[Mikey216]

Hi all.

Ive just managed to bag a 1 owner 216 Cabriolet earlier this evening registered on the 18th of June 1999.
Car is in Nightfire with 82k and has been languishing in a garage since early 2015.

I understand that 1999 was the last year for these, but does anyone know if mine would be one of the last produced/registered cars? I'd be keen to find out....

Plan is a slow, sympathetic recommision with a plan of using it as a summer car next year to compliment my 1999 Mini Cooper and my 1990 205 Gti.
Ive attended Pol with the Mini over the past couple of years and id like to get the 216 there next year as well.

Cheers

Mike

[Montegoman]

If you can provide me with the VIN, I can compare it against the database to see how it compares to others. Production ceased in July 1998. Unfortunately production dates aren't available for the R8 models.

[Mikey216]

Thanks for the reply. Its a shame about manufactering dates not being available for them. The chassis number is:

SAXXWMBZEWD934212

Regards

Mike

[Montegoman]

The final R8 was 935124. We have two cabriolets later than yours, one in the 934700s and one in 934800s. After production of the core R8 models siezed in 1995, the cabriolet, coupe and tourer continued, receiving a major update in 1996 incorporating the R3 dash and under bonnet changes to replicate the R3. The final R8 was a tourer built in July 1998. By then only 100 -200 cars were being built per week so your car is likely to have been built in May or June 1998.

[Mikey216]

Thank you for looking into that.
I presume chassis numbers are sequentially followed, meaning my car would of been in the last 900 or so of production?
You mentioned the two other Cabs, are those still on the road and in the club?

I find all this highly interesting and i appreciate your time looking into for me.

Mike

[Montegoman]

Yes, your car would be within the final 900 built so within the final 6 - 10 weeks of production I would guess.
Of the other two cabriolets mentioned one is a current member, one a former member, one is on SORN, one is taxed.

[Mikey216]

Just coming back to this Montegoman....

The sister chassis numbers to mine, i.e, one preceding and the one following mine, are they known to the club?

Would be nice to know if they were still about, presuming they were for the Uk market. A meet with either at Pol next year would be great, parked side by side

Mike

[Montegoman]

No, neither the directly preceding or following numbers are known to the club. We have seven cars in the 934*** sequence, two lower than yours, the nearest by around 35 and five after yours, the nearest by around 250. Four are cabriolets, three are tourers.

[Mikey216]

Well, with work on this mini project well underway, this evening i removed the door cards to repair the loose trim pieces and upgrade the door speakers.
On the rear of the door cards are date stamps, 18 of June 1998 to be precise.
On the speaker looms there were date stamps on some tags (11 June 1998) so it would seem my car is a very late build.

Perhaps it was built maybe a week or so after the door cards were manufactured?

Mike