Q&A for How to Identify Cars

Another method to identify cars is by checking the driver's front door jamb. A sticker located there contains all the necessary information. If this sticker isn't accessible, look for the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) stamp. This stamp is typically found beneath the driver's front windshield, positioned at the bottom on the driver's side of the car. If you have internet access, you can also search that into a VIN decoder, that will tell you the exact make, model, year, configuration, and even more.

The registration plate is a good place to start. Cars made after 2001 have the AA11 BBB format, with AA indicating the place it was registered, 11 indicating the year, and BBB as an identifier to distinguish it from other cars. The way numbering works is if the car was made between February and September, the first digit will be the third digit of the year, if not it is the third number in the year +5. The second number in a registration plate is the fourth (last) number in the year. For example a car registered in January 2006 would have the numbers 56, but a car registered in August 2011 would have the numbers 11.

Most car names are on the trunk of the car, showing which company and which model it is. Unless you optionally remove the model name, for most cars, it should be where the trunk is.

The Mercedes symbol is a circle which has three triangular spokes pointing out towards north, southeast, and southwest.

It will be in your user manual. Everything is in there.

Their will be a black horse in the very center with a yellow background, two black letters (one will be a cursive capital "S" and "F" and then there will be three stripes on top (green, white, and red).

You will notice that some "older" vehicles will have a lower center of gravity and one of the easiest ways you can identify them is how their body style stands out from modern cars.