]

After a HUGE amount of work over the three-day weekend, we finally have the numbers crunched for the entire cohort of all 500E and E500 models produced GLOBALLY. You can find this information in the "Global Summary" tab of the VIN Database.

This tab provides a definitive breakdown and a TON of data, including:

• Table of number of cars imported into every country
• Percentage of overall production imported to each country
• A comprehensive table that details:
  • Global numbers of each interior color produced
  • Global numbers of each exterior color produced
  • Global number of each interior+exterior color combo produced
  • Breakdown of leather and cloth production
  • Breakdown of how many leather and cloth upholstery combos were produced

This table makes it VERY easy to see how many cars of any given color (interior and exterior) were produced, globally. If you want to drill down into the US numbers, then this information for the US and Canada is available on the US Summary tab. The US Summary tab is a subset of the Global tab.

A comprehensive table of all VINs EXCLUDING the US and Canada, is available in the "Non-US 500E/E500" tab. All of my private notes and forum notes on non-US cars will eventually land in this tab.

Enjoy browsing.

This table will make it very easy to debunk any future "unicorn" (one of one) type of claims.

Cheers
Gerry

A few views:

Overview of the new "Global Summary" tab:



Table of import numbers, by country:




Table of all interior and exterior color and upholstery material combinations. This table is a crown jewel of the VIN Database.



Pie chart detailing 500E / E500 production, by country.

 

[gerryvz]

As of this morning, all E60 AMG and E500 Limiteds (codes 957 and/or 958) are now indicated in the notes in the new "Non-US 500E / E500" tab.

Also, all cars with "Special Paintwork" from the factory, are also flagged in the notes tab.

Separately, enhancements continue to be made on the "Global Summary" tab, with additional clarity instruments in the table. We are working on finishing up the exterior color combinations with approximations (as best as can be made) with the real-world color hues. This was already done on the US / Canada Summary tab, but there were MANY more colors shipped globally than to the US and Canada, so there is work that has to be done to re-create these non-North American colors as closely as possible.

More polish will be put on the "Global Summary" tab in the near future, and it will become the first tab that people see. The current "US / Canada Summary" tab will become the second tab, as it is a sub-set of the "Global Summary" tab.

From what I could see, there is only ONE example of a color combo (exterior+interior) that was exclusive to North America. All other color combos that came to the US and Canada, were also found in various numbers shipped to countries elsewhere in the world.

Lastly, we will be putting some "Fast Facts About 500E & E500 Production" either on the Global Summary tab, or in a separate tab. This should provide some interesting insight into various facets of the cars produced.

With all of this work, I am working to continue to stimulate global interest in these cars over time, through greater transparency and a more visually interesting presentation of the data. This will continue to be a work in progress as errors and anomalies are spotted / called out / commented on and then resolved with the data available.


12:01PM EDT - Tuesday 20-Jan

We have added two new reference tables to the "Global Summary" tab -- one table detailing all exterior colors and their corresponding MB color codes; and another table detailing all interior upholstery materials, colors, and corresponding codes.

 

[gerryvz]

Per the update above, here are examples of the two new tables, detailing MB color codes specifically pertaining to the 500E / E500, globally.

 

[gerryvz]

This weekend, we will be transferring forum notes + threads to the "non-US" cars, as well as beginning to transfer notes from my personal database to non-US cars.

 

[gerryvz]

As I go through the FOR SALE threads to find non-US/Canadian cars, I am finding that many of the LastVIN.com links posted for cars starting about 2-2.5 years ago, are now either dead links, or pointing to non-E500E cars.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND in the future, per the process that I have always done, that when someone looks up a VIN on LastVIN, that they ALSO download a PDF of the data card (there's a link at the top right to do this) and attach the PDF downloaded, to the FOR SALE post. NOT just add a link and not attach a PDF.

The LastVIN links are proving unreliable long-term, which also is why I AM NOT using them as links for the VIN Database. Rather, I am downloading each data card from LastVIN and then linking to it individually on the 500Eboard server. I have created a special area of the site for VIN datacards. Fortunately, ChatGPT is helping automate the creation of these links, and Google Scripting is automating the process of adding these links to each corresponding car in the VIN Database.

Just wish I could automate the downloading of data cards from the LastVIN site, but sadly they have a CAPTCHA in place that thwarts this.....

If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

 

[JwashE]

The VIN database resource IS NOW LIVE !!

You can access it from the top of your screen using the "VIN DATABASE" button, or via the VIN Database sub-forum on the main screen.

If you have any comments, you have the ability to add comments to specific cells or entries, and the admins will be alerted. Any helpful information you can add to a specific car that you have knowledge of, would be very welcomed and will be added to the car's entry in the database.

Happy exploring everyone !!

This is a colossal body of work! Thank you, @gerryvz ! Beyond awesome!

 

[Otrebla49]

This weekend, we will be transferring forum notes + threads to the "non-US" cars, as well as beginning to transfer notes from my personal database to non-US cars

That's awesome, Gerry.. thanks so much for putting your work and efforts in that amount!

Rather, I am downloading each data card from LastVIN and then linking to it individually on the 500Eboard server. I have created a special area of the site for VIN datacards.

So, this is really the best solution, in my opinion too.. one question, what did you exactly mean by creating "a special area of the site for VIN datacards"?

Is it like a 'button' or thread/post on the forum (which I couldn't find by using the search function), or a new tab on the actual sheet for 'VIN database' (where I haven't looked for/up in the last 24h), or some place where only you (and admins too) have access to?

If needed I could provide a few (dozens, but maybe 70-80% of those are in German!) of PDF files with datacards to you, but by what means/way.. (?)

For example, I'm attaching to this post a couple of recent ones I've downloaded from LastVIN (and saved locally today when browsing the forum and Internet today).

Please advice and let us/me know how thess PDF files can be sent to you (on the forum/database/sheet, or private message..) for your better use.

Thanks again,

Alberto

 

[gerryvz]

I have a separate directory and sub-directory structure set up on the 500Eboard server with the data cards. And then the “LINK” for each car in the VIN database will be linked to that car’s PDF in that directory.

So far I have about the first 50% of US model year 1992 uploaded and linked. I do 20 or 30 data cards a day.

In the Non-US database, any car in there that has an existing link in the 500Eboard URL column, I have downloaded the data cards for, and uploaded the PDF data cards, but I have not yet created the links for them yet. Hoping to do that today. Just need to set up a few scripts to create the URLs, and then to populate the database with those URLs.

 

[Otrebla49]

And then the “LINK” for each car in the VIN database will be linked to that car’s PDF in that directory

Yes, I have seen that the (now blue) 'LINK' is active on the VIN database - thank you again for this insight!

any car in there that has an existing link in the 500Eboard URL column, I have downloaded the data cards for, and uploaded the PDF data cards,

Gerry, this is an enormous accomplishment that you're carrying on - your progressively path of completing work for us all members is very much appreciated!

And well, I guess most of the datacards I mentioned, are from VINs that nevertheless were already looked up by me - after seeing those VINs on various threads/posts here on the board.

So you pretty much have got a larger source of VINs than what I have downloaded - which is going to make linking some of the non-US cars to their corresponding datacards possible for you, without anyone else additionally sending you a couple (maybe 25-50, but not more) of them.

But, just in case I'm wrong with my assumption, you can always contact me if you want to ask for the ones I have locally.

Alberto

 

[gerryvz]

All of the forum's old "FOR SALE" threads for non-North American cars that included VIN numbers have been indexed into the VIN Database. This weekend, I'll be adding my personal database notes into the VIN Database for the non-US cars.

It's amazing that almost none of the cars listed here for sale back in the 2010-2014 time frame had VIN numbers included with the listings and posts here. Since that time, a majority have VINs, and in recent years, nearly every car (whether in North America or ROW) has the VIN included here. Thus, we have A LOT more entries in recent years where the thread URL here can be associated with a particular VIN.

That said, the VIN database contains forum URL entries or other data for roughly 350-400 cars out of around 8860. My database notes should hopefully add at least 100 or so more cars to this total, but having 500 cars documented out of 8,860 non-North American cars means that there ARE A LOT of cars out there yet to document......

This is in addition to ~902 out of 1,528 US cars (59%) being documented here on this forum.

 

[gerryvz]

Personal notes for all ~1993 model year cars are now input into the VIN Database. Only have the ~1991/1992 cars yet to go as far as carrying over personal notes.

 

[Surf Blau]

Stellar job, perfect for all us nerds to pass the time in between eBay, mobile.de and other parts- and car sources!

Which I did, checking out the cars listed with its order location as Norway. I've heard tales saying that only 1 or 2 cars were ever sold new here, which sounds very plausible considering the astronomical price of cars in Norway back when they were new. However, in these lists (and on LastVIN) I find 11 cars - but interestingly only 2 of them can be found in the DMV database, indicating that they were indeed sold and delivered elsewhere, possibly by people working elsewhere with the intention to bring their new car "back home" at some point. Cars sold in Norway had some (minor) differences in regards to their lights as well as some standard options due to our colder climate. Back then there was also a lot of "talk" about cars unsuitable for use in Norway due to specs for warmer weather, which I think only surfaced due to an increase of importation of used cars and thus lower sale of new cars.

Of the 2 cars I found in "our" database, only 1 appears to have a clean list of owners from new, with the second one registered to an insurance company since the mid nineties - and even though it is not listed as crushed, I presume this is a glitch in the system somehow. It could also have been one of many 036s which were used as donors to "chassis swaps", a common practice in Norway when rebuilding a totalled car - and also the reason why so many 500s here don't have their original VIN.

I found a car #3 in the Norwegian DMV database which had Norway as its original order location though, but this was imported and first registered here in 1998 and thus possibly a case of the above mentioned theory. But, throughout the nineties the import of used cars skyrocketed, so it could also just be a coincidence

Anyway, what I wanted to say was; Great work @gerryvz !

 

[gerryvz]

For the next phase of the VIN Database, I will be creating a pivot-table, which will allow one to select a single country, and the pivot-table will provide a list of all vehicles specific to that country (full records + interior/exterior colors, engine and transmission numbers, etc.).

This will build on the "country delivery numbers" table that we already have, but will provide details on the specific vehicles for that country. In the prototyping stage for this now, but should have it available in the next week or two.

I am going to try to add the function to the existing "Global Summary" tab of the VIN Database. I will also try to include the US and Canada cars in this pivot-table.

The main hurdle is that there is a fair amount of code that I have to create (scripting code) to pull all of the data together (from several sources), then reconcile it into a single / consistent format, and then it's relatively easy to create the pivot-table.