It proved hard to find any information on what the format indicated for the 1993-2003 swifts, but I did find this (google translated) Hungarian site, appropriately enough as it seems the cars were built over in Hungary, which is packed with useful bits and pieces. The two most useful codes are the VIN and the model number, the VIN can be found at the back of the engine compartment, while both are printed on a sticker on the cover of the spare wheel well.

The VIN looks something like TSMMAA35S00860000 and doesn’t really seem to follow the normal VIN rules. The first three characters represent the manufacturer, in this case Magyar Suzuki. The fourth letter always seems to be M as well, but the fifth and sixth give you the body style, AA for 3 door, AB for 5 door and AH for 4 door. The next two characters related to the engine, 35 for 1.3, 44 for 1.0 and 14 for 1.6 (the engine codes themselves might identify variations, e.g. G13BA for the 8v G13BB for the 16v). This is followed by S00, then the unique identifier. This can be used to determine the year (from the same site):

1992 – 100000+
1993 – 100922+
1994 – 114286+
1995 – 133811+
1996 – 250000+
1997 – 269289+
1998 – 333054+
1999 – 399172+
2000 – 530016+
2001 – 818529+
2002 – 876161+
2003 – 920516-933375

The model code identified a few more bits and pieces. It should be nine characters long and look something like HEJ534B02. The first character is the body, H for hatchback, S for sedan. The second character gives the type, E for Swift. The third gives the numbers of doors, A – 3 door/2 seat, L – 4 door, F – 5 door, J – 3 door/five seat. The next two give the engine combination, 33 – 1.0 manual, 35 – 1.0 automatic, 53 1.3 manual, 55 1.3 automatic, 63 1.6 manual, 65, 1.6 automatic. The sixth character gives the edition, e.g GLS, GLX etc, represented by a character from 2 to Z. The seventh indicates the series, A – 1st, B – 2nd, C – 3rd, E or F – 4th. The 8th and 9th give the market it was made for, eg 02 for the UK. There’s a complete list on the hungarian site – all credit to the author for putting the work in to list all this out!

Bar existing deals, Bethesda will now publish all of id’s titles going forward, and allegedly the management of id will remain as is.

Still, it does feel a bit like the end of an era, the absorption of what is, to me at least, the most iconic game developer out there.

Needed to wash the curtains – they’ve all shrunk by a foot! Now they don’t even cover the windows! That’s fucked up! – TimWestwood

Got in late last nite. Nicked a bottle of milk from the building next store. The top came off & spilt all over my best jacket. Bloody karma! – TimWestwood

I don’t understand why some shops are still shut today – I guess its another kebab from edgware road – same place I ate Christmas Day – TimWestwood

And this wonderful sequence of taking the office to Nando’s tweets.

I’ve asked everyone at the office to have a late lunch – cos there’s no sense goin to Nandos super-hungry cos I’m payin – TimWestwood

just brought some bars of chocolate – goin to give them to everyone just we before we go Nando’s – TimWestwood

ha – got hot cross buns! Gonna serve them at 7pm – by time we get to nando’s everyone will only be ordering 1/4 chickens & no desert – TimWestwood

Those hot cross buns went down a treat & now some chocolate for the non Christians. Also we goin to share one bottomless coke glass – TimWestwood

One of the team asked if they could bring their girl tonite – not on my bloody tab! How ghetto is that! – TimWestwood

this better not cost more £35 in total for the 7 of us – was hoping a couple of them would cancel! – TimWestwood

Mad love for the big dog.

INT – Bedroom – Our hero and leading lady lay in post coital contemplation

Girl: <Big rant about the glass ceiling, followed by>… and that’s when I realised what I really needed to get ahead was a dick
Big Steve: Well, I don’t think I’d like you so much with a dick. Especially if it was bigger than mine.
Girl: I don’t think that’s possible.

I believe they call it ‘creative control’.

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